I was reading the Free Press yesterday and I was saddened to see that one of the writers...Kerry Thompson was in support of sending US soldiers back to the United States.
I just wanted to say for the record that I personally think that we should be helping these soldiers. The UN did not sanction the war in Iraq which "technically" makes it an illegal war. After all, even Canada did not send troops to Iraq. Hmm....that would seem to suggest that we saw the illegality in it from the very beginning.
It was suggested that soldiers who sign up do so realizing that they might be forced to fight someplace they don't want to fight in. I disagree.
Soldiers sign up with the forces for many reasons but the main one is to defend their country from threats by others. Where was the threat from Iraq? It didn't exist because there was nothing there. These men were being asked to invade a country they had no business being in.
According to the United Nations information I was reading...
The Iraq war was a crime against peace. Crimes against peace include planning, commencement and waging an agressive war, or a war in violation of international agreements. To this day the US has not been brought to justice because of their criminal actions taken against the country of Iraq. I guess if you are rich enough and powerful enough you need never worry about facing justice.
Meanwhile, Soldiers, officers and the high command can be held responsible for failing to prevent war crimes. So the soldier is bound by the UN to resist wars that are deemed illegal.
The U.N. Handbook on Refugees calls on countries to provide refuge to soldiers "who refuse to participate in wars widely condemned by the international community as contrary to accepted standards of human behavior."
If Canada is truly to behave as we have agreed to with the UN then we MUST protect these US soldiers. We must allow them to remain here and build new lives. They didn't choose to desert on a whim. Some left family behind that they will never see again. Lets be strong and stand up for the rights of those who took a stand against their own country, those who acted in the best interests of the world as a whole.
I just wish to attach a quick thank you to those soldiers who proved that not everyone is a mindless sheep.You are always welcome in my country.
