Photo: U.S. Army deserter André Shepherd, left, is seeking asylum in Germany with the help of peace activist Ulli Thiel, right. His hearing is Wednesday. Mike Esterl/ The Wall Street JournalFrom The Wall Street Journal:
KARLSRUHE, Germany -- Germany has been very good to Spec. André L. Shepherd since he deserted the U.S. Army.
The 31-year-old former mechanic of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion is enjoying perks that eluded him back home in Ohio: a bed, a bank account, a cellphone and friends.
Best of all from his standpoint, he isn't back in Iraq.
"I'm having the time of my life," says Mr. Shepherd, the only American bunking at a refugee-processing center in southern Germany.
The U.S. deserter enters uncharted legal territory on Wednesday, when Germany begins weighing his request for political asylum. The case will put to the test a 2004 European Union directive requiring member countries to grant asylum to soldiers protesting unlawful wars.
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My Comment: Thousands of American servicemen killed and injured fighting against the worse of the worse human beings on the planet .... Al Qaeda, Bathists, Taliban ..... and this "soldier" is having the time of his life at the expense of the public dole.
The U.S. military is a volunteer organization. Signing up and then making excuses on why he does not want to respect his agreement with the U.S. Army is silly at best, pretty stupid and irresponsible at the worse.
If the Germans want to have him .... I say good riddance.