Military

DATE=10/30/01

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

TITLE=AIDS ORPHANS / TERRORISM

NUMBER=5-50403

BYLINE=JOE DE CAPUA

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: International advocates for children say the impact of the AIDS pandemic may have long-term consequences for the war against terrorism. Some experts fear millions of children left orphaned by the disease are potential recruits for criminal and terrorist organizations. V-O-A's Joe De Capua has more on the story.

TEXT: Most current estimates agree there are about 13-million AIDS orphans worldwide. But estimates vary greatly on the projected number of these orphans over the next 10 to 15 years. For example, U-N-AIDS the U-N AIDS agency puts the figure at 40-million. But some non-governmental organizations predict 100-million or more.

Olara Otunnu, the U-N Special Representative for Children and War, says no matter what the figure, the children are vulnerable to insurgents, criminals and terrorists.

/// 1ST OTUNNU ACT ///

Both children who are exposed to H-I-V / AIDS and children who are deprived and are alienated cannot attend school, feel hopeless, abandoned, they are potentially recruiting grounds for all manner of negative projects.

/// END ACT ///

Rory Mungoven is the international coordinator for the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. He estimates there are more than 300-thousand children currently taking part in conflicts around the world.

/// 1ST MUNGOVEN ACT ///

Children who are outside of the normal family or community structures are most at risk - street children, orphans, children who are displaced as part of refugee movements. These are the recruiting grounds for many government forces, for many armed groups. To the degree that that population swells through the AIDS crisis, then obviously, this could have a flow-in impact in terms of the recruitment of children as soldiers.

/// END ACT ///

Albina du Boisrouvray has long predicted AIDS orphans will number 100-million by the year 2010. She is the founder of the F-X-B Foundation, which cares for orphans around the world. Ms. du Boisrouvray says Osama bin Laden has proven he can attract many recruits to his Al-Qaeda organization. She says these recruits may soon include AIDS orphans and street children.

/// 1ST DU BOISROUVRAY ACT ///

We're now, unfortunately, only one step away from seeing this happen. Children or orphans being taken off the streets where they're trying to survive and being given like they are in the armies of child soldiers food, a roof over their heads, a Kalashnikov (automatic weapon) in their hands and being sent to do absolute horrors.

/// END ACT ///

Ambassador Otunnu is critical of those who would put the world's future, namely children, at risk.

/// 2ND OTUNNU ACT ///

Anybody who says they are fighting for a better and new society, how can they do that by destroying the very future of that society represented by children? Children belong to schools, to their families, their villages not in battlefields.

/// END ACT ///

/// OPT ///

Last May, a member of the National Intelligence Council, which advises the U-S intelligence community, warned of the impact of AIDS orphans. David Gordon spoke at the U-S Institute of Peace.

/// 1ST GORDON ACT ///

As we look out over time, we're looking at the potential of millions, tens of millions of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, in fragile, poor societies, undergoing increased impoverization in a context in which access to weapons is increasing. And there are groups and individuals of various sorts interested and capable of taking advantage of this.

/// END ACT ///

At that same briefing, Mr. Gordon warned that more than a dozen countries and terrorist groups were pursuing biological warfare programs.

/// END OPT ///

/// OPT ///

But why recruit the very young for crime or terrorism? Mr. Mungoven of the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers explains.

/// 2ND MUNGOVEN ACT ///

It's surprisingly difficult to condition anyone to violence, to unthinking obedience, to kill. You know, studies in military psychology show it is actually a very difficult process and that the younger you start someone the more chance you have of success.

/// END ACT ///

/// END OPT ///

Ms. Du Boisrouvray of F-X-B gives one example of a childhood turned violent.

/// 2nd DU BOISROUVRAY ACT ///

I had knowledge of this little Sierra Leone boy who had started at eight years and at 14 had become general Shareblood, as he was called. And he sent out one of his young, little recruits of his 50 child soldiers that were under his orders, out every morning to kill a prisoner. Or if they didn't have a prisoner at hand to kill a civilian, so that he could drink this person's blood mixed with drugs. And that's why he was called General Shareblood.

/// END ACT ///

Despite stories like this one, Rory Mungoven says there is hope of rehabilitation.

/// 3rd MUNGOVEN ACT ///

Child soldiers aren't monsters. They're children. For every child soldier there is a child. And one of the wonderful things that can be seen through the work of rehabilitation and recovering children after conflicts is the way in which these children, not only return to civilian life, but in fact become real champions of peace and real leaders in their community.

/// END ACT ///

The founder of the F-X-B Foundation believes there is a way to prevent AIDS orphans and street children from ever experiencing a life of violence.

/// 3RD DU BOISROUVRAY ACT ///

First of all, give medicines to communities to keep parents alive, communities alive to have somewhere where you can reel back large numbers of children. And then reel them back. Reel them back into families and societies that will bring them up. Give them access to education. Give them access to health care. Love them. Love them.

/// END ACT ///

This year, the FXB Foundation collected 500-thousand petition signatures, calling on the U-N General Assembly to give AIDS orphans the highest priority. (Signed)

NEB/JDC/KBK