Teens held at Guantanamo

last updated 8 January 2015

Guantanamo Bay

The Bush administration has disclosed that three of its Taliban and al Qaida prisoners are under the age of 16, sparking protests from human rights groups this week. The teens, captured in Afghanistan, are being held at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, along with more than 600 adult prisoners—though they’re housed separately. Dr. William Schulz of Amnesty International USA said keeping such young prisoners at the camp was “particularly repugnant, and flouts basic principles for the protection of children under international law.” Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said some of the youths had killed, and had vowed to kill again. “They may be juveniles,” he said, “but they’re not on a Little League team anywhere.”