On August 17, U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada will face a pre-trial hearing for refusing to deploy to Iraq. “It is my conclusion as an officer of the armed forces that the war in Iraq is not only morally wrong but a horrible breach of American law. The war and what we’re doing over there is illegal,” explained the first military officer to publicly take such a stand.
As supporters internationally gear up for the “National Day of Education” on Aug 16 to ask the question “Is the Iraq War Illegal?,” support from Iraq combat veterans continues to mount for Lt. Ehren Watada
Below are just a few statements of support from the many that the “Friends and Family of Lt. Watada” have received.
Take from the Action Alert at Thank you Lt dot org
Snippets from Action Alert Email on how to support the men and women in uniform from having to engage in an illegal occupation via… Courage to Resist
Below are just a few statements of support from the many that the “Friends and Family of Lt. Watada” have received.
Cloy Richards, US Marine Iraq War infantry/artillery
“Lt. Watada, along with every other service member who has the courage to stand up and say no to this illegal war are MY WAR HEROES. Thank you Lt. Watada for standing up for me and every veteran. I admire your courage and patriotism. I wish I was brave enough to stand up and say no when it really counted. Instead I said OK and went along with the lies I was told.”
Clifton Hicks, US Army Iraq War tanker
“You’ve done something to be proud of man, you’re setting an excellent example for every soldier in the armed forces. History will prove that you were right.”
Chad Hetman, Captain, US Army infantry
“Hopefully this officer will set an example for other officers to follow…This is what courage and ethics looks like.”
Garett Reppenhagen, US Army Iraq War sniper
“Thank you Lt. Watada. I was a sniper in the 1st Infantry Division and spent one year at FOB Scunion in Baquaba Iraq. I went to war believing that I had an obligation to my country because I signed a contract and gave an oath that I would be the weapon of my democracy. After my experience in combat I firmly believe that, that social contract has been broken.”
Howard Zinn
Lt. Watada and anyone else who refuses to fight in this immoral and illegal war in Iraq deserves the support of all who believe in peace, justice, democracy. As a former officer in the military I know how difficult it is to break away from the mindset of viiolence, war, and obedience, so I applaud his courage.
Veterans For Peace
Veterans For Peace applauds First Lieutenant Watada’s courage to follow his convictions and refuse deployment to Iraq.
Veterans For Peace Executive Director Michael McPhearson states, “The Bush administration continues to put our nation’s service members in harms way for no good reason. Today our troops face the long shadows of Abu Ghraib and now Haditha…
“I understand that many of our troops believe the U.S. occupation to be just and must follow their conscience. Other soldiers, while they do not believe in the war, feel obligated to follow the orders of their leaders or fear the consequences of resisting. However, more and more men and women are coming to the realization that they have the right to follow their conscience to resist this immoral war and are willing to face whatever consequences lay ahead. As a leader and officer, 1LT Watada has an obligation to steward the physical, mental and moral health of his troops. I imagine it has become clear to the LT that his duty to them can not be served by leading them in an endeavor based on deceit and half truths. Veterans For Peace supports the courage of this young man and other service members like him.”
For more information about 1LT Watada, please visit www.thankyoult.org . For more information about VFP, please visit www.veteransforpeace.org .
Veterans For Peace is a national organization founded in 1985. It is structured around a national office in Saint Louis, MO and comprised of members across the country organized in chapters or as at-large members. The organization includes men and women veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, other conflicts and peacetime veterans. Our collective experience tells us wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent. Thus, other means of problem solving are necessary.
Read more statements of support here
Five years in prison for speech?
The Army has formally charged Lt. Watada two counts of making “contemptuous words” towards President Bush. In short, Lt. Watada has expressed his opinion that “our government led us into war based on misrepresentations and lies.” This is the first known prosecution of this “criminal violation” (Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice) since 1965. Could it be that because this opinion is so widely shared, that it is so threatening?
The Army charges that these same words also constitute “conduct unbecoming and officer and a gentleman.” As such, Lt. Watada now faces over five years in military prison for his opinions alone.
It is Lt. Watada’s outspoken stand for truth that has most angered Army brass. Even before he refused to board an Iraq-bound aircraft on June 22 with the 3rd Stryker Brigade, he was already under investigation for expressing his opinions about the war.
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Of course not everyone supports Lt. Watada…
Free Speech Threatned in New Haven, CT by Marine with a Bat
“Activists in New Haven, CT were confronted with a bat-wielding Marine as they expressed their support for war resisters in conjunction with nationwide actions in support of Lt. Ehren Watada in late June.’ AP
I’ve seen this hatred myself. They call Watada horrible names while they spit on the people trying to stop this needless killing, death and violence.
Snippet from Watada, the War and the Law
“Under military law, soldiers have the right to refuse to carry out illegal orders; in fact, they have a duty not to commit war crimes. According to Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Watada retains the right to a preliminary hearing to “present anything he may desire in his own behalf, either in defense or mitigation.” Under Article 46 defendants are allowed at trial to “compel witnesses to appear and testify and to compel the production of other evidence.”