U.S.: Despite Releases, Children Still Held at Guantanamo

[Whoa_Nelly]

NEW YORK- January 29 - The United States released three children from detention at Guantanamo Bay today. Human Rights Watch welcomed the release, but cautioned that other children are still being detained at the U.S. naval base in violation of international standards.

<snip>
The Department of Defense has confirmed that an unspecified number of other children, aged 16 and 17, are also detained at Guantanamo. In contrast to the three who were released, these children are not segregated from the adult population, and are not receiving education or rehabilitation assistance. International law generally defines children as all individuals under the age of 18.

<snip>
International standards recognize that children under the age of 18 are a particularly vulnerable group, and are entitled to special care and protection because they are still developing physically, mentally and emotionally. These standards include certain key principles, including the use of detention only as a measure of last resort, the separation of children from adults, the right of children to maintain contact with their families, and the right to a prompt determination of their case. In addition, treaties binding on the United States recognize the special situation of children who have been recruited or used in armed conflict, and their rights to prompt demobilization, and rehabilitation and reintegration assistance.

In cases where children are believed to have committed war crimes, they can be formally charged and should be provided with counsel and tried in accordance with international standards of juvenile justice.

more...
http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0129-15.htm

[prolesunited]

1. Actually, given our barbaric stance

on employing the death penalty against juveniles (Iran is the only other country worldwide currently allowing this.) it's a wonder the U.S. hasn't advocated killing them.

[DUreader]

2. So they lied when they said they had released all of the children

I'll have to look for the link , it was this week I think

[DUreader]

3. It was just yesterday

The three, ranging from 13 to 15 years old, were the only juveniles among 660 suspected Taliban and al Qaeda guerrillas being held
without charge at the U.S. naval base.


All we know for sure is that Reuters either lied or didn't fact check their

assertion. Also they may be juveniles not suspected of being Tali-queda


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=337262

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. A couple of story links on that

The majority of the US media stories released regarding Afghan children removed from Guantanamo were purposely made to read that the US is "making nice" by trying to appear to follow Geneva Convention International law. The US leaders are trying to avoid having their feet held to the fire. I hope that happens. The BFEE and PNAC members are not immune to global authorities who will, and are, pursuing the criminal actions of these people.

Children released from Guantanamo Bay

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1034808.htm

(Previous DU posting by JudiLyn)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=337262

3 Afghan Children Released from Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp


http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=341229A1-657E-4BCE-BACF7773BCD109EA

[Judi Lynn]

5. Sure glad you posted this.

We've been lead to believe FROM THE FIRST that there were only three, and that those three were segregated from the adults, and given schooling, and exercise, and healthy food, etc., etc., etc.

I actually thought yesterday when the 3 left, that was all of them.

Sure glad to know the truth today. Thanks.

[iverglas]

6. one of the children not released

It appears that Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen now aged 17, is still in Guantanamo.

His Egyptian-born Canadian-citizen father, allegedly (and quite possibly) an al-Qaeda operative, and one younger brother, were believed to have been killed in October in a shoot-out with Pakistani forces. The father was then said to have escaped, but has now been confirmed dead:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/01/24/khadr040124
and the son, aged 14, is apparently in custody in Pakistan:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/01/23/khadr040123

His older brother was released from Guantanamo last year. The US authorities did not inform Canadian authorities he was being released -- but told him that Canada didn't want him, despite Canada's ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the brothers' release. They shipped him to Afghanistan with no identity documents. He went to Pakistan and failed to convince Cdn embassy staff he was Canadian (apparently turned away from the embassy by a guard, i.e. local police), and went to Turkey, Iran and finally Bosnia before he was able to return to Canada.

If Omar, who is still in Guantanamo, is now 17, he would have been 15 when captured. The allegations against him (throwing a grenade) are fuzzy and contradictory and have never been clearly presented.

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003/12/01/Khadrnewser_031201

Khadr <Abdurahman, the one who was released> said it was commonplace for teenage boys in Afghanistan to attend such camps for weapons training. He said he has no ties to al-Qaeda but that his father was sympathetic to the Taliban cause.

The U.S. army arrested Khadr in 2001 in Afghanistan. He says he had just delivered some supplies to a school and was returning to his family's base in Kabul.

It was quite plain that the US government wanted the two Khadr brothers to obtain information about their father. That is an illegitimate reason for detaining anyone, let alone a juvenile in a prison camp. The father is now confirmed dead.


http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003/12/01/Khadrnewser_031201

There are currently 660 prisoners living in cells at
Guantanamo Bay. They are subject to interrogations,
day and night and allowed two 20-minute exercise
breaks a week. There have been 32 have attempted
suicides at the camp.

Great place to grow up.

.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Thanks for the links.

You forgot to mention Omar Khadr was also claimed by neighbors to have "taunted" Americans! Now there's a reason to haul him off to Guantanamo, if ever I heard one!

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Excellent point, JudiLyn!

It's the the same for many Americans as well...any one of us could be jailed for publically "taunting" the pResident and company.

Everyday it is my fervent wish that the BushCo regime will end this year, and that all of those involved with these thugs, including the members of the PNAC, will be held criminally accountable.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Don't ever forget that the US had no problem

sending whole American families of Japanese decent to concentration camps. Their only crime was being Japanese. So, this comes as no surprise to me. The "American way" is a very very thin veneer.