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PFC Burmeister Court Martialed at
Knox Actions at 14 Canadian Consulates
to Support U.S. War Resisters
Robin Long deported from Canada
Courage to Resist has made civilian legal representation available to Robin and will be doing everything possible to provide him our full support.More info coming soon. On July 15th, Robin Long became the first U.S. war resister since the Vietnam War forced to leave Canada and turned over to the U.S. military. About the same time as dozens of supporters gathered at Peace Arch Park on the Canadian-U.S. border, Robin was taken across the border and handed over to U.S. border agents. Robin was briefly held at the Whatcom County Jail in Bellingham, Washington, before U.S. military police took him to Fort Lewis, 50 miles south of Seattle. Within the next few days he will be taken to Fort Carson, Colorado where he is expected to be immediately placed in pre-trial confinement and eventually court martialed for AWOL, desertion, and possibly other violations of military discipline. At 19, the Boise, Idaho native joined the Army on the promise that he would not be deployed to Iraq. However, in April 2005 Robin was ordered to Fort Carson in preparation for deployment to Iraq. Robin recounted, “My superiors were telling me; ‘You're going to the desert to fight rag heads’. It wasn't like I was going to Iraq to liberate the people.” After his Army “battle buddy” didn’t report for deployment by leaving for Canada, Robin also went AWOL and hitchhiked to Canada, eventually settling down with help of the War Resisters Support Campaign. “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 will trumpet that Canada is no longer a safe haven for AWOL GIs.” However, Gerry believes that “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. Check couragetoresist.org for updates on Robin’s case
PFC James Burmeister Court Martialed at Ft. Knox July 17, 2008 James Burmeister was serving in Baghdad when his humvee was caught in an IED explosion and he was hit in the face with shrapnel. Suffering from the physical and emotional wounds resulting from his injury, and his experiences working with "bait and kill" teams in Iraq, James went to Canada and was AWOL until earlier this year when he decided to return to the U.S., turn himself in, and move on with his life. James and supporters hoped that the military would offer him an “other than honorable discharge in lieu of court martial”—especially in consideration of his injuries suffered in Iraq. James believes that he is suffering from traumatic brain injury, which would explain his reoccurring seizures. However, he has found real medical treatment an impossible maze to navigate—the military instead offers him various anti-psychotic drug cocktails. On June 21, Helen Burmeister (photo above) traveled from Oregon to lead local Veterans for Peace members and other supporters in a rally for the freedom on her son James at the gates of Fort Knox, Kentucky. However, hopes for a quick discharge—and real medical help—were dashed when the Army court martialed James yesterday for AWOL and desertion. James was sentenced to six months at the Fort Knox Regional Confinement Facility and a bad conduct discharge. The PFC James Burmeister Support Campaign can be reached at letjamesbefree@gmail.com Write to James in the stockade! James Burmeister
Actions at 14 Canadian Consulates for war resisters
By Courage to Resist. July 16, 2008 Courage to Resist organized actions in response to a deportation order issued against U.S. war resister Corey Glass, an Iraq War veteran who was a sergeant in the National Guard. With the help of Vets For Peace and Project Safe Haven, 14 cities took part with vigils and delegations. In a surprising victory, while the delegations were taking place, a Canadian Federal Court granted Corey a last minute reprieve of at least several months while his lawyers appeal earlier negative rulings. Corey’s victory was related to a similar win for Iraq War vet Joshua Key. According to the Federal Court in Joshua’s recent ruling, the regular abuse of Iraqi civilians at the hands of the U.S. military are systematic violations of the Geneva Conventions, and a basis for granting refugee status. Canadian Parliament officially welcomes war resisters Email and phone Minister Finley and Prime Minister Harper. Ask them to fully implement the June 3rd Parliament resolution to allow war resisters to remain in Canada. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane
Finley |
Robin Long deported from Canada
Courage to Resist.
July 17, 2008
Along with a few other U.S. Iraq
War resisters, Robin had been most recently living in Nelson, British
Columbia, a town of 10,000 people. Local police have gained a
reputation of
being hostile to war resisters. Authorities
claimed that because Robin was staying with different friends around
Nelson, he
was in violation of a previous order to notify authorities of his
whereabouts—which
gave them the opening for an expedited removal. Robin’s bad luck
continued when
a conservative Canadian Judge ruled against his last ditch appeal.
Supporters rally at base gate; James sentenced to six months in stockade
and bad conduct discharge
