Ottawa has decided that an American soldier who fled the army over the Iraq war will not face the risk of abuse or mistreatment if returned to the U.S.

That means Corey Glass can now be deported to the United States, where he faces possible jail time for desertion.

Glass, of Fairmount, Ind., was a sergeant in military intelligence who spent five months in Iraq.

Based on what he saw and did there, he decided the war was illegal and decided he couldn't go back.

He spent seven months in hiding before seeking asylum in Canada, which he knew had been sympathetic to Vietnam draft dodgers.

Glass, who lives in Toronto, maintains that when he signed up for the U.S. National Guard, he thought he was joining a humanitarian organization.