U.S. war veterans to visit war resisters in Vancouver

A group of U.S. military veterans will be coming to Vancouver tomorrow (March 10) to show their support for war resisters who have come to Canada seeking safe haven from the Iraq war.

Gerry Condon, of NGO Veterans for Peace, spoke with the Straight today and voiced his concern about the government’s lack of support for war resisters, such as Cliff Cornell and Kimberly Rivera. “It’s really important for people who refuse to be a part of this illegal war to have sanction. Unfortunately, the Harper government has been standing in the way of granting sanctuary to these war resisters.”

Tomorrow’s event will be held at the Unitarian Church (949 W. 49th) at 7 p.m. and will feature a photography exhibition with works from both Iraq and Vietnam war veterans, as well as a discussion panel with veterans and war resisters.

Cordon expressed his disappointment with the government and talked about Kimberly Rivera, a soldier who refused to be redeployed to Iraq and fled to Canada in 2007. The Canadian government will be deporting Rivera, despite several court proceedings. The family also released a YouTube video in January beseeching Stephen Harper to let Rivera stay in Canada.

Veterans for Peace has also called on President Obama to grant amnesty to war resisters and to immediately end both the Iraq and Afghanistan war. But with Obama’s plan to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan and with no finite date set for the return of all Iraqi soldiers, Cordon isn’t optimistic that the organization’s request will be granted.

A recent Angus Reid poll shows that 64 percent of Canadians support some form of legislation that would allow war resisters to seek resident status in Canada.

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