child soldiers

A rag-tag opposition forms to battle the African rebel leaders who put guns in the hands of children

His critics say he’s a danger; supporters say he poses no threat. Someone will be proven wrong.

Aside from a fire alarm, Question Period was highlighted, if that’s the right word, yesterday by various attempts to coax the government side into providing specific information on the transfer of children detained in Afghanistan. Jack Layton, Jean Dorion and Bob Rae all failed to find the right combination of words that unlocks such secrets—notably on the question of how many children have been transferred.

Canadians working in broken countries can offer only imperfect options

The CBC has obtained a briefing note for Defence Minister Peter MacKay which details the detention and transfer of juveniles by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.

As referenced by John earlier, here is Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon’s exchange with reporters on the subject of child soldiers and Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

At a news conference a few minutes ago, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon declined to answer direct questions about Canada’s position on child soldiers on the grounds that the questions were hypothetical. But Cannon did declare that Canada is imposing tough sanctions against North Korea by curtailing economic ties.

My normally restrained and sober colleague John Geddes fears that I’m depriving readers of a window into the lyrical creativity of Liberian warlords and child soldiers by not posting a full list of the names of all those wanted by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

A few links passed on by someone far better schooled in these matters.

Not, at least, by his very presence. Or so says Angus Reid’s latest: