by Sandy Mayes

The US military will have to think twice before it ever again tries to use Olympia, WA as a launching point for war.

For 13 unforgettable days in November, people in this small community engaged in a courageous and spirited campaign of resistance to the war in Iraq. Sixty-six arrests were made and untold numbers were assaulted by police during a campaign which made national and international news. Day after day, and night after night, people put their lives on hold and their bodies on the line to prevent movement of military equipment from the Port of Olympia to nearby Fort Lewis.

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)

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 Wally Cuddeford

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, sexual assault survivor Suzanne Swift appeared before a hastily assembled court-martial. She was charged with going Absent Without Leave from her unit at Fort Lewis, on the eve of their deployment to Iraq. Swift's court-martial wasn't going to happen until January, but it was hastened when she agreed to make a deal with the military. The terms of Suzanne Swift's deal are as follows:

Swift will spend up to 30 days in the brig.

She has agreed to stay in the military until January of 2009.

She has been reduced in rank from Specialist to Private.

Spc. Suzanne Swift takes on the enablers of sexual assault in the military.

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 Janet Blanding

Suzanne Swift, a victim of rape and sexual harassment by her superior officers, is being forced to continue military service against her will as the army drags its heels over investigating her complaints. A group of Olympians refuse to tolerate this institutionalized abuse. They have formed an organization called the Swift Action Network and are engaged in actions to bring this issue to public attention and force the military to deal with it swiftly and openly.

Camp Suzanne demonstrators make their demands clear outside of Fort Lewis at the Exit 119 overpass above I-5. Photo by Jeff Paterson.

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.

by Kevin Benderman

On 28 July, a US court-martial sentenced Sergeant Kevin Benderman to 15 months' imprisonment, after he refused to return for a second tour of duty with the US army in Iraq. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his conscientious objection to the war in Iraq. Benderman is currently encarcerated at the Regional Correction Facility at Fort Lewis.

From left to right: Conscientious objectors Aidan Delgado, Kevin Benderman, and Camilo Mejía on the day of Benderman's court martial, 29 July 2005. (photo by Maritza Mejía)

Vigil for conscientious objector Kevin Benderman on March 25. Vigils are on 4th Saturday of each month, from noon to 2, at Exit 119, the Dupont-Steilacoom Rd overpass next to Fort Lewis. The next vigil scheduled is April 22. (photo by Robert Torre)