U.S. Arab allies among worst slave traffickers

NASHVILLE,Tenn. (BP)-Five Arab countries allied with the United States-Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar-are among the world's worst offenders in human slavery and sex trafficking, according to a new report from the U.S. State Department.Among other atrocities, the annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" documents the problems of children sold into prostitution and forced to become child soldiers. Sixteen countries named in the report have 90 days to improve their efforts to combat trafficking or face possible economic sanctions.U.S. Ambassador Mark Lagon told Reuters news service it was "especially disappointing" that many of the countries ranked lowest were Middle Eastern nations that have the money to combat the problem. Congressman Chris Smith criticized the fact that 32 countries-among them U.S. allies like India-were kept out of the lowest category.An estimated 800,000 people-most of them women and girls-are sold into servitude each year. Perhaps half of those are minors.
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