Since the start of war in Iraq, more than 5,500 U.S. soldiers have abandoned their posts and become deserters, many (most?) of them for reasons of conscience, most of them slipping into Canada. 60 Minutes interviewed several conscientious deserters. Said one:
“I found out, basically, that they found no weapons of mass destruction. They were beginning to come out and say it’s not likely that we will find any — and the claim that they made about ties to al Qaeda was coming up short, to say the least,” says Hughey. “It made me angry, because I felt our lives were being thrown away as soldiers, basically.”
Viewers writing into the show last time 60 Minutes covered the topic had suggested that the deserters be hunted down, brought home, and shot. Draw your own conclusions.