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Member of World Peace Council


Letter to Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on Impending Deportation of U. S. War Resister, Corey Glass

7/11/2008 6:21:37 PM - Edmonton Peace Council Executive Member - Roy Lynn Piepenburg

July 8, 2008
Hon. Diane Finley,
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
Parliament of Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario
Dear Minister Finley:
Re: Impending Deportation of U. S. War Resister, Corey Glass
I have written to Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, concerning the above-named American war resister, who is scheduled for deportation to the U. S. on July 10th. I have been assured that a copy of that letter will be referred to you for consideration. I am aware that there is a second American war resister, Joshua Key, who has also been the focus of the Canadian media. The media have also reported that there may be another twenty to thirty others from the American military who are in Canada for the same reasons. There are further thoughts in this matter that I wish to share with you. I also have some questions to pose.
I was born in the U. S. in 1926. I have resided in Canada since 1961, and in 1968 I became a naturalized Canadian citizen. My decision to come to Canada was based on the fact that former prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, had received the Nobel Peace Award for advancing the peacekeeping concept in the United Nations. I also held a belief that the U. S., an imperialistic nation, would perpetually be engaged in wars some place on Earth; a kind of addiction to war, which more and more people around the world are rightfully questioning. At this point in time, I discern that Canadas foreign policy is moving closer and closer to that of the U. S., and I deeply regret that, because Canadas respected image in the international community is being tainted.
The U. S. foreign policy is imperialistic. That accounts for the 700 or more military installations around the Earth. Both of the Bush presidents in the U. S. (father and son) have repeatedly said their involvement militarily at various places is to protect their national interest. No one should be nave about that. That national interest is based on American business investments and defence strategies. Ridding nations of oppressive dictators to better the citizens lives is little more than a sham. Unless there are strategic natural resources, e. g. oil, at stake, as in the case of Iraq, dictators are typically ignored. The U. S. at present has at least 23 military installations in the Middle East and South Central Asia. The U. S., with only 5% of the worlds population, uses 25% of the petroleum produced worldwide. Those installations are there to ensure that the American economy will not wither due to lack of oil. And, the U. S. is willing to pay any price to get it.
The deplorable terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon in 2001 were a response to U. S. imperialism, particularly in the Middle East, and the protective role the U. S. has in relation to the state of Israel. The reality is that without U. S. political, military and financial support Israel could not survive. Most American politicians are in a state of denial about how their defective foreign policy precipitated the disastrous terrorist attacks. Scholars in the U. S. who astutely analyse these dynamics are often shunned or discredited. A distinguished historian at the University of Alberta, an eminent expert on Middle East and South-central Asian affairs, has said publicly that the war against terrorists in Afghanistan cannot be won. He has also noted that the planned $7.5 billion Trans-Afghanistan natural gas pipeline is a principal reason for the U. S. presence in that war-torn region.
The fact that the U. S. has an annual defence (war) budget of approximately $450 billion sends a message to the rest of the world that the business of the U. S. is war. That message foments fear and intimidation. Think of this: if the U. S. spent that much on foreign aid, for example, health, education, food production and building of democratic institutions in the Third World, they would probably be among the most highly esteemed nations on Earth.
The present nature of U. S. Canadian relations deserves close attention by all Canadians. In every conceivable way, Canada willingly, and often without the clear support of the people of Canada, accommodates U. S. needs and demands. This is true in the realm of economics (foreign trade), business investments in Canada, military partnerships, sharing of scarce natural resources and, importantly, the impact of the mass media on Canada. The FTA and NAFTA are so slanted in favour of American economic interests that many wise Canadians believe the terms need to be reviewed to achieve better equity. I have the distinct impression that our Candian political leaders are reluctant to ever criticize U. S. imperialism, because to do so might upset our trade relations and impair our domestic economic well being. To place us in such a vulnerable position eventually leads to the weakening or destruction of our national sovereignty.