Waiting for a ruling on whether Canada will grant U.S. Army deserters asylum.

[yllus]

Google News list of news stories

The Immigration and Refugee Board is set to release its decision today on the asylum application of Jeremy Hinzman, the U.S. soldier who fled to Canada to avoid the war in Iraq.

Hinzman, 26, fled military service because he calls the Iraq war illegal. The U.S. army has declared Hinzman AWOL: absent without leave.

Hinzman is seeking political refugee status in Canada. During a three-day hearing in December, he argued that he will be jailed if he returns to the U.S. and his life will be in danger.

If he does not obtain refugee status, he could be deported to the United States and prosecuted as a deserter.

Hinzman joined the army in 2001 and trained as a paratrooper. He said he signed up at his father's urging because it allowed him to receive a university education.

But he says his thinking changed after going through combat training, in which he claims he was ordered to chant, "Trained to kill and kill we will." He says that's when realized he had problems with "taking human life."

By August 2002, the practising Buddhist applied to be a conscientious objector -- meaning his personal beliefs prevented him from participating in war.

lol...it's a serious issue, but that was so dumb of the guy. "What, I may have to take human life in the Army?!" Maybe he thought it was all parades and shoe shining.

Anyways, I'll be in/out so maybe someone can post when they see the verdict released.

Edit: The verdict is in against Hinzman.

 

[yllus]

Canada to decide whether to grant NC soldier asylum

Hinzman, 26, fled from Fort Bragg, N.C., in January 2004, weeks before his 82nd Airborne Division was due to be deployed to Iraq. He had served three years in the Army, but had applied for conscientious objector status before his unit was sent to Afghanistan in 2002.

Don't you have to specifically apply for Airborne School to get in? I don't get how this guy even went as far as to do that while not realizing as part of the Airborne, not only might he have to take human life - but he'd be amongst the forefront of America's army to engage in combat.

Another question for you vets: Is there some cutoff for when you can apply for CO status? I can't imagine that people are usually allowed to request CO status after recieving their ship-out order.

 

[StageLeft]

It should not.

 

[yllus]

Owned.

TORONTO -- An American war dodger who fled the U.S. military because he believed the invasion of Iraq was criminal has lost his bid for refugee status in Canada in a case closely watched on both sides of the border.

In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution or cruel and unusual punishment in the United States.

There was no immediate comment from Hinzman but his lawyer Jeffry House said he would ask the Federal Court to review the decision.

 

[StageLeft]

That's a just ruling. Besides the fact the US and Canada relations don't need another hit, this guy wasn't even drafted. He simply joined and then didn't want to stay in the military and ran away? Classic AWOL. Will he actually be extradited though?

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
That's a just ruling. Besides the fact the US and Canada relations don't need another hit, this guy wasn't even drafted. He simply joined and then didn't want to stay in the military and ran away? Classic AWOL. Will he actually be extradited though?

Since I play a lawyer on TV, my legal opinion is that he'll end up staying in Canada for good by drawing out the appeals process as long as possible until the authorities in the U.S. simply lose interest in prosecuting the little ninny.

That is unless the higher-ups in the Canadian government decide to fast-track the process in order to score some brownie points with our neighbour.

This is a classic AWOL case, yeah. "He said he signed up at his father's urging because it allowed him to receive a university education." Military service isn't meant as as free license to an university education, you moron! Not to mention the utter disbelief the Board must have been in after realizing he had to specifically ask to join the crack troops of the Airborne. What a doofus the guy is.

 

[Trevelyan]

Looks pretty simple to me.

Kid needs money for college, signs up for Army. Kid takes money, and then when the Army needs him he runs away and now he's claiming he's the victim.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: yllus
Owned.

TORONTO -- An American war dodger who fled the U.S. military because he believed the invasion of Iraq was criminal has lost his bid for refugee status in Canada in a case closely watched on both sides of the border.

In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution or cruel and unusual punishment in the United States.

There was no immediate comment from Hinzman but his lawyer Jeffry House said he would ask the Federal Court to review the decision.

No surprise here. Canada is just another U.S. State, currently a Blue State but that too will change.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: yllus
Owned.

TORONTO -- An American war dodger who fled the U.S. military because he believed the invasion of Iraq was criminal has lost his bid for refugee status in Canada in a case closely watched on both sides of the border.

In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution or cruel and unusual punishment in the United States.

There was no immediate comment from Hinzman but his lawyer Jeffry House said he would ask the Federal Court to review the decision.

No surprise here. Canada is just another U.S. State, currently a Blue State but that too will change.

This 'kid' isn't a hero.

Show me a soldier being recalled after they have fulfilled their requirement, and IR time (as we all know has happened at least in limited cases). If such a person came to Canada to escape illegal forced service, I suspect the outcome might be different.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: yllus
Owned.

TORONTO -- An American war dodger who fled the U.S. military because he believed the invasion of Iraq was criminal has lost his bid for refugee status in Canada in a case closely watched on both sides of the border.

In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution or cruel and unusual punishment in the United States.

There was no immediate comment from Hinzman but his lawyer Jeffry House said he would ask the Federal Court to review the decision.

Sounds good!