Taliban Use Of Child Soldiers Is Becoming More (And More) Common

SERIOUS SCENE - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Anthony Patris reflects a scene in his sunglasses as his interpreter speaks with Afghan boys after an improvised explosive device detonated in Pinjadoo in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 6, 2010. The explosion did not injure any Marines or Afghans. Patris is a vehicle commander assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mark Fayloga

Taliban Uses Kids In Fight Vs. U.S.: Children Employed As Human Shields -- USA Today

MUSA QALA, Afghanistan — Afghan children as young as 3 years old are being used by the Taliban as human shields or to gather spent cartridges, and teenagers are being given motorcycles for planting roadside bombs, U.S. Marines say.

"We've seen children actually dropping mortar rounds in the (firing) tubes against us," says Lt. Col. Michael Manning, commander of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, in Helmand province.

U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers routed the Taliban from Helmand's main city of Marjah in February. They have undertaken an offensive to drive the Taliban from the province and are pressing into regions that the jihadists have held for years.

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My Comment: The Taliban know all to well on what are the U.S./NATO rules of engagement in Afghanistan, and as long as these rules of engagement continue, the Taliban will continue to use children (and women) in their fight. As to The United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child .... I doubt that this is reading material for the Taliban.