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, adopted in 1982, is powerful, idealistic and well suited for a nation that is committed to internal harmony and social justice. Former prime minister, John Diefenbaker, who moved in this direction with his Canadian Bill of Rights, and former prime minister, Pierre E. Trudeau, who ensured that the Charter would be part of our new Constitution, have earned high praise in Canada and beyond. American military war-resisters (often referred to as conscientious objectors, rather than deserters) likely share the ideals and protective measures of our Charter. With such a humanitarian philosophy entrenched in our Constitution, it seems appropriate that our nation should legitimately be a haven for those who protest the U. S. imperialist, undeclared war against Iraq. If we reject such a responsibility, then people in other nations can conclude that we, the Canadians, quietly and timidly support the U. S. military invasion and devastating occupation of Iraq.
The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 is highly regarded as a violation of international law. The U. S. was not attacked by Iraq. Furthermore, after exhaustive searching, it was found that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction. I believe that Canadian governments led by Hon. Jean Chretien and Hon. Paul Martin perceived these facts to be true, so they did not involve Canada in the invasion of Iraq. There is a growing awareness that the illegal invasion of Iraq was intended to garner control of the vast petroleum resources of that nation.
Since Canada became involved in the Afghanistan mission, the military establishment has pressured the government to invest more heavily in meeting its perceived needs. Military officers, high in the hierarchy, have had easy access to media platforms, where they could promote their interests in the minds of the people. When I listen to the overtures of the military personnel, I hear them talking about victory in war. I hear them minimizing the number of casualties needed to achieve victory. Seldom does anyone ever hear these military personnel set out the goal of a peaceful world. War is their business. It is expensive and lucrative for the munitions industry. I reject a role for Canada that makes us a partner to U. S. militarism and imperialism.
The Conservative minority caucus voted against a recent House of Commons motion that advocated letting U. S. military deserters and their families remain in Canada as permanent residents. Obviously, that motion applied to both Corey Glass and Joshua Key. The vote, 137 111, is very significant. A recent public opinion poll in Canada discovered that 64% of Canadians believe American military war resisters should be allowed to remain here.
At this time, is there a Canadian law that prohibits granting refuge to such war resisters?
I am still hopeful that your government will reverse its decision not to recognize the inherent rights of American military war resisters.
There was a reaction in the House of Commons at the time of the voting on the motion, that those in favour were emotionally aroused over the war issues. My feeling is that those Members of Parliament who recognize the horrors and destruction that results from war are well justified in being emotional about it. Consider that 70 90% of the casualties in war are civilians. Consider that a shocking number of soldiers commit suicide as a result of their engagement in warfare. Consider the large number of soldiers who suffer from the now well-known post-traumatic stress syndrome, that is the result of engagement in the killing fields. For anyone to coldly accept these realities without emotion is impossible for me to understand.
I ask you to have a look at some statistics related to the victims of the war in Iraq. I admit that this is an unusual manner in which to project disapproval of the war. On the other hand, it confirms the horror which is perpetrated by the spending of billions of dollars to eliminate the enemy.
In Iraq, about 4,100 American military casualties have been incurred. If those corpses were laid down head to toe on the ground, they would stretch for 4.5 miles.
In Iraq, if the 30,000 wounded American military stood upright in line, that line would be 11.4 miles long.
In Iraq, if the reported 150,000 civilian casualties were laid down head to toe on the ground, they would stretch for 16.5 miles.
My appeal to you is for your government to recognize the legitimate rights of American military war resisters to seek domicile in Canada. I say "rights" because freedom of conscience is a universal right. Since Canada has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations, we, as a people, have an obligation to perform, and we should perform it in good faith and compassion.
Are you prepared to postpone indefinitely the deportation of Corey Glass to the U. S., where he would, undoubtedly, face military discipline of some kind and, likely, social ostracism?
Thank you for considering the points of view expressed in this letter.
For Earth Peace in Our Time,
Roy Lynn Piepenburg
World Citizen Free Spirit
Cc: Hon. Michael Wilson,
Canadian Ambassador to the U. S.