JURIST - Paper Chase: US soldier ordered to Iraq seeks asylum in Canada

A US soldier whose unit was ordered to Iraq in December has sought asylum in Canada as a "conscientious objector." Jeremy Hinzman, 25, a Quaker from North Carolina, joined the US Army 82nd Airborne Division in January 2001, but applied to be a "conscientious objector" in August 2002 after basic training. He was sent to Afghanistan, where he worked as a dishwasher while his objector application was pending. When it was turned down and his unit was ordered to Iraq, he fled to Canada. He is now considered AWOL in the US and would be prosecuted for desertion if he returned. He is thought to be the first US soldier ordered to Iraq who has filed for refugee status in Canada. The North Carolina Fayetteville Observer has more. Approximately 30,000 US citizens went north to Canada during the Vietnam era to avoid military service. Learn more about Vietnam-era US "draft dodgers" in Canada from the CBC Archives.