U.S. Army deserter Cliff Cornell won’t return to live in Canada after all.

He now has a good job and plans to get married and settle down in his native Mountain Home, Ark., this fall.

Gabriola Islanders made Cornell feel welcome when he fought his extradition to the U.S. to face the music for abandoning his military post to avoid fighting in Iraq.

[The article quoted above is no longer available on the newspaper's website.]

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Supporters of a U.S. war resister who sought refuge on Gabriola Island likely played a huge part in getting his sentence reduced, the man’s lawyer says.

Cliff Cornell, who lived on Gabriola Island for nearly three years before being deported last year to face desertion charges, had 30 days knocked off his one-year military prison sentence.

Lawyer James Branum submitted a clemency application last month that included 63 letters from supporters – 44 of which were written by Gabriola residents.

[The article quoted above is no longer available on the newspaper's website.]

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

The lawyer representing jailed U.S. Army deserter Cliff Cornell wants supporters to write his commanding officer to ask for clemency.

Cornell, who spent nearly three years working at a Gabriola Island grocery store, was jailed on Tuesday for one year after pleading guilty to desertion at his court-martial hearing at the Fort Stewart, Ga. military base where he works.

Under U.S. military law, the commanding general has special authority to recommend a reduction to a court-martialed prisoner’s sentence.

Lawyer James Branum is mounting an international campaign to convince the commanding general to reduce the time Cornell will have to spend behind bars.

[The article quoted above is no longer available on the newspaper's website.]

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

An Iraq war resister who lived in B.C. from January 2005 to February 2009 has been sentenced to one year in a military prison.

Cliff Cornell was handed his prison term and a bad conduct discharge on Tuesday (April 28) at a court-martial hearing at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

According to a War Resisters Support Campaign media release, [continue]

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Fort Stewart commanders have filed a desertion charge against a soldier accused of fleeing to Canada four years ago to avoid the war in Iraq, a spokesman for the Georgia Army post said Thursday.

Spc. Cliff Cornell, 29, will now face an investigation to determine whether his case should be handled administratively or sent to a court-martial, said Maj. Lee Peters, a Fort Stewart spokesman.

[The Arkansas Online article is no longer available on their website.]

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Who’s doing your fact-checking these days?

Your recent article, Gabriola aims to keep Cliff ‘at home’, says:

Everywhere on Gabriola Island there are signs of support for U.S. war resister Cliff Cornell, who faces deportation from Canada this week.

Everywhere? Really? I live on Gabriola, and I don’t see signs everywhere. There was one sign a couple of weeks ago on the bulletin board outside Village Foods, but that’s all I’ve seen.

I don’t care what your paper thinks about Cliff’s situation, but I do care about accurate reporting. And this isn’t it.

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

A Gabriola Island shop clerk facing deportation by Christmas Eve was given a temporary reprieve by Immigration Canada.

Clifford Cornell has another month to build his legal defence to stay in Canada. [continue]

See also: War Resisters Support Campaign.

More news about Cliff Cornell:

• Desertions highlight manipulative draft tactics by U.S. military – Nanaimo Daily News
• Cornell gets the gift of time for Christmas – Flying Shingle
• Gabriola army deserter keeps close eye on case – Nanaimo Daily News
• Cornell loses appeal – Flying Shingle
• Gabriola war-resister arrested at border in Washington – Nanaimo Daily News

Update, January 14th: ‘Keep Cliff on Gabriola’ bumper stickers have begun appearing on the island, and posters urge Gabriolans to write letters on Cliff’s behalf. Do you think it will change anything?

(From Gabriolan.ca.)