Thank you Lt. Watada, for being the first officer to resist the Iraq war!

[Tom Joad]

"I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart,
while the President tells us to "stay the course." . . . I refuse to be
party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to
deserve our aggression. I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But the
best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and
destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all soldiers
can come home." First Lieutenant Ehren Watada

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 7th U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada will become the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to the unlawful Iraq war and occupation. He will announce his intention to disobey the illegal order to deploy to Iraq in coordinated press conferences in Tacoma, Washington and Honolulu, Hawaii.
Wednesday, June 7th
Tacoma, Washington at 12pm noon & Honolulu, Hawaii at 11am

Veterans, religious leaders, military families, students, faculty, peace and justice organizations and community members will announce a national public campaign of support for Lieutenant Watada.


Please do all you can to support this fine young man. Already, even today's release of Ehren's name the word has begun to spread of this man's courage, and there has been an outpouring of support for Ehren's principled stand. We have already collected nearly one thousand signatures. We need thousands more. We need to mobilize everyone we can to stand with Ehren, and all those military resisters who say no to this war. We did this with Sgt. Benderman, we can do it again with Lt. Watada. More than anything, we need to see Ehren as an example to follow, because military or civilian, we need to take risks to stop this illegal and immoral war.

See also.
Story in Honolulu Newspaper.
List of military resisters. tomjoad.org
Courage to Resist.
Don't forget to sign up for further news.
http://www.thankyoult.org/

May this serve as a bright and shining example for thousands in the military, and millions of Americans. There is an alternative, we can say no to endless war. We can say YES to the possibility of a better world!

[Karenina]

1. "Ehren" is the German verb for

HONOR.

[Guaranteed]

3. Wow. He's deserving. nt

[AlamoDemoc]

2. K & R

[Jane Austin]

4. I wonder if any Generals will resign rather than go into battle without

the Geneva Conventions?

JF

[JuniperLea]

6. Good call!

No body armor, no health care when injured... and now no Geneva Conventions? This is beyond sick... beyond brutal... beyond torturous to the soldiers and their families.

This might just jar something loose...

[Jane Austin]

24. I'm praying it does.

I can't imagine sending my troops into battle without the Geneva Conventions.

[JuniperLea]

5. K & R!

All it takes is one... if you stand in a crowd and look up, one by one everyone else will look up to see what you see.

I pray this gives others the guts to stand for what is right!!!

Grabbing the phone, sending emails... get the word out!

[babylonsister]

7. I'm impressed! I hope he starts a groundswell! nt

[me b zola]

8. I stand with Lt. Watada

:patriot:











K&R

[AnOhioan]

9. Lt. Watada........

An example of what our armed forces SHOULD be. A true patriot.

[Exultant Democracy]

10. K&R everyone please say thank you

[Philosoraptor]

11. Of course the war pigs will call him many rotten names.

Coward, deserter, sissy, traitor, terrorist, etc., but in reality the man is a hero with huge cajones and the power of his own convictions.

I admire him.

[shadowknows69]

22. and he'll probably go to prison

n/t

[Gregorian]

12. Absolutely. He sets the example of a true patriot.

Don't just do it. Think first.

[EFerrari]

13. Thanks for the heads up. We have to support this courageous man.

:kick:

[NightOwwl]

14. This is what I call true bravery.

Something the Bush cabal has never and will never experience.

[Kickin_Donkey]

15. He's cut from the same cloth as Gen. Shinseki ...

and the Japanese Americans who legally challenged the World War II internment in the courts at the time: Endo, Hirabayashi, Yasui, and Korematsu. And the Heart Mountain draft resisters.

Japanese Americans are raised to think and to have a conscience.

As an American, I'm proud of him; as a fellow Japanese American, he brings tears to my eyes.

[Stargleamer]

63. seems like he might be a yonsei. . .

too young to be a sansei.

[Kickin_Donkey]

64. You got it ...

but since he's a Hawaii boy, he might even be a gosei.

