US Deserter Receives German Peace Prize

[unhappycamper]

US Deserter Receives German Peace Prize
February 06, 2009
Agence France-Presse

A US army deserter claiming asylum in Germany due to his moral opposition to the war in Iraq is set to scoop a peace prize, a US activist group said Friday.

Andre Shepherd, 31, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, will be awarded the Munich American Peace Committee's annual prize on Saturday during a protest at a major security conference in southern Germany. The committee is an anti-war activist group.

The new US administration -- represented by Vice President Joseph Biden -- will give details of its foreign policy vision at the Munich Security Conference.

However, Shepherd will not appear in person to receive the award, Rudi Friedrich, head of Connection e.V -- a support group for conscientious objectors and deserters -- told AFP.

While Shepherd's asylum application is being assessed, he is not allowed to travel beyond the confines of Karlsruhe in southern Germany where he is staying at a refugee-processing centre, Friedrich said.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/February-2009/us-deserter-receives-german-peace-prize.html?col=1186032310810