Pacifist GI seeks refugee status
Peace groups predict Iraq war will spawn more desertions
Joanne Laucius, with files from Jennifer Chen
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Jeremy Hinzman served with the U.S. army in Afghanistan, even as he pushed to be recognized as a conscientious objector. He balked at being sent to Iraq, fleeing to Canada just days before shipping out.
CREDIT: Phill Snel, The Ottawa Citizen
Some U.S. groups predict Canada will see a new Vietnam generation after a U.S. soldier refusing to fight in Iraq claimed refugee status in Canada.
Jeremy Hinzman, a private in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, fled Fort Bragg in North Carolina Jan. 2, bringing his wife and 18-month-old son, Liam, to Toronto only days before his regiment was scheduled to leave for Iraq.
Last Thursday, he filed papers with the refugee board.
While Mr. Hinzman is believed to be the only U.S. soldier seeking refugee status, organizations in the U.S. say the number of conscientious objectors in the ranks of the U.S. military are growing -- and some are looking to Canada.
More than 30,000 American draft dodgers sought refuge in Canada during the Vietnam War. Now, some believe the war in Iraq has sparked a new generation -- except these Americans have already volunteered to fight, then reconsidered that decision.
"Canada was attractive during the Vietnam War. Americans are seeing it again as a reasonable community of people willing to provide sanctuary," said Marti Hiken, chairwoman of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild.
"More and more Americans will be coming into Canada," she predicted. "Our hope is that Canada will offer refugee status."
The North Carolina chapter of the Society of Friends, a group commonly known as the Quakers, helps run the nationally operated G.I. Rights Hotline.
In 2001, before the Iraq war, the hotline received 17,267 calls. In 2003, it logged 28,822 calls, an increase of about 65 per cent, said Chuck Fager, director of the Fayetteville Friends.
Last year, the Fayetteville Friends dealt with 256 inquiries about conscientious objector status. "This is obviously because of the Iraq war," he said.
Some believe objections to the war in Iraq have been compounded by resentment over the U.S. army's "stop-loss" orders, which have cancelled retirement for about 40,000 troops.
A group called Military Families Speak Out has gained more than 1,000 members since being established in 2002, said co-founder Nancy Lessin. Ms. Lessin said the group includes military families that have not spoken out against any other war or conflict until Iraq.
"We felt this war was about empire-building and oil. We did not want out loved ones used as cannon fodder."
The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors got only about one application a month before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That has since increased to about one a day.
"Recruiters have recruited young men and women, making the army sound like job training or going away to camp," said lawyer J.E. McNeil, the group's executive director. "People joined the military without thinking it through."
Mr. Hinzman joined the U.S. army in January 2001, shortly after he married Nga Nguyen. He wanted a job and a shot at earning money for an education. But during his first days of basic training, he was shocked at the chant: "trained to kill, kill we will." It was like training a dog, he later reflected.
"I actually like some aspects of (military training). The people you work with become your family," he said yesterday. "When I started thinking about the big picture, that's when I started having some doubts."
Mr. Hinzman studied Buddhist meditation and in January 2002 he and Ms. Nguyen began to attend meetings of the Quakers.
In April 2002, Mr. Hinzman concluded that he would never be able to pull the trigger.
He turned in his conscientious objector application in Aug. 2002. But on Oct. 31, he learned that the application had been lost. He served in Afghanistan, mostly on kitchen duty.
While he was there, a hearing turned down his application after he said he would be willing to defend the airfield if it were attacked, but not play an active combat role.
Jeffrey House, Mr. Hinzman's lawyer, says the army is "forcing him to participate in a war that is unlawful according to international law."
If refugee status is denied, there are other options, he said, including a request that he remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds.
But Ms. McNeil says the option of coming to Canada is an "urban legend" these days.
"This isn't Vietnam. It isn't loosey-goosey. You can't just get landed-immigrant status," said Ms. McNeil. "It's not as easy to get a job. You could fake it before, but you can't do it now."
She points out that desertion is a felony -- and there are easier ways to get out of the army.
"For some of these guys, going AWOL is a better option. It will get you a bad discharge, but at least it's not a felony."
- - -
On the web for seven-day subscribers: Pierre Trudeau's cabinet decided in 1969 to welcome American military deserters into Canada during the Vietnam War over the objections of the immigration minister. Read an archival story.
www.ottawacitizen.com
© The Ottawa Citizen 2004
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.
