Obama's Child Soldiers

President Obama has temporarily halted the military commission trials at Guantanamo while they are reviewed. But if they aren't disbanded, the U.S. will oversee the first trial of a child soldier accused of war crimes since World War II.

This video shows why President Obama must end the unconstitutional military commissions once and for all, and why he must bring the United States back in line with the treaties it has signed regarding the treatment of juveniles who have been recruited or used in armed conflict.

Here is some background:
Canadian citizen Omar Khadr was 15 years old when he was captured in Afghanistan in the midst of a firefight that seriously injured Khadr and resulted in the death of a U.S. solider. Khadr was sent to Guantanamo where he was been held for 7 years -- one-third of his life. He was beaten, subject to painful stress positions and even used as a human mop after he urinated on the floor during one interrogation. Under these conditions, the prosecution of Khadr raises grave concerns about the rule of law.

Ending the military commissions will also spare ACLU client Mohammed Jawad from trial in an illegal system. Jawad was sent to Guantanamo after he was captured at about age 16 at the scene of a grenade attack in Afghanistan that injured two U.S. soldiers. Afghan authorities threatened Jawad with his death, and that of his family, if he didn't confess to the attack. Based on the resulting false confession, Jawad was transferred to U.S. custody where he was further abused. Among other forms of cruel treatment he suffered at Guantanamo, Jawad was subjected to the so-called frequent flyer program, where he was moved every few hours -- 112 times over two weeks -- to deny him sleep.
Learn more at
http://www.aclu.org

This video features ACLU's National Security Project attorney Hina Shamsi and Human Rights Program researcher Jennifer Turner. It was produced for the ACLU by Joel Engardio.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Obama
• child
• soldiers
• Guantanamo
• military
• commissions
• ACLU
• Omar
• Khadr
• Mohammed
• Jawad
• Hina
• Shamsi
• Jennifer
• Turner
• Joel
• Engardio

[obrienkims]

To those saying, "I was just following orders." that was the Nazi concentration guards defense at Nuremberg in 1945. It didn't fly then and would not fly now were there a real trial of these torturers. The US is the mightest Empire the world has ever known. It will also be the last. Either the workers and farmers will defeat this Empire like the people of Cuba and Vietnam defeated it or humankind will perish in a Nuclear holocost.

[steverob79]

rideemcowboy: and another thing, Iraq never posed any threat to us, and they had nothing to do with 9/11. Even if they did, we could have gone after them AFTER we had Bin Laden's head. Iraq was a waste of money and (more imprtantly) American troops. For years our troops have been coming home in peices, or in boxes. And for what? It's an outrage. Soldiers are human beings with families that need them, not robots. They should only be put in harms way when absolutely necessary. Sorry for caring.

[ThatguyNice]

Tough call. To give a pass to teen killers that seek to kill Americans would open up a new factory for terrorists to recruit teens in terrorist plots. By detaining them also, does it not send a signal to terrorists not to use teens as suicide bombers & killers, since they will be treated the same? Isn't that a greater good for prevention sake?

[ltdhotrods]

THESE ARE FUTURE TERRORIST, THEY SHOULD SHOOT THEM NOW BEFORE THEY GET OUT ON THE STREET KILLING AMERICANS

[Sandraaa29]

OBAMA = BUSH

same all shit!

Most of the comments that agrees with what Obama its doing, are ignorant and not based in civil rights... too bad, if people this ignorant didn't exist we would probably maKe this END!!!!

[Classic905]

@obrienkims This world's doomed sooner or later. Man is just so fucking arrogant and stupid.

[OBAMAisHalfCaste]

Obama the first half-caste biracial mixed-race president not black

[forwardmover]

"The ACLU no longer represents the best interests in America, but the worst interests, from pedophiles and sex offenders, to Marxists and Communists. The ACLU has become an ugly destructive force undermining the greatest nation civilization has ever known."

Sep. 25, 2005 - Gordon Bishop

[forwardmover]

Nice propaganda film. Two pretty girls with lots of skin showing. Where are the ugly lesbians who actually run this organization?

[forwardmover]

ACLU = Anti-American Civil Liberties Union.

Not about Liberty.

Left-wing. Athiestic. Collectivist.