soldiers applying for political refugee status in canada

[datasuspect]

08-06) 04:00 PDT Toronto -- Army Pvt. Ryan Johnson drove off his Mojave Desert base at 3 a.m.

Sgt. Patrick Hart told his Army superiors he was going to watch one last Buffalo Bills football game.

Marine police officer Christian Kjar of Santa Barbara got permission to leave his base in North Carolina to visit a mall.

Rather than go to the Iraq war, all three went to Canada, where a small community of military deserters is growing as the conflict drags on. They are drawn by Canada's history of helping Vietnam War-era draft evaders and the country's open opposition to the war.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/06/MNG43KC7771.DTL