Obama waiver allows US aid to countries that use child soldiers

[PeshakJang]

From the original bill:

(c) National Interest Waiver-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink


(1) WAIVER- The President may waive the application to a country of the prohibition in subsection (a) if the President determines that such waiver is in the interest of the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink


(2) PUBLICATION AND NOTIFICATION- The President shall publish each waiver granted under paragraph (1) in the Federal Register and shall notify the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives of each such waiver, including the justification for the waiver, in accordance with the regular notification procedures of such Committees.

So hopefully we will see a specific justification for each waiver he granted... as required by the law.

 

[Jhhnn]

Translation: Obama may be doing something bad but its ok because Bush did it too! And he kept it a secret! At least Obama is doing wrong things out in the open! You partisan hacks!

Moralistic blinders for teh win!

Such practices by our own govt will *obviously* continue if kept secret, and may well come to an end through open disclosure and public discussion. Just the way it is, and has been for a very long time, pre-Bush, probably going back prior to WW2.

Or did you think that the Mujahedin and the Contras didn't use child soldiers? The Sunni militias in Iraq? The current Afghan govt? Other groups and regimes we've supported over the decades?

Kee-rist. The same voices raving at Obama over this disclosure would be raving even louder about how he's "Soft on Terrar!" if he'd cut off aid to those regimes...

That's because whatever he does is wrong, just because he did it, because it's all Obama's fault. Everything. He's obviously a sekrit mooslim commie fascist who hates puppies, business, our freedom and wasn't born in America, anyway.

 

[Genx87]

Moralistic blinders for teh win!

Such practices by our own govt will *obviously* continue if kept secret, and may well come to an end through open disclosure and public discussion. Just the way it is, and has been for a very long time, pre-Bush, probably going back prior to WW2.

Or did you think that the Mujahedin and the Contras didn't use child soldiers? The Sunni militias in Iraq? The current Afghan govt? Other groups and regimes we've supported over the decades?

Kee-rist. The same voices raving at Obama over this disclosure would be raving even louder about how he's "Soft on Terrar!" if he'd cut off aid to those regimes...

That's because whatever he does is wrong, just because he did it, because it's all Obama's fault. Everything. He's obviously a sekrit mooslim commie fascist who hates puppies, business, our freedom and wasn't born in America, anyway.

So you are trying to tell us Obama wants to cut these aid programs but instead of doing it he wants to generate public outcry first? What an interesting story you can built for yourself.

 

[Corn]

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...

BBBBBBut Bush!

You partisan apologists, you are a funny bunch for sure. The fact that it was Bush who signed this into law kinda disproves your idiotic assessment that "Dub and Dick had no qualms whatsoever about doing this, and clearly had no intent of reassessment, ever." Of course, this comes as no suprise coming from you.

Silly liberals.

 

[Corn]

So you are trying to tell us Obama wants to cut these aid programs but instead of doing it he wants to generate public outcry first? What an interesting story you can built for yourself.

I find it amusing even if not very interesting.

 

[BoberFett]

I thought I had seen it all. Now we have Jhnhnhnhhn and the other faithful supporting little children as soldiers.

Is there any action by a Democrat they won't defend?

What sad little people.

 

[ShawnD1]

What's so bad about child soldiers?

Sending a 10 year old to die for no reason = bad
Sending a 20 year old to die for no reason = good

!?!?!?!

 

[Jhhnn]

So you are trying to tell us Obama wants to cut these aid programs but instead of doing it he wants to generate public outcry first? What an interesting story you can built for yourself.

How would I know what he wants, other than projecting my own desires onto him?

Maybe he just wanted to give Righties something to rave about, amuse himself watching their antics...

"Little children", BobberFett? Primitive cultures, and that's what we're talking about, have traditionally employed warriors as young as 12 or 13, which is not to say that I condone the practice, at all.

Righties have had no qualms in that regard, provided the child soldiers were on their side, as with the Mujahedin and the Contras, for example. The only reason they're faking outrage now is because Obama dragged it out into the open.

Bush signed the current measure into law? So what? It's not like he actually honored it. He also invaded Iraq on false pretenses, ordered the deaths of thousands of civilians with bombing campaigns, and armed the child soldiers of the Iraqi "Awakening" while he was at it.

Y'all seem to want to think that Obama invented all of this using the usual self righteous and deluded mental gymnastics of fringe-whacks in general... just like he crashed the economy and bailed out the banks, too...

 

[PeshakJang]

The only reason they're faking outrage now is because Obama dragged it out into the open.

No, it has been an issue for a while. At the end of Clinton's last term, and then several times under Bush, the US endorsed and signed on to UN and international resolutions condemning the use of child soldiers, and seeking the punishment of those who use them. The only reason Obama "dragged it out into the open" is because he is acting in a way contrary to those principals.

Bush signed the current measure into law? So what? It's not like he actually honored it. He also invaded Iraq on false pretenses, ordered the deaths of thousands of civilians with bombing campaigns, and armed the child soldiers of the Iraqi "Awakening" while he was at it.

So now you're just acting like an idiot to try and prove your point?

Y'all seem to want to think that Obama invented all of this using the usual self righteous and deluded mental gymnastics of fringe-whacks in general... just like he crashed the economy and bailed out the banks, too...

Hope you don't think Bush was responsible for repealing any regulations that led to the current crisis... after all, he isn't the one that invented those regulations.

At least we know of one person who will be writing in Obama tomorrow.

 

[BoberFett]

The desperation is strong in this one. His grip on reality is slipping. His Messiah has turned out to be the empty suit/corporatist/authoritarian that everyone else said he was and Jhnhnhnmmhnhn has to come up with the most unlikely scenarios possible to justify his continued zealotry. It's simply fascinating to watch. He makes fundamentalist Christians look downright reasonable in their beliefs.

 

[Genx87]

How would I know what he wants, other than projecting my own desires onto him?

Maybe he just wanted to give Righties something to rave about, amuse himself watching their antics...

So why isnt he honoring the policy? You again brought up trying to get some kind of reaction from people for his lack of enforcement. Makes little to no sense.

Bush signed the current measure into law? So what? It's not like he actually honored it. He also invaded Iraq on false pretenses, ordered the deaths of thousands of civilians with bombing campaigns, and armed the child soldiers of the Iraqi "Awakening" while he was at it.

How can Bush honor it when he has been out of office for 2 years and it goes into effect now? What a pointless thing to say.

Y'all seem to want to think that Obama invented all of this using the usual self righteous and deluded mental gymnastics of fringe-whacks in general... just like he crashed the economy and bailed out the banks, too...

I just want to know why he feels funding for these countries is justified if they are using children within their ranks.