Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Newsvine
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiCanada Will Deport US Army Deserter
VANCOUVER - U.S. army deserter Robin Long is slated to be deported back to his army base in Fort Knox, Ky., today, which would make him the first resister to the U.S. war effort in Iraq to be sent out of Canada.
Madam Justice Anne Mactavish of the Federal Court of Canada cleared the way for the deportation late yesterday, dismissing a last-ditch attempt to delay the process while the 25-year-old pursued further appeals.
"I was just shocked at some things in [the] ruling," Bob Ages, a spokesman for an informal group called Vancouver War Resisters Support Campaign, told reporters outside the courtroom. "It just flies in the face of everything that we and every Canadian know about the reality of what is going on."
Mr. Ages said the court misunderstood the situation facing Mr. Long upon his return.
"I do not think there is any doubt someone being up in Canada, and a vocal opponent to the war, will be treated harshly by the American military ... there is no question he will be court-martialed and will receive severe punishment."
Mr. Long's deportation would be a "terrible precedent for Canada, especially given our history of providing sanctuary for war resisters, over 100,000 draft dodgers and deserters during the Vietnam era," he said earlier to reporters.
"This will be the first time Canada played gendarme to the American military," Mr. Ages said, appealing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper or Immigration Minister Diane Finley to intervene. Members of the support group were to meet at the Peace Arch border crossing this morning to protest the deportation.
The war resisters support group is aware of about 50 deserters in Canada, Mr. Ages said, although the group has been told that "hundreds" are living underground in Canada.
Mr. Long, who fled to Ontario in 2005, had signed up to join the U.S. Army in July, 2003.
He believed at that time that his country was justified in going to war in Iraq, his lawyer Shepherd Moss said at the court hearing to halt the deportation. Mr. Long intended to train as a tank commander. "He wanted to go to defend his country," Mr. Moss said.
His perspective changed while in training at the army base at Fort Knox. After hearing that weapons of mass destruction had not been found in Iraq, Mr. Long thought the U.S. had no reason for being at war. Also, he was troubled by evidence of abuse of Iraqi detainees that came out in May of 2004, Mr. Moss said.
Mr. Long concluded the abuse was systemic and condoned by the U.S. administration, Mr. Moss said. After some soul-searching, Mr. Long decided he would not go to Iraq and would not participate or be complicit in what he believed were war crimes, the lawyer said.
Mr. Long fled to Ontario, but moved to B.C. last summer. He sought to be accepted as a refugee in September, 2006. His application for refugee status was denied on Feb. 15, 2007. An application for leave to appeal the decision was turned down.
In a final attempt to stay in Canada, Mr. Long applied yesterday for a stay of the removal order in order to allow him further judicial appeals.
Mr. Long was not in court for the hearing yesterday. He was in custody at a location outside Vancouver after failing on two previous occasions to report to authorities when he was required.
Caroline Christiaens, a lawyer with the federal Department of Justice, told the court that Mr. Long voluntarily joined the army, was not deployed to Iraq and did not apply to be recognized as a conscientious objector while in the United States.
No evidence was submitted on what Mr. Long would be required to do in Iraq, whether he could have requested an alternative assignment or what would happen if he was sent back to the United States, she said.
If Mr. Long was returned to the United States and prosecuted as a deserter, he would have access to due process in a military court, she added.
Judge Mactavish said Mr. Long had to provide "clear and non-speculative evidence" that he would suffer irreparable harm if he were not allowed to stay longer in Canada. Mr. Long asserted he would face significant jail time and suffer adverse consequences as a result of a dishonourable discharge from the military.
The vast majority of American deserters have not been prosecuted for desertion, according to evidence before the court, the judge stated in a four-page decision.
Judge Mactavish also stated that Mr. Long did not provide evidence to show he would be singled out for harsh treatment by the U.S. military because of the publicity associated with case.
The United States has a sophisticated military-justice system that respects the rights of service personnel, she said.
The court heard that Mr. Long would likely be returned to his army unit, which would mete out whatever punishment he would receive.
Spokespersons from Citizenship and Immigration Canada did not respond to phone calls late yesterday from The Globe and Mail.
© Copyright 2008 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.
28 Comments so far
Show AllI think he looks cute!
Perhaps trolls are threatened by good looking young men with long hair. Anyone ever seen a picture of Ariel Sharon? Is it any wonder that somebody who uses Sharon as a alias has a problem with beauty?
People,
Ignore Ariel_Sharon. He's just a rightwing troll who just wants to deflect attention from the real issue. Even if the deportee looked handsome in court, the fate would have been laid against him nonetheless.
By the way, Israel has no middle class and is drowning in insecurity and very bad economics day after day just like Saudi Arabia. God sure punished Israel into perpetual insecurity for showing its hatred on innocent Palestinians all the while siding with the Saudi Royal elitists who fund the real terrorist groups and networks every day with all that oil money. Amazing how the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia make strange bedfellows indeed.
