Those countries would have been penalized under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush shortly before he left office. The law took effect this year, after the State Department identified six countries that used government soldiers - including Somalia and Burma.
Senior U.S. officials said Wednesday that Yemen was exempted because ending military aid would jeopardize the country's ability to fight al-Qaeda. In Sudan, U.S. military assistance will be critical in helping the unstable southern part of the country build military institutions if it votes to secede in a January referendum, as expected, officials said.
Congo was exempted because U.S.-funded programs there are aimed at helping the military become more professional and less abusive, officials said. Chad got a pass because of its role in fighting terrorism and assistance with the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. In addition, U.S. aid goes toward helping that country's military end its practice of using child soldiers, officials said.
On the bright side, you can't afford to invade those countries now!
and kill more innocent civvies.
But, a child using an American made gun is good for your wrenched economy- saving print up more then you already have too!
Proud to be an American?
If the pubs get in are you better off?
Ohh fuck it! ure all screwed really!
This is exactly the kind of stuff that makes the US look bad. Either you stand by your principles or your don't. Half assed excuses like "oh, well, these guys are sorta helping us, and they hate us a little less than the other guys" doesn't cut it. If you are against child soldiers then you make it stick and force countries to get rid of that horrid notion before giving them the aid they want/need.
This is the kind of thinking that created Bin Laden and Saddam -- "yeah, they are bad guys, but lets fund them since they are fighting the soviets!.. Good idea!". Or "sure, Saddam is one evil SOB, but since he's fighting Iran, we should go ahead and give him more weapons and stuff. That will never come back to bite us in the ass!".
Our "leaders" never learn.
I'm sure our resident party hacks will be here soon to tell us how this is all Bush's fault, of course.....
I doubt they will, after all they were/are fans of Bush.I'm sure our resident party hacks will be here soon to tell us how this is all Bush's fault, of course.....
We should be ending foreign aid, not expanding it.
Put away your Jump to Conclusions Mat and calm down.
Remarkable lack of reading comprehension.
Jesse Eaves, policy adviser on children's issues for the humanitarian group World Vision, noted that the law did not mandate a cutoff of all forms of military assistance for offenders. For example, they could have still gotten help in eliminating their use of child soldiers.
"That kind of assistance is still allowed under the law without invoking the waiver. That's why this is a disturbing step," he said.
I love reality, it is SO defined by absolutes!
Remarkable lack of reading comprehension. Obama just put it out in the open, rather than leaving it as one of those dirty little secrets we don't talk about, as with past administrations. He put the recipient govts on notice by going public with what has been an ongoing supply of aid to those regimes.
Dub and Dick had no qualms whatsoever about doing this, and clearly had no intent of reassessment, ever. They just kept it quiet so nobody would notice, nobody would question their judgment. Obama laid it on the table for public scrutiny. Regardless of one's position, it's now out in the open for people to assess and to let the admin and their congress critters know their opinions on the matter.
So, uhh, y'all didn't want to know about that? Wanted to just pretend, chant mindless drivel to keep your mind focused on other more important stuff, like whatever Palin, Rush and O'Reilly tell you is important? That option is always open for the True Believers...
Rather foreign aid then more military spending.