Army officer who refused to serve in illegal Iraq war faces court

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/15294590.htm

SEATTLE - An Army officer who refused to serve in Iraq because he believes the war is illegal was steadfast in his resolve ahead of a military court hearing, saying the decision was "my obligation to this country."

1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, of Honolulu, faces a possible court-martial for refusing to deploy to Iraq on June 22 with his Fort Lewis-based unit.

"I made this decision a long time ago," Watada said during a telephone interview. "It is my obligation to this country. I'm not happy about it and I didn't want to do it, but I had to."

A hearing Thursday at Fort Lewis was to determine if he should stand trial. He was charged last month with conduct unbecoming an officer, missing troop movement and contempt toward officials.

His lawyer, Eric Seitz, said he has lined up two witnesses to support the soldier's claim that the war violated domestic and international law: University of Illinois professor Francis Boyle, an international law expert, and Denis Halliday, a former United Nations assistant secretary-general.

[JeffR]

1. Excerpt of Watada's speech to the Veterans for Peace Nat'l Convention

Seattle, August 12.

I have broken no law but the code of silence and unquestioning loyalty. If I am guilty of any crime, it is that I learned too much and cared too deeply for the meaningless loss of my fellow soldiers and my fellow human beings. If I am to be punished it should be for following the rule of law over the immoral orders of one man. If I am to be punished it should be for not acting sooner. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period … was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Now, I'm not a hero. I am a leader of men who said enough is enough. Those who called for war prior to the invasion compared diplomacy with Saddam to the compromises made with Hitler. I say, we compromise now by allowing a government that uses war as the first option instead of the last to act with impunity. Many have said this about the World Trade Towers, "Never Again." I agree. Never again will we allow those who threaten our way of life to reign free - be they terrorists or elected officials. The time to fight back is now - the time to stand up and be counted is today.

I'll end with one more Martin Luther King Jr. quote:

One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

More here:
http://thankyoult.live.radicaldesigns.org/content/view/172/

[meganmonkey]

2. I just read that yesterday -

It is inspiring. Makes me want to join up just so I can refuse to go ;)

What a hero. This man is a humble patriot and I hope hundreds or thousands (or even hundreds of thousands!) follow his lead.

:patriot:

[JeffR]

3. Hey, mm! Agreed on the speech. Inspiring is the word.

Of course, virtually no mention of this case from our vigorous free (mainstream) media...

[Nabia2004]

5. Very impressive - nt

[gratuitous]

4. Anybody else?

One lieutenant willing to live up to the ideals of honor, duty and integrity. Anyone else in the military? We hear a lot of retired personnel, their pensions safely locked up and their deployments no longer an issue stand up. Any other active duty folks willing to look at the same situation as Mr. Watada and draw the same conclusion?

[Rainbowreflect]

6. A true American hero.

Thank you!