4:22 PM Wed, Jun 07, 2006 | Permalink |
U.S. Army 1st. Lt. Ehren Watada based at Fort Lewis refuses to be deployed to Iraq. He could be court martialed. Penalties range from a dishonorable discharge to 2 years behind bars for refusing a deployment order and up to 5 years for trying to evade service in a combat zone. Yet, the order he chose to obey was the one barring him from attending the news conference announcing his refusal. Can't do that during "working hours," Lt. Watada's superiors said. Instead, the lieutenant's supporters provided reporters with his statement recorded on a DVD, thus controlling to a degree the initial "spin" on this important story.
While Lt. Watada held a press conference in person later in the evening, after his shift, my question is this: If he is courageous enough to take a stand, why did he obey his superiors and stay away from the afternoon press conference? What's going to a news conference compared to refusing to go to Iraq?
I agree with you. There are alot of soldiers that don't want to go to Iraq but they do cuz that is what they signed up to do. Protect our country. The LT. says he won't go to Iraq but when they tell him he can't go to do a interview why is it he obeys that order.
I think they should lock him up and throw away the key. No one wants this war. He volunteered and he has a duty to go.
He says that refusing to deploy is disobeying an illegal order. How would leaving post to have a press conference be disobeying an illegal order? Viewed another way: his order to be on post during work hours is not illegal. He's being consistent. (wrong, I think, but consistent)
No military person has ever been convicted of any crime for following orders from his/her superiors. But, he can be locked up for treason.
(thus controlling to a degree the initial "spin" on this important story.)
Don, your above "spin" that this story has any importance at all betrays a certain level of bias in your reporting, as if we should expect any of you in the media to be unbiased as it is.
Watada is a disgrace to Japanese Americans who have done far more than him. This guy is a professional victim idiot who backstabbed his troops. Lucky George Patton is dead or Watada would be shot for cowardice.
he's not going to Iraq for me.
not in my name!
kick him out of the military but let him remain free.
this war is stupid
This guy is a first lt. Of all soldiers in the service he should know the responsibility of obeying orders. He is a volunteer, not a conscript. He has been through OCS. He has taken an oath of enlistment. He also has taken an oath of duty. How do I know? I too served my country. This man is a disgrace to not only our country, but the very uniform he wheres! He also endangered the very subordinates that where assigned under his care and responsibility in a combat zone. Another words, their lives did'nt mean sqwat, but his did. That attitude may work well in the civilian world, but not in the military one. Yes, he should be court martialed, dishonorably discharged, and serve hard time. Afterwords, kick his ass out of our country.
(he's not going to Iraq for me.
not in my name!
kick him out of the military but let him remain free.
this war is stupid)
Dan: This idiot isn't me. Poor worthless liberal cowared, you don't have the balls of a chimp to tell us who you really are do you?
Mr. Porter, I do not understand your rationale. There is a "big difference" between following an order that is within the legal requirements of one's job, i.e., not taking time from work to attend a press conference and standing up for ones objection to what he considers an illegal act of war. Lt. Ehren Watada is well within his rights to question the legitimacy of the War in Iraq. If some feel his actions jepardize the lives of other soldiers because they may also question the legitimacy, then so be it. Perhaps there is something rotten about the grounds for this war.
Nanette,
According to your logic, then every US military member who has been, is currently, and will be going to Iraq is a criminal. Just because the LT thinks that his second time around in the war is illegal, does not make it an illegal war. He may be within his rights to question the war, but he is not within his rights to disobey a lawful order from his Commander in Chief. The man needs to face his punishment and quit his whinning.
Thank you US Army Lt Ehren Watada for refusing to fight an illegal war.
For the record I do not know nor am I related the that stupid corward Lt Watada. I feel shamed to have a person (and his family) disgrace my race. I fought in Nam, but did not think it a just war. My commander said go and I said Yes Sir! I love this country and would do it all over again. I am proud to be an American!!
Nanette,
Just Exactly what is wrong with you and oter people like you??? You have never been in the military. One can feel any way one wants to in the military, but he/she better, by God, obey the orders of their superrior officers or pay the price. There is absolutely no room for this crap in the ranks of our military system. The sooner you learn that, the better off we all will be. Period!!!!
You anti-bush, anti-war, anti-justice, anti-military people better wake up and smell the coffee of start weraing a turban on your heads. I am absolutely sick and tired of all the people in this country sticking up for the enemy and the wrong doers our government is faced with every day, while you all sit here in your cushy, air conditioned little comfort zones and bitch about the people that are out there fighting and dying tring to make things right for you. You piss me off!!!!
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Finally this non-lieutenant poser is on trial. I think they should strip his citizenship and send him to live in North Korea with that elderly soon to be dead idiot who ran from the US Army in the 1960's, they'd be great company!
(Thank you US Army Lt Ehren Watada for refusing to fight an illegal war.)
There's another idiot for North Korea.