Children Prisoners Of The U.S. War Of Terror
7 February 2010By Kenneth J. Theisen
Many people in this country are aware of the atrocious
conditions and treatment of adult prisoners in the
U.S. war of terror. These prisoners have been held at
Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Bagram, and other hellholes
run by the U.S. But few are aware that thousands of
children have also been taken by the U.S. and its
allies in this war of terror.
A few of these children have been held at Guantanamo
and have received some publicity, but most have been
held in prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan and have
received very little notice from U.S. media. What has
and is happening to these children victims of the U.S.
war?
As late as May 2008 U.S. authorities reported to the
U.N. that they were holding at least 513 Iraqi
children in U.S.-run prisons as “imperative threats to
security.” The U.S. did not report how many children
had been previously transferred by U.S. authorities to
prisons run by Iraqi puppet forces. Most of the
children were held in the same hellhole prisons that
held adult prisoners.
In April 2008 the U.S. government reported
“approximately 10 juveniles being held at Bagram
Theater Internment Facility as unlawful enemy
combatants. Bagram has been compared to Gitmo in the
crimes committed there by U.S. authorities.
The U.S. came under intense international criticism
for its treatment of children when these numbers were
released. As a result the U.S. government recently
released a report claiming that as of December 2009
only five children were held by the U.S. in U.S.
military detention in Iraq and Afghanistan. The report
did not say what happened to the other children. It is
unknown whether these numbers are true or not, but
even if they are, the report leaves unanswered the
question of whether these children have access to the
protections guaranteed to them under international
law. It also fails to address the rights of children
transferred by the U.S. to Iraqi and Afghan
authorities.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) expressed
concerns on January 28th about the U.S. government
report. It is likely that most of the reduction may be
attributed to the transfer of prisoners to Iraqi
authorities. It is well known that the Iraqi puppet
forces run hellhole prisons sometimes even worse that
those of the U.S. The ACLU asked for data on the fates
of the detainees and sought assurance that all current
or former child soldiers and juvenile prisoners are
being given their rights afforded under international
law.
Jamil Dakwar, Director of the ACLU Human Rights
Program stated, "…the public is entitled to know how
these cases are being handled. We hope that the U.S.
can confirm how many of these detainees were released
and how many were transferred to Iraqi or Afghan
authorities for prosecution. The U.S. has a
responsibility to ensure that any juvenile detainees
transferred to other authorities are still granted
their basic human rights, including consideration of
their status as juveniles and safe opportunities for
rehabilitation and reintegration into society."
The U.S. report did not include information about the
treatment and care for those who were under 18 at the
time of their capture and who are still in U.S.
custody. Also current U.S. military policy allows the
U.S. to take up to two weeks to provide the
International Red Cross with names and access to all
detainees, which is too long for the needs of children
in custody. The first weeks of detention are critical
to juvenile prisoners, and they should be accounted
for and attended to as soon as possible. Much of the
abuse that prisoners experience often takes place
shortly after capture.
"The humane treatment of juveniles in U.S. military
custody is critical to restoring the rule of law and
humanity to U.S. detention operations overseas," said
Jennifer Turner, human rights researcher with the ACLU
Human Rights Program. "…the government still lacks a
comprehensive policy regarding the treatment of
juveniles still in detention and their access to
education, legal services and physical and
psychological services that are critical to their
rehabilitation."
In November 2009, the ACLU sought updated data from
the Department of Defense on juveniles in U.S.
military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan and
information on efforts to bring U.S. policy regarding
the treatment, detention and trial of juveniles into
compliance with international law. As of today no
response has been received from the Pentagon.
Why is the Obama administration not releasing this
information to the ACLU and the public? What is being
hidden? It is not enough to reduce the number of
juveniles held in the U.S. war of terror just by
transferring them to Iraqi or Afghan puppet forces.
What are the conditions of incarceration? Are these
children still being deprived of their legal and human
rights? What crimes are being committed in our names?
These are all questions that deserve an answer. Those
responsible for the abuse of these children must be
held accountable. This includes not only those
responsible during the years of the Bush regime, but
also those within the Obama administration who have
failed to end the abuse of these children.
Transferring them to other abusers in U.S. puppet
governments does not excuse the U.S. role or end the
abuse.
These children victims of the U.S. war of terror have
been silenced through their incarceration and
treatment. We, and that means you too, must speak out
for them and demand justice now!
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