Once again we get to thank Canada

A Canadian court has ordered the country's refugee board to re-examine an American deserter's rejected attempt for asylum in Canada.

The court ruled that the board made mistakes when it turned down Joshua Key's claim for asylum.

Mr Key served in Iraq in 2003 before deserting to Canada with his family while on leave in the US.

The ruling could affect scores of other US soldiers sheltering in Canada who have refused to fight in Iraq.

About 200 of them. Thanks, Canada!

Military desertions are up

I wonder why? Isn't this supposed to be the most bestest war ever? The one everyone wants to fight because it threatens our very existence? The clash of gigantic and powerful religions in their fight for world domination?

WASHINGTON - Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

While the totals are still far lower than they were during the Vietnam War, when the draft was in effect, they show a steady increase over the past four years and a 42 percent jump since last year.

"We're asking a lot of soldiers these days," said Roy Wallace, director of plans and resources for Army personnel. "They're humans. They have all sorts of issues back home and other places like that. So, I'm sure it has to do with the stress of being a soldier."

Uh...no. It has to do with the badly run Eternal and Unwinnable War on Terror we are fighting, Mr. Wallace, and the horrific stress on the military by an unreasonable amount of redeployments. The only stress coming from 'back home' is that 70% of us want them home for good.