[mike_c]

16. thank you Lt. Watada....

It's about time the officers start refusing. Iraq is a criminal war. :patriot:

[Tom Joad]

17. His father is Bob Watada, a leader in the Democratic Party in Hawaii

We must hope this leads Democrats to take strong and clear stands on the Iraq war.

Maybe MoveOn will even say something about the Iraq War (it seems to be almost missing these days, kind of on the back burner).

[yorkiemommie1]

18. I voted in the poll that is connected to this article

it needs help!

[Piedras]

30. Poll results

I voted in the poll. Here are the results I saw:


What do you think of Watada's actions?
1st Lt. Ehren K. Watada is refusing to serve in Iraq.


What do you think of his actions?


He should be allowed to act on his conscience without penalty.
182

He should be punished and dishonorably discharged.
228

No opinion.
9

votes: 419



Voting ends Friday.

[AllNamesHaveBeenUsed]

59. Most likely, he'll be punished and awarded a dismissal...

That is where I'd put my money. Honestly, if I sat in on his (probable) courts martial, I'd have a difficult time going easy on him. He joined months after the start of the Operation Enduring Freedom and signed a contract giving up the right to determine where he will or will not serve. I do, however, respect him for his courage. This is a decision which will impact the rest of his life. This isn't like throwing one's paper hat down in disgust at McDonald's. His probable dismissal would forever be an albatross around his neck. It would significantly limit his future employment prospects. I wish him well.

[TomInTib]

19. Here is what this combat vet (3 tours) has to say to Lt Watada

Rock on, Man!

Your conscience is the one thing that you will live with forever.

God Bless and Good Luck.

Tom

[shadowknows69]

20. Is the MSM even going to cover this?

it's huge news. If they don't then we know big brother has completely taken over. This good be the tipping point or perhaps the litmus test to see how much of dictatorship we've become. This is an incredibly damaging stand this guy is taking. Does anyone know does this even have precedence in military history?

[Tom Joad]

21. The litmus test is for the anti-war movement. For us.

Can we mobilize thousands of people to support Ehren? Will we organize actions in our local communities? Can we get Democratic politicians to support Ehren? Will they even take a clear stand for withdrawal of troops?
See the home page of MoveOn.org and you will not even see a mention of the Iraq war (and they are not alone). Can we change that?

I think that this will become nearly as big as Cindy's decision to have an emcampment in Texas. This time each one of us must think of ways to do our part.

We will stand and take our own risks to stop this war? We will make our own sacrifices?

As far as your question about military resistance, there was vast military resistance during the Vietnam war (not the first time that has happened, either) on a scale of desertions, refusal to go out on patrols, not to mention tens of thousands of co's and awol gi's.

See the movie
http://www.sirnosir.com/

[niallmac]

23. Seems to me if anything should be in The Greatest list

this is it. I will support this man morally and financially as well as this family is able.
:kick: :kick: :kick:

[proud patriot]

25. K&R

:kick:

[Generic Other]

26. Thanks so much for posting! More from my local paper

Watada could not be reached for comment Tuesday but his Honolulu-based lawyer, Eric Seitz, said Watada tried twice since January to resign his commission after coming to believe the Iraq war is wrong. His requests were denied.

“We held off on any publicity. We didn’t want a confrontation with the Army,” Seitz said. “We tried to work it out.”

Watada enlisted the support of anti-war groups and now a number are backing his effort and soliciting money on his behalf on a web site, www.thankyoult.org. They include the War Resister’s League, Not in Our Name, Veterans for Peace, the Campus Anti-War Network, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the American Friends Service Committee.

On the web site, Watada is quoted as saying, “I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression. I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all soldiers can come home.”

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/updates/story/5795474p-5177741c.html

[tlsmith1963]

50. I Just Get an "Under Construction" Message

When I go to thankyoult.org

Tammy

[Hissyspit]

27. kick

[Greyhound]

28. K & R

:patriot: :kick:

[Kerrytravelers]

29. Signed and left a message.

Thank you. I was raised by a career military man and Vietnam veteran. I was raised understanding true honor and human dignity. You, sir, are the very definition. Thank you.

