CBC, 9th July 2008, U.S. war resister granted stay of deportation order (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/09/war-resister.html?ref=rss) – Good news for now.   Also, after obfuscation by ABC News,

“Glass added that while he was discharged from the California National Guard, he was transferred to the individual ready reserve, a federal branch of the military, meaning he could be called up for active duty and could still face prosecution for desertion.

“…he spoke with a U.S. Judge Advocate General and a civilian lawyer who said he’s still facing punishment.”

Demonstrators in Washington thanked Canadians who supported the war resisters. The Canadian government should end its efforts to deport them.

More on this story:

• CBC, 3rd June 2008 – On June 3rd, the House of Commons passed a non-binding motion to “grant permanent residence status to American military deserters and their families”. And the Tories voted on the wrong side.   There are approximately 200 Iraq War resisters in Canada. “Lee Zaslofsky, co-ordinator of the War Resisters Support Campaign and a Vietnam War resister, said Glass would face imprisonment if he returns to the U.S.”
• CBC, 15th Nov 2007 Top court refuses to hear cases of U.S. deserters – Back in November, the Supreme Court refused to hear the “cases of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey, who each deserted to Canada in 2004 after learning they were to be deployed to Iraq.”

The War Resisters Support Campaign back in June 2007 commissioned a poll (http://www.resisters.ca/media_aug16_07.html) showing 64.6 per cent of Ontarians who responded believed that U.S. war deserters should be allowed to settle in Canada, which is hopeful.

There is some nonsense at the end about how the Immigration and Refugee Board thought the U.S., as a democracy, could do no wrong.

July 12th, 2008