Canada's parliament votes to grant asylum to US war resisters
RolandTD20Kdrummer
Posts: 13,066
Eh? Eh?
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Canada_s_parliament_votes_to_grant__06032008.html
"Parliament on Tuesday voted to allow US resisters of the Iraq war who fled to Canada to stay in this country, thus avoiding military court-martial in the United States.
The non-binding motion passed 137 to 110, with support from all three opposition parties, which hold a majority of seats in the House.
It urged the government to allow conscientious objectors "who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations" to stay in Canada.
"Canada has always been a place which has welcomed those who seek peace and who seek freedom," opposition Liberal MP Bob Rae told reporters.
"This country should continue to recognize conscientious objectors, particularly to a war which international law has held to be illegal and which this country chose by an act of deliberate policy, chose not to join," he said.
"And if they want to choose to become Canadian, Canadian landed immigrants, they should be allowed to do so."
Canada previously welcomed tens of thousands of American draft dodgers during the Vietnam War era.
But Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board has said more recently, in a decision supported last year by the federal court, that US asylum seekers are not conventional refugees under UN High Commissioner for Refugees rules, nor in need of protection.
Accordingly, their refugee claims have been denied.
As many as 200 Iraq War resisters are said to be currently in Canada, many of them living underground.
A former US military intelligence sergeant who came to Canada in August 2006 after serving in Iraq is expected this month to be the first to be deported, said the War Resisters Support Campaign."
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Canada_s_parliament_votes_to_grant__06032008.html
"Parliament on Tuesday voted to allow US resisters of the Iraq war who fled to Canada to stay in this country, thus avoiding military court-martial in the United States.
The non-binding motion passed 137 to 110, with support from all three opposition parties, which hold a majority of seats in the House.
It urged the government to allow conscientious objectors "who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations" to stay in Canada.
"Canada has always been a place which has welcomed those who seek peace and who seek freedom," opposition Liberal MP Bob Rae told reporters.
"This country should continue to recognize conscientious objectors, particularly to a war which international law has held to be illegal and which this country chose by an act of deliberate policy, chose not to join," he said.
"And if they want to choose to become Canadian, Canadian landed immigrants, they should be allowed to do so."
Canada previously welcomed tens of thousands of American draft dodgers during the Vietnam War era.
But Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board has said more recently, in a decision supported last year by the federal court, that US asylum seekers are not conventional refugees under UN High Commissioner for Refugees rules, nor in need of protection.
Accordingly, their refugee claims have been denied.
As many as 200 Iraq War resisters are said to be currently in Canada, many of them living underground.
A former US military intelligence sergeant who came to Canada in August 2006 after serving in Iraq is expected this month to be the first to be deported, said the War Resisters Support Campaign."
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
These refugee claims continue to be denied for two reasons. For one thing someone who actually chose to sign up for the US Army, got paid and then decides to quit during wartime and try to hide out here in Canada rather than fulfill their duty is a lot different then someone who was drafted during Vietnam. No one in this situation was forced to sign up.
Plus there are so many refugee spot available each year and I would much rather they go to someone like from an actual war torn country or someone who is not safe in their own homeland, rather than someone who chose to sign up for the military and then decided to change their mind about that.
ya, but:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/03/war-deserters.html?ref=rss
"While all three opposition parties supported the non-binding NDP motion Tuesday, the government voted it down and is certain to ignore it."
(and the conservatives aren't US lapdogs :rolleyes: )
I get what you're saying Kel, but it's the precedent set that worries me...what if there was another draft in the US?
Also...should military personnel never be allowed to dissent? I think these soldiers have every right to say, "this ain't what I signed up for" in light of the path taken to this war.
Well that inspiration was short lived...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
I don't know I think if you volunteered for something, then after the fact you realized you didn't like it that shouldn’t be grounds for being a refugee. I mean you sign up for the ARMED forces odds are you are going to be ordered to do something you don’t like and your life is going to be put in danger. What’s next someone signs up for the army, realizes they don’t like waking up early or doing push-ups and decides they are going to hide out in Canada. Plus if let people in who don’ want to fulfill the military commitment they signed up for, what is next allowing people to hide out in Canada to escape their credit card debt?
Plus I thought they already had positions in the military for conscientious objectors. Like they let you be a medic or something.
And I think the worst part of all is what I mentioned before about how Canada can only let a certain amount of refugees in each year. How painfully ironic would it be if because we started letting in soldiers who didn’t want to go to Iraq we had to deny an Iraqi family who applied for Canadian refugee status because their home was destroyed by war.
i really don't understand this thinking ...
people aren't allowed to change their minds especially when it comes to committing acts of violence!?? ... so, anyone who signed up now HAS to do whatever they are told regardless of it's moral implications?? ... this to me is ludicrous ...
When someone signs up for the military I think it is pretty much a given that you are expected to follow the all of the orders your commanders give you. You don’t get to pick and choose the orders you follow the same way a cop doesn’t get to pick and choose which laws he enforces. If you decide you don’t want to follow those orders you should face the consequences, not try to weasel your way out of them by pretending to be a refugee, since it is not like anyone forced you to sign up in the first place. Plus if you don’t want to commit acts of violence maybe a career in the armed forces isn’t the right career choice to begin with.
the operative word is LAW ... what if you're a cop and you were asked to plant evidence!?? ...
and again - it isn't the act of violence ... it is the moral implications of thsse acts ... how many were told when they signed up they would be killing innocent civilians in an illegal war in order to secure imperialistic goals of corporate america? ...
I imagine there are a certain percentage of Americans who join the military with the mindset to protect and fight for their country; in the event of an attack or serious threat.
I would imagine being physically involved in an invasion of a country that has not attacked the US or poses a threat to the US and breaks international laws, is quite a different animal all together for them.
I get the feeling your position is more rooted in the hate of Americans; than anything else.
I'll bet your one of those guys who slams American soldiers and Americans in general, for this war. But when you see Americans resisting and refusing to take part in this war; you bash them, too.