[StellaBlue]

31. kick

A REAL hero.

[Canuckistanian]

32. Wow, those signatures are filling up fast!

I just signed my name and in about five minutes or so, I had to search back a page to find my name.

[SeattleGirl]

33. I saw this story on the local Seattle news tonight, and thought,

Wow, good for him! Good. For. Him!! And you bet I signed the statement in support of this young man.

[GuvWurld]

34. Dedicated to Conscientious Objectors Everywhere

We Do Not Consent (.pdf)

[Vidar]

35. Bravo Lt. Watada!

[hiley]

36. Lt. Watada is a brave and honorable man!

I support and honor him.

[donheld]

37. Thank you Lt. Watada

Indeed :yourock:

[Tsiyu]

38. Kicking for a real hero

:kick:
The Lt. is a hero

[Ava]

39. K&R

:kick:

[Synnical]

40. K&R

In support of Lt. Watada

[shadowknows69]

41. CNN just reported it

and made a point to say that the quote they read was taken from "a website that is sympathetic to his cause" No you ruthug loving idiots it was fromo a newpaper story doing the job you're supposed to be doing.The story got 1 minute it will sink like a stone today.

[shadowknows69]

42. Still only CNN and CBS even reporting it.

[Tom Joad]

49. That they are reporting this at all at this point is a very good sign

The news conference in Washington is not until noon (twenty minutes from now). If they felt the story was so big that they needed to say something before the news conference, then we know this is going to be big.

[ContraBass Black]

43. What's the current penalty for this?

Is he going to jail?

[Tom Joad]

45. Penalties. I think imprisonment is quite possible, but what

we need to do is build as much pressure as possible to make sure Lt. Watada is honorably discharged, without penalty. We must demand that soldiers have the option of refusing to be used in a war of aggression.

We will be announcing specific actions. For those in the Washington state area, and Hawaii, this will be very important. We will hope for support actions across the country.

Sgt Benderman is currently serving a 15 month sentence.
http://bendermantimeline.com/

[jenmito]

44. THANK YOU!...

I heard this on MSNBC (or was it CNN?) and they said it was from a website sympathetic to his cause. Why couldn't they at least name the website?

[ClayZ]

47. It is www.mfso.org and www.bringthemhomenow.org

"I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to 'stay the course.' ... I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression. I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all soldiers can come home."

We know that the issue of refusing orders is controversial for some of you, but this officer is taking a principled stand against a war that we all oppose, so we wanted to let you know. A website for those who want to support this officer has been set up by Iraq Veterans Against the War and others - it is www.thankyoult.org On the website there is a petition for individuals to sign to show their support. Below is an article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer with more details about this situation.

In Peace and Solidarity,
Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson
for Military Families Speak Out
www.mfso.org
www.bringthemhomenow.org




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1371256

[tlsmith1963]

46. Awesome!

Now *that* is a hero!:thumbsup:

Tammy

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

48. Someone who is NOT "just following orders." A brave man.

I already signed the "Thankyou" petition.

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. K & R - and ANOTHER THREAD on this is on the DU home page:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2666514
thread title (6-7-06): The Courage of Lieutenant Watada

[file83]

52. K & R for the non-violent fight!

:patriot:

[Tom Joad]

53. Important. See this interview of Watada at TruthOut.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/060706A.shtml

Watada: I realized that to go to war, I needed to educate myself in every way possible. Why were we going to this particular war? What were the effects of war? What were the consequences for soldiers coming home? I began reading everything I could.

One of many books I read was James Bamford's Pretext for War. As I read about the level of deception the Bush administration used to initiate and process this war, I was shocked. I became ashamed of wearing the uniform. How can we wear something with such a time-honored tradition, knowing we waged war based on a misrepresentation and lies? It was a betrayal of the trust of the American people. And these lies were a betrayal of the trust of the military and the soldiers.