What a bunch of provincial drivel. The White House of full of dirt bags clean shaven...suited etc. Clothes do not make the man. The current conservative Canadian government is the problem. His appearance had nothing to do with his dismissal.
veracity, that comment was applicable to the fairer sex only.
"ultra-reactionary.....I for one deeply distrust people with short hair who wear suits"
Irony; gotta love it. The lack of self-awareness, not so much.
His reasons to go to Canada were/are right and I would hope that the decision can be overturned and he be allowed to stay. I would hope Canada would protect his right to protect his life.
the fact that even here on a "progressive" site all people can comment on is thee guy's hair just shows what sort of ultra-reactionary level USAns have descended to.
I for one deeply distrust people with short hair who wear suits - except for maybe Ralph Nader.
A R I E L,
I thought you liked "cute" hippies ?
I don't personally care at all what his hair looks like, but the point is this guy is a symbol. He should have taken the time to look decent for his court appearence, especially since his case will affect hundreds of other americans.
Stupid fucking hippie.
I'm guessing that the use of the name "Ariel_Sharon" is ironic.
Does his hair matter? yes and no.
If only justice were blind.
1. As someone trying to make the case to the world about US war crimes, I would want to appeal to more than just the converted. This includes people who are often a lot less tolerant than myself.
2. I don't have the best opinion of hippies. In some ways I am a hippie myself and have moderately long hair (no dreads, no pot). Hell I'd be friends with this guy. Still I can understand the objections on this page. The Trustifarian lifestyle is, in many ways, more akin to hedonistic, individualistic capitalist values than truly progressive values.
or maybe he's the real Ariel Sharon just awaking from his vegetative state.
I am not sure the relevance of hair styles except that it implies lack of moral rectitude to Rabid Righties. I am also sure that one of the first things that will happen once he has been reunited to the safety of the US Army is that it will be shaved off tout de suite.
It's a sad day for Canada but you can't expect much empathy from the Harper mob.
Lover of Peace is exactly right, and justified in bewilderment that all people can comment on here is the fact that they don't like his hairstyle.
Y'all have further revealed your ignorance by implying that dreadlocks = unwashed. Newsflash: No one likes to feel dirty, so everyone makes an effort to keep themselves clean, including their hair, and there are even special soaps/shampoos designed especially for dreadlocks, since dreads typically dry very slowly.
Y'all ever read "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery? Remember how he went to announce his discovery of a new heavenly body to a group of urban people in another country, but they refused to listen to him because he was dressed in his country's regional dress? Some people get out of that that he lost out because he was dressed "wrong." A more intelligent response is that the other people missed out on learning something because they couldn't get over their prejudices. Y'all should think about that.
Well, Mr Long was not even in court yesterday. Remember this was a Canadian hearing. His lawyer was there but he wasn't, so what in the world does his haircut have to do with the Justice's ruling, eh? He was deported today and no one yet knows where he is. He was arrested on the Fourth of July and held in Provincial jails until yesterday or today. An illegal war is still an illegal war no matter the length of someone's hair. Good grief, people!
Look establishment to successfully fight the establishment?
I pity anybody who hasn't a white skin, is female or disabled, etc.
Yeah, especially since the suits ARE the warmongers.
If all the "dirtbags" shaved and put on a suit before they crusade against the war, then we'd have a bunch of suits crusading against the war. I don't think it works that way.
Kurt Vonnegut was also fond of saying, "Take a flying fuck at the moon". Which is a sentiment I'd like to direct at everyone bemoaning this poor fellow's hair and for that matter, Canada.
"WTF has a haircut to do with JUSTICE?"
Ummmm.....perception? in the eyes of the judge? Look, I'm not saying its right. It's dead fucking wrong! But it seems to me that when you're trying to gain the support of the public of an entire nation(s), you probably want to look a bit more....dare I say, dignified? He looks like he hasn't taken a bath in months. He's not alone though. If all the dirtbags out there were to go shit, shower and shave and put on a suite, and THEN go march in the streets against the war, the impact that it would have on other "squares" would be significantly different. It's sad, but people judge us a lot just on how we look, right?
That would happen to Jesus.
Canada's official position was in agreement with the majority of the Security Council, which stated that the U.S. led attack was illegal. Sending deserters who refuse illegal orders back into the hands of the government that committed the war crime is irresponsible and cowardly.
WTF has a haircut to do with JUSTICE?
Jesus....memo to people who want to make a statement to the rest of the world.....DON'T LOOK LIKE A DIRTBAG TRUSTIFARIAN. I bet he'll be sorry he didn't get a haircut, shave and a suit. Really sorry.
Shame on Canada, all the same. This is weak.
I guess the draft dodgers will have to go to Mexico now.
I agree with you Ariel. Shouldn't be that way, but as Kurt Vonnegut would say "so it goes".
Is there no international body that can keep the U.S. from imprisoning this man who has done nothing more than refuse to commit war crimes for his country?
I doubt it. I'm quite sure the judge was hand picked. As Bob Ages says, her judgement "just flies in the face of everything that we and every Canadian know about the reality of what is going on."
If he had gotten a haircut before his court appearence, he might very well have won.