U.S. soldier Andre Shepherd poses during an interview in Munich February 26, 2015. Shepherd who deserted because he thought the Iraq war was illegal could have grounds for seeking asylum in Germany but only if he can show he would have been involved in war crimes, Europe’s highest court said on Thursday. Shepherd, who served in Iraq between September 2004 and February 2005 as an Apache helicopter mechanic in the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, deserted in 2007 after being ordered to return to Iraq. He applied for asylum in Germany, where he was based. He remains in Germany. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle (GERMANY – Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY IMMIGRATION HEADSHOT)