Trial of US soldier who refused to go to Iraq opens Monday
First Lieutenant Ehren Watada, the first US army officer to publicly refuse orders to go to Iraq, will go on trial in a court martial Monday at Fort Lewis, Washington, according to his supporters.
Watada is being tried for his refusal in June 2006 to be deployed to Iraq on the grounds that he opposed the decision of President George W. Bush to launch the war.
He is being charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with expressing contempt toward Bush, of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and purposely missing his unit’s deployment when it departed for the Middle East on June 22, 2006.
The charges, which could earn him four years in a military prison, cite statements Watada made on June 6 defending his decision on the basis that Bush initiated an illegal and immoral war.
“In this case, the judge has already predetermined that he will not allow any evidence or witnesses to testify that the war is illegal or immoral. He has already predetermined that the order (to deploy) is lawful and, in a sense by charging me with missing movement, they are skirting the issue of the legality of the order.”
Maybe, but what happens if he’s found guilty and one day the war is found to have been illegal?
You don’t have to follow any order you feel is wrong, but you must be prepared to accept the consequences. Even if Watada is right, he will be punished as he should be.
Given the % of solders coming back dead or severely wounded (physically and psychologically) , 4 yrs is a good trade for ones heath and youth.
For all the ignorant and just dumb civilians out there who never served (#29) and so easily talk about what they have no clue in, have the bogus , undisciplined mind set “A soldier’s sole duty is to follow orders”; simply put, your wrong. WWII Nuremburg trials illustrate well a solders true responsibility.
#28 has it right, a Soldier’s/Sailor/Airman first obligation is to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the US. An order from the US President nor any Commanding Officer supersedes that oath, period. The current President falsely thinks every thing he breaths and says is constitutional, this is not true.
#30 – Lt. Watada volunteered to go to Afghanistan rather than Iraq but the Army decided to bring charges rather than let a soldier make a choice dictated by his conscience.
I don’t think that most people realize the enormous implications this man’s decision has on the ability of the faschist administration’s ability to wage war.
If he is allowed to say “the Emperor is naked”, the game’s over.