| Submit your comments on this article |
| Great White North |
| Canada To Deport US Deserter. US Doesn't Care. |
| 2008-07-02 |
| Since deserting his unit in Iraq and fleeing to Canada two years ago, Corey Glass has become the poster boy of the war resistors movement. Thursday in Toronto, supporters are planning to protest his scheduled deportation back to the United States. But it turns out Glass has had little reason to be on the lam, ABCNews has learned. Unknown to him and his legion of supporters, Glass, 25, was actually discharged from the U.S. Army shortly after he went AWOL in 2006. Glass and about 40 other American deserters who, like him, sought refugee status have prompted a national debate in Canada that last month reached the floor of parliament on where to draw the line between cowardice and conscience. 'I had absolutely no idea that I had been discharged,' said Glass when ABC News informed him of his status. 'This is insane. This is so weird. There are no warrants? No one is looking for me?' According to U.S. Army documents and officials, Glass was discharged from the California National Guard Dec. 1, 2006, four months after he arrived in Canada and six months after he failed to show up to a required muster. 'He is not considered absent without leave. He is not considered a deserter,' said Maj. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman. 'He is running for no reason. He is fully welcome in the United States. I cannot believe this is a big deal in Canada.' But it is a big deal in Canada, where lawmakers last month overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding resolution, 137 to 110, to freeze the deportation of American deserters, starting with Glass. Despite the resolution, the Immigration Ministry has decided to stick by its decision and plans to deport Glass July 10. 'The resolution was nonbiding,' said Karen Shadd, a ministry spokeswoman. 'Canada has one of the most generous refugee systems in the world, and each case is assessed on its individual merits.' Unlike the 30,000 to 50,000 American deserters who were given legal refuge in Canada during the Vietnam War, this latest crop of runaways is viewed by Canadian immigration authorities not as conscientious objectors avoiding a draft but as volunteers unwilling to fulfill their promise to the military and undeserving of refugee status. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #29 He doesn't have to be present. My reserve unit processed a lot of administrative separations for failure to attend drills. Cleaned out the deadwood. Non-vet reservists got a General Discharge (Other Than Honorable conditions). Basically a 'you're fired' discharge. Somebody in the CA NG was smart and a bit vicious. Heh. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-07-02 23:09 |
| #28 I must say that JosephMendiola's Tourrette's is become more amusing. |
| Posted by: Scott R 2008-07-02 21:59 |
| #27 So-o-o-o, IOW, He was NOT PRESENT at either his [mandatory]Court-Martial nor the local US Post Office nor........??? D *** NG IT, NO ONE DOES THAT TO THE US POST OFFICE = US MAIL, OR STARBUCKS POSTNET! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-07-02 21:09 |
| #26 |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-07-02 21:06 |
| #25 I dunno, GA - I'm pretty sure he can get a job with Obamalamadingdong. Or just about any DemoncRat. & I hear Code Pink has openings.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-07-02 21:04 |
| #24 He's gonna have a big hole in his resume. Sooner or later, some one will check it out and his life will become toast. 2048 is a long time from now. And after this war is over, lotsa folks won't like folks like him. |
| Posted by: Glase Stalin3977 2008-07-02 20:14 |
| #23 A bit of wall to wall counseling in a room full of vets that kept their word and did their duty. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-07-02 19:59 |
| #22 O2K, yeah - I can just see this guy showing up at the VA office and demanding his benefits. He'll probably whine and pout and claim he is being oppressed because he is denied. Of course, if the waiting room is full of REAL veterans, he could get a talking to. |
| Posted by: Rambler in California 2008-07-02 19:51 |
| #21 OTH is important because it can kill his VA benefits. Desertion as the reason should be enough also to kill any appeal later for an adjustment. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-07-02 19:04 |
| #20 Bad Conduct Discharge. Also known as the Big Chicken Dinner. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-07-02 18:07 |
