[T]he growing band of US soldiers who have sought political refuge in Canada after defying orders to serve in Iraq have found themselves in a political limbo.
The nation that once welcomed some 50,000 men who refused to fight in Vietnam is unsure what to do with the current group of American deserters. Canada so far has been unwilling to grant political asylum to men who voluntarily enlisted and then decided they did not want to fight in Iraq, unlike Vietnam-era Americans who faced a compulsory draft.
Last month, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board denied refugee status to the first deserter to apply, Jeremy Hinzman, a 26-year-old native of Rapid City, S.D. Hinzman, a specialist in the 82d Airborne Division, served in Afghanistan, but fled from Fort Bragg, N.C., after his Army unit was ordered to Iraq.
The board ruled that Hinzman was not likely to face persecution in the United States and therefore could not be considered a political refugee.
If the deserters return to the United States, they will face court-martial, dishonorable discharge, and up to five years of prison, said Martha Rudd, an Army spokeswoman.
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