Under-18s were deployed to Iraq
‘Fifteen 17-year-old British soldiers were inadvertently sent to Iraq despite a UN convention to keep children away from armed conflict, it has emerged.
In a written answer, defence minister Adam Ingram said the deployments took place between June 2003 and July 2005.
He said most soldiers went just before being eligible at 18 or were taken off duties less than a week after arrival.
Lib Dem education spokeswoman Sarah Teather said the government had shown a “shocking level of incompetence”.’
