ANOTHER DESERTER

Fleeing to Canada? That is so 1960s.

A US soldier is seeking asylum in Canada after attending meetings at a Quaker meeting house which changed his views on violence.

Hinzman is believed to be the first U.S. soldier to seek asylum in Canada because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. Since his arrival, at least one other soldier has joined him, according to a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. report...

Hinzman is now officially a deserter. Master Sgt. Pam Smith, a spokeswoman for the 82nd Airborne Division, said he has been listed in a federal law enforcement database.

But, she said, "Unless he is actually pulled over by police at a routine traffic stop or whatever, he could be a deserter for the rest of his life."

The military does not pursue deserters.

"We're fighting a war," she said. "We don't have time to go out looking for people who desert."...

Hinzman said he is ready to live with the consequences of his decision. It could mean he might never be able to return to the United States or that he may forever be labeled a traitor or coward by those who disagree with him. "As a soldier, I had signed up to defend the constitution, not to invade another country," he said.

Hinzman has a selective memory. His oath included more than he recalls

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."