Post by Patrick on Oct 19, 2011 7:48:08 GMT
When this happens in other countries theres a world wide outcry, sanctions, here at home not a promblem.
I found this story whilst reading my daily paper, I thought I would share on here.
FOUR British child soldiers have been sent to war zones against Government policy, the Ministry of Defence admitted tonight.
Military chiefs "inadvertently" sent the youngsters — all under 18 — to the frontline despite the UK being signed up to a United Nations (UN) pledge not to send children on to battlefields.
Junior defence minister Andrew Robathan tonight blamed the mistake on commanders preparing to take their troops abroad.
He said: "The pressures on units prior to deployment have meant there have been a small number of instances where service personnel have been inadvertently deployed to an operational theatre before their 18th birthday.
"There were four members of the Armed Forces who were under the age of 18 years and deployed to operational theatres between April 2008 and March 2010."
The MoD was tonight unable to confirm where the four were sent, though it is likely to have been Afghanistan.
Britain agreed the UN's optional protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2003 and remains "firmly committed" to it, Mr Robathan claimed.
He added: "Every feasible step is taken, in accordance with our obligations, to prevent the involvement in hostilities of service personnel under the age of 18.
"We have protective measures, including single-service administrative guidelines and procedures and a system for tracking personnel, to reduce as far as possible the risk of unintentional deployments."
He admitted the MoD's systems were "not infallible", but insisted tighter rules at Britain's main air base for flying troops overseas, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, meant no child had been sent to a war zone since January 2010.
Mr Robathan said that when chiefs realised the youngsters were under 18, they were returned to Britain "as soon as possible".
Mr Robathan was answering a written Parliamentary question from Labour MP Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw).
I found this story whilst reading my daily paper, I thought I would share on here.
FOUR British child soldiers have been sent to war zones against Government policy, the Ministry of Defence admitted tonight.
Military chiefs "inadvertently" sent the youngsters — all under 18 — to the frontline despite the UK being signed up to a United Nations (UN) pledge not to send children on to battlefields.
Junior defence minister Andrew Robathan tonight blamed the mistake on commanders preparing to take their troops abroad.
He said: "The pressures on units prior to deployment have meant there have been a small number of instances where service personnel have been inadvertently deployed to an operational theatre before their 18th birthday.
"There were four members of the Armed Forces who were under the age of 18 years and deployed to operational theatres between April 2008 and March 2010."
The MoD was tonight unable to confirm where the four were sent, though it is likely to have been Afghanistan.
Britain agreed the UN's optional protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2003 and remains "firmly committed" to it, Mr Robathan claimed.
He added: "Every feasible step is taken, in accordance with our obligations, to prevent the involvement in hostilities of service personnel under the age of 18.
"We have protective measures, including single-service administrative guidelines and procedures and a system for tracking personnel, to reduce as far as possible the risk of unintentional deployments."
He admitted the MoD's systems were "not infallible", but insisted tighter rules at Britain's main air base for flying troops overseas, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, meant no child had been sent to a war zone since January 2010.
Mr Robathan said that when chiefs realised the youngsters were under 18, they were returned to Britain "as soon as possible".
Mr Robathan was answering a written Parliamentary question from Labour MP Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw).