Since the war started in Iraq, the Pentagon says 5,500 U.S. soldiers have deserted, with some of them seeking refugee status in Canada, CBS reported Thursday.

Among them is 26-year-old Jeremy Hinzman, whose Toronto court bid for refugee status wrapped up Wednesday.

Hinzman of Rapid City, S.D., joined the Army in January 2001, and was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. He said he didn't want to simply get out of the Army.

'I had signed a contract for four years,' he said. 'I was totally willing to fulfill it -- just not in combat arms jobs.'

Following his hearing, his lawyer and the Solcitor General's office is expected to file written submissions by Jan. 24. After that, the judge said a decision would be made as soon as possible, the Toronto Sun said.

Meanwhile, other soldiers who were denied conscientious objector status are using the Internet to locate Vietnam-era resisters who assist and even drive objectors to Canada, CBS said.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/
?sid=861b2f1349377ccb

fuck it, execute them as traitors. whether it's doing noble stuff or killing women and children you want your army to be comprised of something other than cowards who take free money during peacetime then won't fulfill their obligations. firemen run into buildings that are on fire because it's their job they chose, these guys signed up to be cannon fodder in the event peace is no longer a reality.

some of the most enduring stretches of peace germinated from some bloody shit, i don't buy that all the time. peace is good, probably the way to go now-but it usually comes after someone is decisively beaten, slaughtered, or sometimes enslaved.

This is way they love us in the rest of the word...

Damn, I thought the French liked that sort of thing.