Canadian poll: Give U.S. deserters status

TORONTO, July 2 (UPI) -- Nearly two-thirds of Canadians polled said they support Canada giving defecting U.S. soldiers permanent resident status.

The online Angus Reid survey of 1,001 Canadians found 64 percent of respondents favor giving refuge to an estimated 200 U.S. soldiers who didn't want to fight in Iraq.

By gender, the poll found women (69 percent) were more supportive of the defectors than men (57 percent).

The poll had a 3.1 percentage point margin of error, Angus Reid said.

Early last month, Parliament passed a non-binding resolution by a 137-110 vote, to freeze the deportation of U.S. deserters, but the minority Conservative government is going ahead with one high-profile case involving Corey Glass, who fled to Toronto from the California National Guard two years ago, the Toronto Sun reported.

ABC News reported Wednesday Glass isn't considered AWOL, as he was discharged from the guard on Dec. 1, 2006, four months after he arrived in Canada, quoting U.S. Army spokesman Maj. Nathan Banks.

"He (Glass) is running for no reason. He is fully welcome in the United States. I cannot believe this is a big deal in Canada," Banks told ABC.