Free
Syrian Army
Use of Child
Soldiers
Detailed by
UN, Can US Aid
FSA?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 29 --
Amid reports
that the US already
provides or is
ready to
provide aid to
armed groups
in Syria like
the Free
Syrian Army
(FSA),
a finding in
the UN's new
report on
Children and
Armed Conflict
in
Syria become
relevant:
"Throughout
the
reporting
period, the
United Nations
received
consistent
reports
of recruitment
and use of
children by
FSA-affiliated
groups."
The
US has cited
the
recruitment
and use of
child soldiers
to suspend US
aid to armies
of governments
which had
previously
been receiving
it.
So how could
the US provide
aid to a
non-state
group which
even the
UN has found
using child
soldiers?
The
report, to be
issued as a
document of
the UN
Security
Council under
the symbol
S/2014/31,
goes on to
recount:
"Boys
aged 12 to 17
were trained,
armed, and
used as
combatants or
to man
checkpoints.
For instance,
a 15 year-old
boy reported
being
recruited
in April 2012
by the FSA in
Tall Kalakh
(Tartus
governate),
and
participation
in military
operations....
Also
indicative was
the case
of a 16
year-old boy
from Homs who
reportedly
joined the FSA
as a
combatant. In
March 2013,
his family
reported to
the United
Nations
that he was
still fighting
with the
group."
And
is
this boy still
fighting with
the FSA? There
is more to be
said
about this UN
report, but as
to the US and
the recent
report it is
or
is moving
toward aiding
the armed FSA,
what steps
will be taken
on
this UN
report? Watch
this site.
, 
