Marib, Yemen - 27 July 2018
1. Wide shot of Sadek, former child fighter, leaving tent
Taiz,Yemen - 25 January 2018
2. Various of fighting
Marib, Yemen - 27 July 2018
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sadek, Former Child Fighter: (transcript below)
+++PARTIALLY COVERED+++
+++THE AP OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM SADEK'S TRIBAL CHIEF TO INTERVIEW HIM; WE ARE WITHHOLDING HIS SURNAME TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY FROM REPRISALS+++
Taiz, Yemen - 25 January 2018
4. Various of bombardment
Sanaa, Yemen - 22 April 2018
5. Various of armed kids dancing
6. Child soldiers raising guns and shouting in Arabic: "Victory for Islam! May they (the enemy) be cursed! Victory for Islam!"
Sanaa, Yemen - 2 June 2018
7. Various of child soldiers at Houthi rally
Marib, Yemen - 27 July 2018
8. Wide shot of former child soldier sliding back bolt of an AK-47
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Kahlan, Former Child Soldier: (transcript below)
+++THE AP OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM KAHLAN'S FATHER TO INTERVIEW HIM; WE ARE WITHHOLDING HIS SURNAME TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY FROM REPRISALS+++
Taiz,Yemen - 25 January 2018
10. Various of fighting
Sanaa, Yemen - 2 June 2018
11. Child and adult soldiers in truck at Houthi rally
12. Boy waving green flag at rally
Hodeida, Yemen - 20 November 2018
13. Various of fighting between Houthis and Saudi-led coalition
Marib, Yemen - 27 July 2018
14. Photo of Kahlan aiming rifle
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Kahlan, Former Child Soldier: (transcript below)
+++THE AP OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM KAHLAN'S FATHER TO INTERVIEW HIM; WE ARE WITHHOLDING HIS SURNAME TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY FROM REPRISALS+++
16. Photo of Kahlan with rifle in lap
Sanaa, Yemen - 2 June 2018
17. Various of boys at Houthi rally
Marib, Yemen - 26 July 2018
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Naguib al-Saadi, Advocate for Ex-Child Soldiers: (transcript below)
Marib, Yemen - 25 September 2018
19. Various of kids at rehabilitation center
20. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahyoub al-Mikhlafi, Psychologist: (transcript below)
Taiz, Yemen - 25 January 2018
21. Various of bombardment
Marib, Yemen - 27 July 2018
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sadek, Former Child Fighter: (transcript below)
+++THE AP OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM SADEK'S TRIBAL CHIEF TO INTERVIEW HIM; WE ARE WITHHOLDING HIS SURNAME TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY FROM REPRISALS+++
23. Photo of Sadek standing in front of tent
THE HOUTHI REBELS WHO PLUCKED SADEK FROM HIS HOME PROMISED THAT HE WOULD BE RUNNING SUPPLIES TO THE ADULTS, NOT FIGHTING. BUT IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE 13-YEAR-OLD FOUND HIMSELF ON THE FRONT LINES OF YEMEN'S CIVIL WAR.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sadek, Former Child Soldier:
"I came down by the stream. Just then, the planes hit our location. There were children there, children I used to know. And I felt afraid."
A HOUTHI OFFICIAL TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT AS MANY AS 18,000 CHILDREN HAVE SERVED AS FIGHTERS, PRISON GUARDS, AND FRONT-LINE COURIERS SINCE THE SHIITE REBELS SEIZED NORTHERN YEMEN IN 2014. HUNDREDS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED.
THE MAIN PARTIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CONFLICT HAVE VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS BY USING CHILD SOLDIERS. BUT THE HOUTHI REBELS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE RECRUITED MANY MORE THAN GROUPS BACKED BY THE SAUDI-LED COALITION.
SOME CHILDREN JOIN WILLINGLY -- FOR MONEY, REVENGE OR JUST THE THRILL OF FIRING A MACHINE GUN. BUT MANY OF THESE CHILD SOLDIERS ARE UNWILLING CONSCRIPTS.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Kahlan, Former Child Soldier:
"A pickup truck came to the school and they told us to go with them. `To where?' we asked. They said, `Come with us. We will give you bags and things.'"
HOUTHI OFFICIALS -- WHOSE TROOPS CONTROL TERRITORY CONTAINING 70 PERCENT OF YEMEN'S POPULATION -- REFUSE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF CHILD SOLDIERS. BUT THEY CONSIDER THE WAR AN ACT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AGAINST WHAT THEY CALL SAUDI AGGRESSION.
BOYS LIKE 12-YEAR-OLD KAHLAN ARE TOO YOUNG TO GRASP SUCH CONCEPTS.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Kahlan, Former Child Soldier:
"Eventually, we reached Sanaa, where they took us to a school and enrolled us. Then we were taken to the front lines and given weapons."
NAGUIB AL-SAADI SAYS THE HOUTHIS ARE PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR PERPETUAL WAR – BREEDING A GENERATION THAT REJECTS THE OTHER.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Naguib al-Saadi, Founded Rehabilitation Center for Child Soldiers:
"A generation that is ready to die for worthless causes and convinced that almighty God approves of this kind of talk."
IN HOPES OF BREAKING THAT CYCLE, AL-SAADI FOUNDED THIS REHABILITATION CENTER FOR CHILD SOLDIERS IN COALITION-CONTROLLED TERRITORY.
THE BOYS PLAY GAMES AND DRAW, IN AN ATTEMPT TO GIVE THEM BACK SOME OF THEIR LOST CHILDHOOD.
THE CHILDREN ARE HYPER-AGGRESSIVE AND HAVE TO RELEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahyoub al-Mikhlafi, Psychologist:
"(A boy) will come to me and tell me that to kill is the easiest thing for him. He has reached this point."
WHEN THE SMOKE FROM THE COALITION AIRSTRIKE CLEARED, SADEK SAYS THE GROUND WAS LITTERED WITH THE BROKEN BODIES OF HIS FORMER PLAYMATES.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sadek, Former Child Soldier:
"They were in pieces. One was beheaded. Others had lost their hands."
SADEK WATCHED AS THE REMAINS WERE PLACED INTO SACKS AND CARRIED AWAY.
ALLEN BREED, ASSOCIATED PRESS
