U.S. contributes $10 million to UNRWA; Liberian warlord deported from U.S. under Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008

Apr 10, 2012 at 2:10 pm

http://www.childrensrightsinstitute.org/2012/04/us-contributes-10-million-to-un-relief-and-works

UN agency welcomes US contribution of $10 million to help Palestinian refugees

UN News Centre (March 26, 2012)

The United States announced a $10 million donation to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) last week at a youth conference for the organization in Brussels. Fillippo Grani, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, welcomed the donation and acknowledged the United States as the agency's "largest bilateral donor." UNRWA provides assistance to five million registered Palestinian refugees and sixty percent of its budget is dedicated to education of the 480,000 children attending their schools.

We have seen numerous reports that UNRWA has employed members of Hamas (a U.S.-designated terrorist organization) and refuses to screen its employees to ensure they are not members of Hamas or other terrorist groups. UNRWA facilities have been described as "hotbeds" of anti-Western indoctrination and its schools teach from textbooks used by the Palestinian Authorty, known for inciting children towards hatred and violence. At UNRWA's Al-Amari refugee camp, a youth center dedicated a soccer tournament to Wafa Idris, the first Palestinian female suicide bomber. The Palestinian Press Agency has reported that Hamas has hidden weapons in tunnels beneath UNRWA schools. If the United States does not follow Canada's example and defund UNRWA, it is imperative that the government require transparency on how the monies provided to the agency are spent.

Ex-leader of Liberian war faction deported amid accusations of child soldier recruiting

Washington Post (March 30, 2012)

George Saigbe Boley, accused of leading a faction (Liberian Peace Council) responsible for human rights abuses during Liberia's civil war, became the first person to be deported from the United States pursuant to the Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008. Under the legislation, the recruitment and use of child soldiers are grounds for removal from the country. Although Liberia's truth and reconciliation commission recommended in 2009 that Boley be prosecuted in Liberia for crimes against humanity, charges have not yet been filed. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton opined in a statement that Boley's deportation is a "major step" in addressing the "serious human rights abuses" he committed.