R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Fifteen children have been deployed to fight in Iraq since June 2003, it has emerged.

The figure, given by Defence Minister Adam Ingram, was described as "shocking" by the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Ingram said the "vast majority" were deployed within a week of their 18th birthdays or were removed from theatre less than a week after arriving.

All were 17 years old, and as many as four were girls.

He said estimates showed fifteen 17-year-old personnel but no 16-year-olds were deployed to Iraq since a convention on children's rights was ratified in 2003.

Mr Ingram said: "None have been deployed since July 2005. Fewer than five of the 17-year-old personnel deployed were female.

"The vast majority of those that were deployed were within one week of their 18th birthdays or were removed from theatre within a week of their arrival."

In a written answer to the House of Commons, Mr Ingram said that new procedures had been introduced to ensure that under-18s were not deployed to warzones.

He added: "Unfortunately, these processes are not infallible ... there have been a small number of instances where soldiers have been inadvertently deployed to Iraq before their 18th birthday."

But Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Sarah Teather, who requested the information, called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to apologise.

She said: "This is an inexcusable blunder by the Government that reveals a shocking level of incompetence.

"There is no way people so young are mentally or emotionally prepared to face bloodshed on the scale seen in Iraq."

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

Line from Barry McGuire's 1965 hit, Eve of Destruction:

You're old enough to kill but not for votin'.

Ian.

Cherskiy · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject:

11 and 12-year old boys were blowing up Russian IS-2 and T-34 tanks with single-shot hollow charge rocket projectiles just under 62 years ago.

There are plenty of documented instances of 14 and 15 year old 'boy' soldiers and sailors in WW1 and WW2.

Lots of African armies and 'irregular' forces still draft kids wholesale today.

If you join up, you can be expect to be sent anywhere at any time - as the forces' saying goes: "if you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined".

If the politicos don't want our under-18s to serve abroad, they should block under-18s joining up in the first place.
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