My mind was in turmoil. Do I follow orders and participate in something that I believed to be wrong? When you join the Army you learn to follow orders without question. Soldiers are apolitical, and you don't voice your opinion out loud.

I started asking, why are we dying? Why are we losing limbs? For what? I listened to the president and his deputies say we were fighting for democracy; we were fighting for a better Iraq. I just started to think about those things. Are those things the real reasons why we are there, the real reasons we were dying? But I felt there was nothing to be done, and this administration was just continually violating the law to serve their purpose, and there was nothing to stop them.

The deciding moment for me was in January of 2006. I had watched clips of military funerals. I saw the photos of these families. The children. The mothers and the fathers as they sat by the grave, or as they came out of the funerals. One really hard picture for me was a little boy leaving his father's funeral. He couldn't face the camera so he is covering his eyes. I felt like I couldn't watch that anymore. I couldn't be silent any more and condone something that I felt was deeply wrong.

[Lisa]

54. and how wonderful that his family supports him!

They clearly raised him to be honorable and courageous.

[dmoded]

55. a man of honor

If we were under attack by the unnamed country there would be a major reason to go and fight, but going to slaughter innocents and simply try to stay alive is not something i'd want to sign up for.

this guy knows what he's doing, all the power to him!

[Achilles_wf]

56. Working on my post count...

Right on brother.

[Karenina]

58. For nothing.

[Critters2]

57. I looked at tomjoad.org

and learned a lot!! I had no idea there were so many military personnel protesting the war!! That is heartening!! After looking at the site, I've done my wee part to be supportive, and will check back often.

Thanks, Lt. Watada for your courage. And thanks, Tom Joad, for the info!!

There is no way to peace--PEACE IS THE WAY!

[zonmoy]

60. Is he really the first one to resist this war or merely the first one that

the main stream media has allowed us to hear about.

[Tom Joad]

62. To our knowledge, he is the first commissioned officer to refuse

deployment to Iraq.

However, what we don't know, if any others may have quietly resigned on that basis. That may have happened, and an officer may have done that without telling anybody. A commissioned officer is allowed to resign, and the military has the option of accepting it. That was the preferred option for Lt. Watada, but the Army refused.
Sgt. Kevin Benderman is a non-commissioned officer who refused.
And there are other GI's who refused.
http://tomjoad.org/WarHeroes.htm

[mainer]

61. I hate to sound superficial, but he's also a damn good looking man

Not that the media cares about that. Oh heavens, no. Since when did TV care about a person's appearance?

[pberq]

65. Interview with Lt. Watada on Democracy Now!

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/08/1418206

[Karenina]

66. Excellent!

Thanx for that link!

[Tom Joad]

67. Full Statement of Ehren Watada.

STATEMENT OF FIRST LT. EHREN WATADA
Wednesday June 7, 2006

Family, Friends, Members of the Religious Community, Members of the Press, and my fellow Americans—thank you for coming today.

My name is Ehren Watada. I am a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army
and I have served for 3 years.

It is my duty as a commissioned officer of the United States Army to speak out against grave injustices. My moral and legal obligation is to the Constitution and not those who would issue unlawful orders. I stand before you today because it is my job to serve and protect those soldiers, the American people, and innocent Iraqis with no voice.

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. Although I have tried to resign out of protest, I am forced to participate in a war that is manifestly illegal. As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honor and integrity refuse that order.

The war in Iraq violates our democratic system of checks and balances. It usurps international treaties and conventions that by virtue of the Constitution become American law. The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army’s own Law of Land Warfare. My participation would make me party to war crimes.

Normally, those in the military have allowed others to speak for them and act on their behalf. That time has come to an end. I have appealed to my commanders to see the larger issues of our actions. But justice has not been forthcoming. My oath of office is to protect and defend America’s
laws and its people. By refusing unlawful orders for an illegal war, I
fulfill that oath today.

Thank you.