by Colonel (Retired) Ann Wright

Courage is not only shown on the battlefield by military personnel. It takes guts and courage for a soldier to refuse to deploy to Iraq with his unit because he believes the war is illegal. Very few in our country resign from their careers, much less risk imprisonment, on a point of principle and conscience.

Retired Army colonel and State Department diplomat Ann Wright demonstrates outside of Fort Lewis at the start of Lt. Watada's court martial on February 5. (Photo by Jeff Paterson)

by Jeff Paterson

In the Army court martial of First Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada, the first officer to publicly refuse to fight in Iraq, military judge Lieutenant Colonel John Head orchestrated a legal mulligan. The prosecution had just rested a poorly argued case before the jurors. This "do over" proclamation appeared to offer the government a chance to get their act together and try again in the spring. However, given the likelihood that the entire case against Lt. Watada will eventually be dismissed due to the constitutional protection against double jeopardy, the question is why?

Navy veteran Wally Cuddeford and Iraq war veteran Tina Bean march with 2000 other Watada supporters to the gates of Fort Lewis.

The crowd of Watada supporters stretched from Lafrati Park in DuPont, over the Exit 119 overpass above I-5, and up to the gates of Fort Lewis. (Photo by Sasha Crow)

To Key Organizers,

Thank you for the skills, expertise, and tremendous sacrifice that you invested in the mobilization of support for my case and that of all war resisters. I ask you to please remain focused and committed until the Army realizes it has indeed lost this fight. Make no mistake, the Army can choose to lose small by immediately granting my resignation; or they can lose big when they are forced to drop all charges due to double jeopardy, promote me to Captain, and grant me an honorable discharge anyway. Even in the off-chance that they succeed in re-trying me, public opposition to . . .

Darrell Anderson of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) -- Portland, and Chanan Suarez-Diaz of IVAW -- Seattle outside of Fort Lewis, at the rally in support of Lt. Ehren Watada on the first day of his court martial. (Photo by Sasha Crow)

by Janine Gates

"I swore no oath to the Commander-in-Chief, but to the Constitution," said Lt. Ehren Watada, a Fort Lewis, Washington commissioned officer, who is facing court-martial and a possible four year prison sentence for refusing to go to Iraq.

Watada spoke before a crowd of several hundred in Olympia at South Puget Sound Community College Wednesday night. Most were sympathetic with his cause and interrupted Lt. Watada several times, often with a standing ovation, during his nearly two hour speech.

Feb 2007 WIP cover. Photo by Jeff Paterson/Courage to Resist ( http://www.couragetoresist.org ).

Tacoma--In an unprecedented two-day Citizens' Hearing held over the weekend, more than 600 citizens joined a distinguished tribunal panel in listening to testimony about the legality of the US invasion of Iraq.

The Hearing was convened to present evidence that Lt. Ehren Watada would have presented in his February 5 court martial on the question that the military ruled barred from entry last week -- the question of the Iraq War's legality.

by Jeff Paterson

After surrendering earlier this week on subpoenas intended to force journalists to testify against Lt. Ehren Watada for his critical statements of President Bush and the Iraq War, the Army today dismissed subpoenas targeting three anti-war activists as well.

In December Olympia, Washington anti-war activist Phan Nguyen, and Veterans for Peace (VFP) Seattle Chapter organizers Tom Brookhart and Gerri Haynes were placed under order by the US Army to appear for the prosecution in the case of US v. Watada.

Activists were under order to help prosecute public speech

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.

Lt. Ehren Watada takes on the illegal war in Iraq. Photo by David Belisle.

by Mike Ferner

Reporting from the Veterans For Peace convention in Seattle in August, Dahr Jamail reprinted a speech by Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned US Army officer to publicly refuse orders to Iraq, who stated on June 22, "As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must refuse that order."

In his speech to the VFP members, Watada laid down the most critical challenge to the anti-war movement yet: Will we show soldiers that if they quit fighting this insane, criminal war and go to jail that we will provide for their families as long as necessary?

VFP Convention: Lt. Ehren Watada was joined at the podium by over 50 members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Photo by Jeff Paterson / http://www.ThankYouLt.org

Support Lt. Watada as he Faces Pre-Trial Hearing

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.

Lt. Watada with Phoebe Jones (left) and Selma James (right) of the Global Women's Strike on June 21.

(photo by Jeff Paterson)

Fort Lewis, Washington - U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada reported to duty at 2:00 a.m., Thursday, June 22, and refused orders to move to the adjacent McChord Air Force Base to prepare to fly to Iraq. Lt. Watada believes that the war and occupation in Iraq are illegal, and thus participation in the war is also illegal. At this time he has been restricted to base and has been ordered to have no communication with non-military personnel.

June 24, 2006 -- Vigil in support of Lt. Ehren Watada on freeway overpass near Ft. Lewis. Photo by Carrie Lybecker

(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.