From Vietnam to Iraq: American War Resisters Seek Refuge in Canada

by Democracy Now (repost)

Fri, Oct 15, 2004 10:49PM

In an unprecedented simulcast with Canadian Broadcasting's morning show, "The Current," Democracy Now! broadcasts live from Toronto, Canada. Decades after Vietnam War resisters fled to Canada to avoid the draft, American soldiers who are resisting the war in Iraq are now looking north of the border for a safe place to call home. We speak with two Iraq war resisters, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey who are seeking refugee status in Canada as conscientious objectors. And we speak with their lawyer, Jeffry House, who fled to Canada during the Vietnam war to resist the draft.

For more than a hundred years, Canada has been a safe haven for those seeking refuge. The underground railway helped American slaves escape captivity and provided them with a new home. And, during the Vietnam war, the Canadian government welcomed draft resisters with open arms.

And now, American soldiers who are resisting the war in Iraq are looking north of the border for a safe place to call home. Two U.S. soldiers are seeking refugee status in Canada as conscientious objectors. Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey arrived in Ontario separately earlier this year hoping to make Canada their new home. And, in the coming months, the Immigration and Refugee board will decide whether they get to stay or if they have to go.

Listen Online and Read Transcripts
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/15/157205

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