Irish pardon deserters who joined Britain in WWII

DUBLIN (AP) — The Irish government said Tuesday it is pardoning nearly 5,000 men who deserted its armed forces to fight for Britain during World War II, an episode of history that brought shame and embarrassment to neutral Ireland.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said a bill pardoning the men — mostly posthumously — and apologizing to their families would be introduced and passed into law Tuesday. The move comes a year after he issued an official state apology to the men, who because of a government blacklist suffered job discrimination and loss of pension rights at war’s end, condemning their families to poverty.