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From Vietnam to Iraq: American War Resisters Seek Refuge in Canada
Controversy Over Monument in Canadian Town for U.S. Resisters
to Vietnam War
Amnesty Calls for Release of Syrian Canadian Jailed in Damascus
for Over 2 Years
Universal Health Care: A Debate On Health Care in the U.S.
and Canada
From Vietnam to Iraq: American War Resisters Seek
Refuge in Canada
In an unprecedented simulcast with Canadian Broadcasting's
morning show, "The Current," Democracy Now! broadcasts
live from Toronto, Canada. Decades after Vietnam War resisters
fled to Canada to avoid the draft, American soldiers who are
resisting the war in Iraq are now looking north of the border
for a safe place to call home. We speak with two Iraq war
resisters, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey who are seeking
refugee status in Canada as conscientious objectors. And we
speak with their lawyer, Jeffry House, who fled to Canada
during the Vietnam war to resist the draft. [includes rush
transcript]
For more than a hundred years, Canada has been a safe haven
for those seeking refuge. The underground railway helped American
slaves escape captivity and provided them with a new home.
And, during the Vietnam war, the Canadian government welcomed
draft resisters with open arms.
And now, American soldiers who are resisting the war in Iraq
are looking north of the border for a safe place to call home.
Two U.S. soldiers are seeking refugee status in Canada as
conscientious objectors. Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey
arrived in Ontario separately earlier this year hoping to
make Canada their new home. And, in the coming months, the
Immigration and Refugee board will decide whether they get
to stay or if they have to go.
- Jeremy Hinzman, U.S army conscientious objector seeking
refugee status in Canada.
- Brandon Hughey, U.S army conscientious objector seeking
refugee status in Canada.
- Jeffry House, lawyer for Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey
Controversy Over Monument in Canadian Town for U.S.
Resisters to Vietnam War
A recently-proposed monument in Nelson, British Columbia
for American draft resisters from the Vietnam War has stirred
up a lot of controversy. We hear a few reactions to the proposal
before the City Council ultimately cancelled the plans. [includes
rush
transcript]
Although Canada does have a history of taking in draft resisters,
not all Canadians are supportive of the idea. Recently, in
Nelson, British Columbia, a proposed monument for American
draft resisters from the Vietnam War stirred up a lot of controversy.
The planned statue depicted a Canadian reaching out to help
two Americans. It was to be unveiled during a two-day festival
in honor of U.S. conscientious objectors. We hear a few reactions
to the proposal.
- Canadians react to the proposed monument for American
draft resisters from the Vietnam War.
Later, the Nelson City Council nixed the plan. They decided
there would be no public money or public land for a monument
unless it had broad support in the community.
Amnesty Calls for Release of Syrian Canadian Jailed
in Damascus for Over 2 Years
As a judicial inquiry into the deportation of Canadian citizen
Maher Arar continues largely in secret in Canada, concern
is building for another Syrian-Canadian being held in Damascus:
Arwad Al-Boushi. We speak with Alex Neve, the secretary-general
of Amnesty International Canada. [includes rush
transcript]
As a judicial inquiry into the deportation of Canadian citizen
Maher Arar continues largely in secret in Canada, concern
is building for another Syrian-Canadian being held in Damascus.
Maher Arar was detained by U.S. officials last year during
a stopover in a New York airport. U.S.-officials secretly
deported him to Syria where he spent 374 days in a Damascus
prison without charges. This is some of his account of what
happened when he arrived in Syria.
- Maher Arar, describing his torture in Syria.
Amnesty International is now calling for urgent action in
the case of Arwad Al-Boushi. He's the last of four Syrian
Canadians arrested and jailed after 9/11 to remain behind
bars in Syria.
Universal Health Care: A Debate On Health Care in
the U.S. and Canada
We host a debate on Canada's health care system, where universal
health care is an institution, and the U.S. where its benefits
are still the subject of debate. We are joined by Sally Pipes
of the Pacific Research Institute and Dr. Michael Rachlis,
a health policy analyst and author of Prescription for Excellence.[includes
rush
transcript]
Universal health care is an institution in Canada. But in
the U.S. - its benefits are still being debated by doctors,
patients, and politicians. After Iraq, it's the most important
issue in the presidential election. In fact, President Bush
has come out with an ad attacking John Kerry's views on expanding
Medicare.
Since we have the privilege of speaking to people on both
sides of the border today about Canadian issues, we thought
it would be interesting to put the Canadian heath care system
to the test in the U.S.
- Sally Pipes, President of the Pacific Research Institute
and author of a new book called "Miracle Cure: How
to Solve America's Health-Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn't
the Answer."
- Dr. Michael Rachlis, a health policy analyst and author
of "Prescription for Excellence: How Innovation is
Saving Canada's Health Care System."
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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