Watada pre-trial vigil for supporters

topic : Ehren Watada | Fort Lewis | Iraq occupation

Lieutenant Ehren Watada's pre-trial hearing is set for January 4. Local supporters will hold a vigil on the bridge at Exit 119, I-5 at dawn and dusk.

Watada takes the position that the war in Iraq is illegal, and that the conduct of the war and occupation is directed illegally, from above. At least six generals have spoken out against the direction of the war. The Lieutenant is not alone in expressing concern for the innocent people of Iraq and the lives of US soldiers caught in a bloody civil war. 1,000 soldiers just submitted a petition to Congress resisting service in Iraq.

Speaking as a citizen, Ehren Watada expresses widely held concerns: "We have all seen this war tear apart our country over the past three years. It seems as though nothing we've done, from vigils to protests to letters to Congress, have had any effect in persuading the powers that be."

He further states, "I did not choose to be a leader for popularity. I did it to serve and make better the soldiers of this country. And I swore to carry out this charge honorably under the rule of law."

Lt. Watada's thinking echoes the Nuremburg trials. One of the principles defined at Nuremburg states it is an inadequate defense of war crimes to argue that one was only following orders.

Ehren exercises his rights as a thoughtful, reflective American and US Army officer.

Two statements summarize Watada's concerns:

"Widespread torture and inhumane treatment of detainees is a war crime. A war of aggression born through an unofficial policy of prevention is a crime against the peace. An occupation violating the very essence of international humanitarian law and sovereignty is a crime against humanity."

His conclusion is cause for our own reflection: "Should citizens choose to remain silent through . . . ignorance or choice, it makes them as culpable as the soldier in these crimes."

We are indeed in this together, with results of our actions affecting millions in the Middle East, and here, disastrously; for generations to come.