Canada to Deport U.S. War Resister Today

This is a release from Project Safe Haven.

Today, the minority Conservative government of Canada will achieve one of its long sought goals: the deportation of a U.S. war resister who would not fight in Iraq. Despite polls showing that nearly two-thirds of Canadians want to grant sanctuary to Iraq War refusers, and the passage of a Parliamentary motion that would allow them to immigrate to Canada, the Canadian Border Service Agency in British Columbia will bring war resister Robin Long to the border today and turn him over to U.S. authorities.

Read the story in the Globe & Mail.

"This is a gift from Stephen Harper to George Bush," says Gerry Condon of Project Safe Haven, referring to the conservative heads of state of Canada and the U.S. "And it is a gift to the headline writers, who will trumpet that Canada is no longer a safe haven for AWOL GIs.

"But it is an illusion," says Condon, "because this is not the first of many deportations. It may be the first and the last. A minority government that ignores the will of its people and its Parliament will not be allowed to rule much longer." Federal elections are expected to take place in Canada this fall.