BRIEF: U.S. Currently holds 500 Juveniles in Iraq and 10 in Afghanistan, Human Rights Groups Outraged

NEW YORK, United States - On May 14th, 2008, the U.S. government acknowledged, in a supplement to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Children ("CRC"), that it has held almost 2,500 youths (18 and younger) in U.S. run facilities overseas.  The American Civil Liberties Union ("ACLU") says that the U.S. is holding these youths without a policy in place for how the juveniles are tretaed.  The ACLU says the youths, some of which have been held for years without being charged with a crime, are not being treated in accordance with internationally accepted standards and the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict that was ratified by the United States in 2002.  Jamil Dakwar, Director of ACLU's Human Rights Program, was quoted as saying "it is shocking to know that the U.S. is holding hundreds of juveniles in Iraq and Afghanistan...", Dawkar continues, "juveniles and former child soldiers should be treated first and foremost as candidates for rehabilitation and reintegration into society, not subjected to further victimization."

The Associated Press claims that currently the U.S. is holding 500 youths who are claimed to be suspected "unlawful enemy combatants" in Iraq and 10 in Afghanistan.  Between 2004 and 2006 the United States released eight of the youths being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Tina M. Foster is the executive director of International Justice Network ("IJN") who brought law suits on behalf of the juveniles held at Guantanamo.  The IJN will also be representing some of the adults being held at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility in Afghanistan but cannot take on any of the juvenile cases until their names are released.  Foster was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "it's shocking to me that the U.S. government has not figured out a way to keep children out of adult prisons.  It's outrageous, and it is not making us any safer, I can say that about Afghanistan from personal experience."  A press release on the ACLU website says the U.S. government claims it is holding youths in Iraq so they can be educated on how to be part of Iraq's future in a postive way.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo! News (AP) - US:  500 Youths Detained in Iraq; 10 in Afghanistan - 19 May 2008

American Civil Liberties Union - New Government Report Reveals 2,500 Youths Held in Military Custody Abroad - 14 May 2008