by Robert Tynes
Download the Full Article: Children, the War on Terror and Decision Making
President Obama appears to be caught in a dilemma, poised between the hard rock moral choice of human rights and the cold-cocked fist of global terrorism. At least that's what his most recent decision to continue military funding to Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan and Yemen seems to indicate. President Obama has waived the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 for these four countries. The law, which he supported when he was serving in the US Senate, states that the US government shall not provide military funding to governments that use or support the use of child soldiers. That is, of course, unless the President deems it in the national interest to supply military aid to the countries. In other words: national interest trumps protecting children. Yet in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, President Obama declared that "the promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone." What gives?
Download the Full Article: Children, the War on Terror and Decision Making
Robert Tynes is an adjunct professor in the Political Science & International Relations department at SUNY/New Paltz. His research focuses on child soldiers, political violence, and African politics.
