What to Imagine of Child Soldiers?

Perhaps you have heard of the tragedy of the boy soldier. A youngster dragged into third-world conflicts at the age of 7 or 8 and forced to fight.

Certainly no one holds him responsible for his actions.

But what about boys... AND girls... who go to war for a cause at the age of 16, 17, or 18?

Should international law consider them as children not responsible for their actions too?

The author of the new book Re-imagining Child Soldiers joins us to argue for changing some key ideas about youthful combatants.

Guest:
Mark Drumbl, J.D., J.S.D. - Author of the forthcoming book Re-imagining Child Soldiers [Oxford University Press ] and author of Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2007). Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University as well as Director of that school's Transnational Law Institute.