The de facto alliance between the U.S. and Kurdish armed groups, despite the legal proscription of the PKK, has sacrificed thousands of children in the war against ISIS, revealing a profound international silence.
(Part I)
By Dr. Zana Sadeqi
Introduction: Exposing a Systemic Silence
In recent years, documented evidence has shown that the United States has acted shoulder-to-shoulder, either directly or indirectly, with child soldiers operating within the Kurdish militant groups supported by Washington.
This collaboration constitutes a clear violation of U.S. domestic and international laws prohibiting military support for groups that use children in warfare.
Kurdish Allies or PKK Offshoots?
All groups referred to as “America’s Kurdish allies,” known as the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), are in fact comprised of members of the terrorist group Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
This Marxist-Leninist group has been active since the 1970s, turning kidnapped or coerced children into armed soldiers.
Its offshoots, such as the YPG (People’s Protection Units) and YPJ (Women’s Protection Units), are active in Syria and Turkey, and have so far trained thousands of children in their military camps.
Field Evidence and International Reports
Registered reports by civil and human rights organizations, including:
- RINJ Women
- Human Rights Watch
Indicate that many of the children who fought in Syria as “U.S. allied forces” were, in reality, child soldiers trained and exploited by the PKK/YPG.
RINJ Women’s Account of Rescuing Children
According to one member of the RINJ Women organization, Katie Alsop, the organization succeeded in rescuing a number of child fighters from the PKK/YPG and transporting them to safe locations in the late 2014 and early 2015 period.
This action was met with a violent backlash from the PKK/YPG, including:
- Extensive cyberattacks,
- Attacks on buildings and medical clinics,
- And the destruction of medical and aid equipment.
During the Raqqa military operation, several children affiliated with the PKK/YPG were also rescued with the cooperation of civil groups. These children were very young, trained for combat, and subjected to brainwashing.
The rescue operations involved:
- Hiding the children from armed forces,
- Changing their military uniforms to civilian clothing,
- And removing compulsory tattoos and military markings before transferring them to safe areas.
U.S. Alliance with the PKK/YPG
Based on military documents and diplomatic reports, the United States directly collaborated with the PKK/YPG in anti-ISIS operations in Syria.
This cooperation took place even though the PKK is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law, and by statute, U.S. forces did not have the right to cooperate directly with it.
However, the confluence of shared interests in the region and the PKK/YPG’s need to control Syrian border areas led Washington to turn a blind eye to the reality.
Consequently, thousands of U.S.-backed child soldiers were killed in the battle with ISIS, while the United Nations and other international bodies maintained their silence.
Human Rights Repercussions and Violations of International Law
PKK/YPG child soldiers in northern Syria and the surrounding areas of Sinjar, Iraq, are not merely victims of war, but also victims of forced militarization and ideological indoctrination.
These actions constitute a clear violation of children’s human rights and a breach of international conventions on the prohibition of the use of children in armed conflict.
Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch has repeatedly emphasized that:
The responsibility for maintaining security and rescuing children from armed groups lies with all countries and international organizations.
U.S. Officials’ Awareness and the Dangerous Silence
Reports indicate that some American officials, including Senator Lindsey Graham, have been aware of this issue since 2016.
Nevertheless, the official silence of the U.S. government and the continuation of covert cooperation led to the ongoing military exploitation of children.
This silence is not merely political negligence, but a form of complicity in the systematic violation of human rights.
The use of child soldiers in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran by Kurdish militant groups is an open wound on the face of the global conscience.
The United States, as a nation claiming to champion democracy and human rights, must answer for how it stood alongside groups that send children to the battlefield.
As long as this cycle of violence and silence continues, Kurdish children will remain victims of power-driven policies.
