U.S. soldier in battle for refugee status

February 24, 2004 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

Family moved to Canada after private refused to fight in 'dehumanising' Iraq war
US army private Jeremy Hinzman fought in Afghanistan and considers himself a patriot. But when his unit was ordered to Iraq, he refused to go and embarked on a radical journey that could make legal history.
Private first class Hinzman left the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, taking his wife and son to Canada. Officially, he is awol (absent without leave), and, instead of fighting insurgents, he is battling the US military in the Canadian courts.
This month Pte Hinzman, 25, filed legal papers to become the first US soldier objecting to the Iraq war to be granted refugee status in Canada. His case is expected to be a test of new Canadian immigration laws and the country's traditional role of accepting refugees from the US military.
An estimated 250 Americans every year seek refugee status in Canada, the vast majority making mental health claims, according to Jeffrey House, a Toronto criminal defence lawyer who represents Pte Hinzman.
"This is the first time a soldier from the Iraq war is seeking protection. He does not want to fight in Iraq and he will do any lawful thing to stay in Canada."

+ Read More

Canada may cut aid to Iraq in response to the U.S. snub

December 11, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

U.S. President George W. Bush is grateful for help in the war on terrorism and is "working" to include Canada in lucrative rebuilding projects in Iraq, he said in a farewell phone call to retiring Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien.
"He thanked me for what we're doing in Afghanistan and for the offer of money in the reconstruction of Iraq," Chr�tien told a news conference today.
"As for the news in the newspapers stating that Canada would be excluded from economic activities in Iraq, the president assured me that this was not the case, and that he would be taking action," Chr�tien said in French.
"And so I thanked him.
"We are still good friends."
The United States announced this week that countries which did not support the U.S.-led war in Iraq last spring, including Canada, would not be allowed to bid on reconstruction contracts worth $18 billion.
But Chr�tien said Bush called today and "he was telling me basically not to worry."

+ Read More

Who’s at fault, Canada or U.S.?

December 5, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

The lawyer of a Abdul Rahman Khadr, a terrorist suspect apparently released secretly from prison in Cuba and flown to central Asia, has called on the federal government to provide written assurance that his client will be given the documents he needs to return home to Canada.
At a news conference in Toronto Tuesday with Fatmah Elsamnah, grandmother of Mr. Khadr, lawyer Rocco Galati said that Canadian officials have so far denied his client a passport and are either 'negligent or spinning lies' when they deny knowing where he is.

+ Read More

Gay/Lesbian Marriage Narrowly Wins Vote

September 17, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

The Liberal government's plan to legalize gay and lesbian weddings came within five votes of a major setback last night.
MPs narrowly defeated a Canadian Alliance motion to restrict marriage rights to straight couples in a vote that revealed razor-thin support for Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien's bid to redefine marriage.
In a dramatic 137-132 vote that mirrored the divisions in the country, MPs on both sides of the Commons struck down the same motion that just four years ago had passed by a wide 216-55 margin.

+ Read More

Euro tour convinces PM on Iraq decision

June 9, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien, who returns to Parliament today after a two-week swing through Europe, left here more convinced than ever that he made the right decision to steer clear of the United States-led war in Iraq.
While refusing to say so publicly, the Prime Minister and his advisers are relieved the Liberals kept Canada out of a military adventure that is shaping up in the U.S. and Britain as potentially the biggest political scandal in decades.
During the past two weeks, as Chr�tien met with world leaders in Greece, Russia and France, the failure of the U.S. and its allies to find evidence to justify their invasion of Iraq emerged as a potential source of lasting damage for U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In both countries, there are continuing revelations about questionable intelligence used to justify claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had to be removed by military force because he was hoarding chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

+ Read More

Chrétien ready to ease pot possession law

April 30, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

Calling his government "activist" and "not afraid to take on controversial issues," Prime Minister Jean Chrétien cast a nod at youth last night and vowed that marijuana would soon be decriminalized.
It was the first public pronouncement from Chrétien that possessing small quantities of marijuana would be decriminalized in Canada.
"We will soon introduce legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana," he told a Liberal party fundraiser. Amid applause, he quipped, "Don't start to smoke it right away! We're not legalizing it."

+ Read More

Canadian judge rules marijuana law invalid

January 3, 2003 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

Canada's law on possession of small amounts of marijuana is no longer valid, an Ontario judge ruled Thursday.
The teen's lawyer, Brian McAllister, argued there is effectively no law in Canada prohibiting the possession of 30 grams of marijuana or less. His client was accused of possessing five grams of pot.

+ Read More

Americans take pot-shots against Canada

December 16, 2002 D. H. McKee
Off
Can-con

What Canadians think does matter to Americans. In certain circumstances at certain times.
My evidence for saying this is that I've culled those quotes from the some 1,400 e-mails sent to me as a result of my column of last Sunday titled, "It's not our fault that we're morally superior to Americans."

+ Read More