Peace groups predict Iraq war will spawn more desertions
Joanne Laucius, with files from Jennifer Chen
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Jeremy Hinzman served with the U.S. army in Afghanistan, even as he pushed to be recognized as a conscientious objector. He balked at being sent to Iraq, fleeing to Canada just days before shipping out.
CREDIT: Phill Snel, The Ottawa Citizen
Some U.S. groups predict Canada will see a new Vietnam generation after a U.S. soldier refusing to fight in Iraq claimed refugee status in Canada.
Jeremy Hinzman, a private in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, fled Fort Bragg in North Carolina Jan. 2, bringing his wife and 18-month-old son, Liam, to Toronto only days before his regiment was scheduled to leave for Iraq.
Last Thursday, he filed papers with the refugee board.
While Mr. Hinzman is believed to be the only U.S. soldier seeking refugee status, organizations in the U.S. say the number of conscientious objectors in the ranks of the U.S. military are growing -- and some are looking to Canada.
More than 30,000 American draft dodgers sought refuge in Canada during the Vietnam War. Now, some believe the war in Iraq has sparked a new generation -- except these Americans have already volunteered to fight, then reconsidered that decision.
"Canada was attractive during the Vietnam War. Americans are seeing it again as a reasonable community of people willing to provide sanctuary," said Marti Hiken, chairwoman of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild.
"More and more Americans will be coming into Canada," she predicted. "Our hope is that Canada will offer refugee status."
The North Carolina chapter of the Society of Friends, a group commonly known as the Quakers, helps run the nationally operated G.I. Rights Hotline.
In 2001, before the Iraq war, the hotline received 17,267 calls. In 2003, it logged 28,822 calls, an increase of about 65 per cent, said Chuck Fager, director of the Fayetteville Friends.
Last year, the Fayetteville Friends dealt with 256 inquiries about conscientious objector status. "This is obviously because of the Iraq war," he said.
Some believe objections to the war in Iraq have been compounded by resentment over the U.S. army's "stop-loss" orders, which have cancelled retirement for about 40,000 troops.
A group called Military Families Speak Out has gained more than 1,000 members since being established in 2002, said co-founder Nancy Lessin. Ms. Lessin said the group includes military families that have not spoken out against any other war or conflict until Iraq.
"We felt this war was about empire-building and oil. We did not want out loved ones used as cannon fodder."
The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors got only about one application a month before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That has since increased to about one a day.
"Recruiters have recruited young men and women, making the army sound like job training or going away to camp," said lawyer J.E. McNeil, the group's executive director. "People joined the military without thinking it through."
Mr. Hinzman joined the U.S. army in January 2001, shortly after he married Nga Nguyen. He wanted a job and a shot at earning money for an education. But during his first days of basic training, he was shocked at the chant: "trained to kill, kill we will." It was like training a dog, he later reflected.
"I actually like some aspects of (military training). The people you work with become your family," he said yesterday. "When I started thinking about the big picture, that's when I started having some doubts."
Mr. Hinzman studied Buddhist meditation and in January 2002 he and Ms. Nguyen began to attend meetings of the Quakers.
In April 2002, Mr. Hinzman concluded that he would never be able to pull the trigger.
He turned in his conscientious objector application in Aug. 2002. But on Oct. 31, he learned that the application had been lost. He served in Afghanistan, mostly on kitchen duty.
While he was there, a hearing turned down his application after he said he would be willing to defend the airfield if it were attacked, but not play an active combat role.
Jeffrey House, Mr. Hinzman's lawyer, says the army is "forcing him to participate in a war that is unlawful according to international law."
If refugee status is denied, there are other options, he said, including a request that he remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds.
But Ms. McNeil says the option of coming to Canada is an "urban legend" these days.
"This isn't Vietnam. It isn't loosey-goosey. You can't just get landed-immigrant status," said Ms. McNeil. "It's not as easy to get a job. You could fake it before, but you can't do it now."
She points out that desertion is a felony -- and there are easier ways to get out of the army.
"For some of these guys, going AWOL is a better option. It will get you a bad discharge, but at least it's not a felony."
- - -
On the web for seven-day subscribers: Pierre Trudeau's cabinet decided in 1969 to welcome American military deserters into Canada during the Vietnam War over the objections of the immigration minister. Read an archival story.
www.ottawacitizen.com
© The Ottawa Citizen 2004
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.
Comment