Soldier To Plead Guilty To Desertion
FORT CARSON, Colo. - A soldier who fled to Canada when his unit was deployed to Iraq plans to plead guilty Friday to a reduced charge of desertion, his lawyer said.
Pvt. Robin Long, 25, of Boise, Idaho, faces up to three years in prison and a dishonorable discharge, civilian defense attorney James Branam said Thursday.
Long went to Canada in 2005, but authorities there denied his request for refuge and deported him in July of this year.
Branam said Long has reached an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to desertion with intent to remain away permanently, a lesser charge than desertion with intent to shirk hazardous duty.
Army prosecutors declined to comment.
Branam said Long’s sentence will be determined on Friday.
“Yes, he did break the law, he committed a wrong, but he shouldn’t be punished harshly because he had a lot of good reasons to do what he did,” Branam said.
“He believes very sincerely he couldn’t participate in this war in good conscience,” Branam said.
Long also feared his fellow soldiers would be at risk in combat if Long “couldn’t pull the trigger” because of moral qualms, Branam said.
“I still don’t think that Bush has proven we have any reason to be over there, and I would be wrong to be a tool of destruction,” Robin says.
He served two years as a tanker in the US army, at Fort Knox before he left and came to Canada in June of 2005. He traveled by hitchhiking from Tofino, BC to St. John’s, Newfoundland, and as far north as the north shore of the St. Lawrence during the summer months. “I have really enjoyed this beautiful country, I’m reminded everyday by its wonderful people that I made the right decision. I remember that a soldier is just a uniform following orders, a warrior is the man or woman that follows their conscience and does the right thing in the face of adversity.”
(AP)
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He should also plead guilty to eating shit, smelling like a wet rat swimming in two week old stale rank piss and being a lover of vomit milkshakes. F-him.
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:50 am“I remember that a soldier is just a uniform following orders, a warrior is the man or woman that follows their conscience and does the right thing in the face of adversity.”
–no
“A liberal is a coward that follows a conscience someone else told them they would have and flees in the face of adversity (challenge).”
–A warrior, a man or a woman, a soldier….who does the right thing in the face of adversity.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:26 amInteresting. Who was he sponging off as he hitchhiked what amounts to approximately 4500 miles from one side of the continent to the other. He must have met a lot of suckers along the way.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 amdesertion during time of war…..Hang’em from the yardarm
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 am“I have really enjoyed this beautiful country, I’m reminded everyday by its wonderful people that I made the right decision.”
I don’t know who you were talking to on your Canadian odyssey tour, but it must have been a lot of spineless liberal weasels like yourself - good Canadian troops are dying to rid the world of Taliban while you enjoy the “beautiful country” that they miss because they are DOING THEIR DUTY.
“I remember that a soldier is just a uniform following orders, a warrior is the man or woman that follows their conscience and does the right thing in the face of adversity.”
Don’t flatter yourself - your so-called conscience should have told you that DESERTION is WRONG - PERIOD
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:24 amLet’s hope you pay dearly for you cowardice. You probably signed up to avoid jail.
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:31 amAll in favor of execution say aye!
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:10 amAye.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm