Posted on 07/21/2008 10:37:16 AM PDT by radar101
U.S. soldier who fled to Canada because he refused to serve in Iraq has been deported, and now faces a possible court martial.
Robin Long crossed the border into Canada in 2005. Last October, he was arrested in Nelson, B.C., on a Canada-wide warrant.
He called military operations in Iraq "an illegal war of aggression."
On Monday, Federal Court of Canada Justice Anne Mactavish said Long did not provide enough convincing evidence that he will face irreparable harm if he's sent back to the United States.
She noted that the percentage of American military deserters prosecuted in the U.S. has increased since 2002. However, she said the vast majority were not prosecuted, let alone jailed for desertion.
Between 2002 and 2006, Mactavish said about 94 per cent of U.S. deserters only received "a less than honourable discharge from the military."
Long, 25, had argued that he would be "singled out for harsh treatment by the Americans because of the publicity associated with his case."
But the judge ruled that Long failed to provide clear evidence in support of his argument.
Following the ruling, the chairman of the Vancouver War Resisters' Support Campaign said he believed Long's deportation would be the first time an army deserter has been forced out of Canada.
Bob Ages said Long will likely be returned to Fort Knox.
"We will be caucusing, trying to figure out what we can do,'' said Ages.
Long is one of several U.S. army deserters who claimed refugee status in Canada but none have yet been successful.
With files from The Canadian Press
If you can’t to the time, don’t do the crime.
Wonder if an Prez Obama will grant a blanket amnesty to deserters?
He shouldn’t be afraid. Apparently, the Army isn’t doing court martials for deserters anymore.
Heres the thing...this case wasted vast amounts of time and resources fighting this whole episode. The US Army basically will take this guy in....have a quick court episode...and barely give the guy around twelve to fifteen months in some type of confinement...then release him. Thats the end of the story. They don’t want a publicity mess out of this....nor is the guy even worth spending huge amounts of time on in court. They might even go as far as having the guy fill sandbags for 90 days....and just give him a dishonorable discharge. Why waste a cell for the guy...it’s just more money have to dump into a wasted effort. These are all volunteers today...thats the difference between now and 1970. Those who run around talking “examples having to be made”...it doesn’t work that way. Our guys there in Iraq....are all volunteers...and they generally accept the situation they are in. They don’t need “examples”...they need support from us and the public. The losers who aren’t supporting them...are still losers at the end of the day.
just like jimma cahter did....yes i can see it coming....
5 to 10 at leavenworth and a dishonorable....
Well, Obama’s hero Jimmah gave one (pardon) to Jihad Farooq Qerri
dishonorable doesn’t look good on job ap’s and background checks. and i for one feel that being an all volunteer military you know what you are getting into, so suck it up and do the time you enlisted for. he had a choice. 400000+ that died in ww2 didn’t have a choice.
Why let the coward back in? Canada — take him back! He doesn’t deserve to ever set foot in America again. Now we have to support him in prison.
Sounds like you were listening to my conversation with the wife the other evening. Dishonorable discharge, loss of any and all benefits, and yank his citizenship.
Lets keep the 60s in the 1960s
Send him up north to do an up close and personal check on the feeding habits of the grizzly and polar bears.
Amen to that
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