| #19 BCD is the "other than honorable": Punitive Discharges. Punitive discharges are authorized punishments of courts-martial and can only be awarded as an approved court-martial sentence pursuant to a conviction for a violation of the UCMJ. There are two types of punitive discharges: Dishonorable Discharge (DD) -- which can only be adjudged by a general court-martial and is a separation under dishonorable conditions; and Bad-Conduct Discharge (BCD) -- which can be adjudged by either a general court-martial or a special court-martial and is a separation under conditions other than honorable. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/l/aadischarge1.htm |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-07-02 17:48 |
| #18 DOD handled this well. DOD could have tried him amd sent him to jail, thus pouring fuel on the left's fire. Now its a non issue and this guy will get nothing for his being a coward. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2008-07-02 16:18 |
| #17 OTH = Other Than Honorable, but I'm not familiar with BCD either. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-07-02 15:37 |
| #16 OTH is Other Than Honorable and BCD is Bad Conduct Discharge (I think). |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-07-02 15:24 |
| #15 OK, I get DD-Dishonorable Discharge. What's OTH and BCD? Thanks. |
| Posted by: mom 2008-07-02 15:14 |
| #14 'There are no warrants? No one is looking for me?' Pathetically funny. No place on the MSM speed-dial. No reporters hanging on his every word. He doesn't even get to call himself a deserter. OTH - BCD or DD? Not that a reporter would be smart enough to know to ask. Likely just an OTH. Routine, administrative discharge. Which makes it all the more amusing. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-07-02 13:19 |
| #13 Unlike the 30,000 to 50,000 American deserters who were given legal refuge in Canada during the Vietnam War, this latest crop of runaways is viewed by Canadian immigration authorities not as conscientious objectors avoiding a draft but as volunteers unwilling to fulfill their promise to the military and undeserving of refugee status. For the strange reason that they are not conscientious objectors avoiding a draft but are volunteers unwilling to fulfill their promise to serve. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-07-02 12:00 |
| #12 Canuckistan sniper, How about we compromise and send them all to Brussels? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-07-02 11:47 |
| #11 Will you PLEASE take him back? PLEASE? We might want to send you a bunch of federal politicians too. And some journalists. FREE!! Take them for FREE!! BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM!! |
| Posted by: Canuckistan sniper 2008-07-02 11:33 |
| #10 Rescind his U.S. citizenship and refuse to accept him back. Let the Canucks keep his sorry ass. |
| Posted by: Lumpy Spusoth6394 2008-07-02 11:23 |
| #9 Shouldn't this be filed under 'Idiot of the Day'? (for him and the entire Canadian Parliment) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-07-02 11:17 |
| #8 Probably a BCD. I think a DD requires a court. |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-07-02 11:06 |
| #7 "I had absolutely no idea that I had been discharged," Rite, it's a surprise to everyone. OT: Hi Blondie! |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-07-02 10:54 |
| #6 Probably summary courts martial and a DD with forfeiture of all pay and benefits, with an opportunity to upgrade it to OTH via an appeal. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-07-02 10:24 |
| #5 That did kind of knock the wind out of his "movement". |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-02 09:53 |
| #4 "He is running for no reason. He is fully welcome in the United States. I cannot believe this is a big deal in Canada." Damn! There goes the bestseller and the speaking tour. Now he's gotta go get a real job like the rest of the schmucks..... |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields 2008-07-02 09:48 |
| #3 Unknown to him and his legion of supporters, Glass, 25, was actually discharged from the U.S. Army shortly after he went AWOL in 2006. OTH - BCD or DD? Not that a reporter would be smart enough to know to ask. "I had absolutely no idea that I had been discharged," said Glass when ABC News informed him of his status. "This is insane. This is so weird. There are no warrants? No one is looking for me?" You ain't worth the time of real men and women. They have real work to do and have been doing it. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-07-02 09:46 |
| #2 There are no warrants? No one is looking for me? We don't want scumbags like you. You are welcome and encouraged to stay in Canada. Goodbye, numbnuts. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-07-02 09:26 |
| #1 "I had absolutely no idea that I had been discharged," said Glass when ABC News informed him of his status. "This is insane. This is so weird. There are no warrants? No one is looking for me?" You're a dork, kid. Enjoy Canada. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-07-02 08:50 |