1st Lt Court Marital for refusing to go to Iraq, interesting defense - Page 2

RMNIXON · 02-07-2007, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Just read the article. This story is a couple years old. Watada has been protesting for a while. I believe he joined the military after the Iraq invasion and then protested deployment.

Ehren Watada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He joined the US Army after the war in Iraq began, stating that after 9/11 he was motivated "out of a desire to protect our country."

He's a protester, nothing more.

I wonder if he planned this stunt? And if he did without thought of the legal consequences?

7960 · 02-08-2007, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

I wonder if he planned this stunt? And if he did without thought of the legal consequences?

From what I remember reading at the time yes, it was a stunt. We went to iraq, then he joined, then he was told he was going to iraq (duh), then he started protesting. There's no way he could have joined and NOT known he was going to iraq.

Thorgrim · 02-10-2007, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

you have no right to say no to any location assignment in the military. Secondly no one ordered me to "war" I was deployed to Iraq.

uh, yea you can...if the congress declares that no troops shall be sent to Cuba, and then the president sends troops to cuba, its automatically unconstitutional and if you go anyway you should be imprisoned afterwards for violating your oath to the constitution

you're not an officer, they have higher oaths than men

RMNIXON · 02-10-2007, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

From what I remember reading at the time yes, it was a stunt. We went to iraq, then he joined, then he was told he was going to iraq (duh), then he started protesting. There's no way he could have joined and NOT known he was going to iraq.

It reminds me of that woman who lectured at various california colleges about racism and tolerance, ect........and got caught spray painting anti-semitic Nazi slogans on her own car so she could play victim. A total set up for the media. What an asshole!

tbone · 02-12-2007, 09:30 AM

WOW

A military judge in Fort Lewis, Washington, has declared a mistrial in the court-martial of Lieut. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer prosecuted for refusing to go to Iraq. A new trial is believed to be unlikely before summer, if at all. The mistrial represents a significant victory for Watada, for the rights of military resisters and for the movement of civil resistance to US war crimes in Iraq.

Will Watada mistrial end war?

7960 · 02-12-2007, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by tbone

WOW

Will Watada mistrial end war?

The judge fucked up, plain and simple. They're going to spin it as a "win" and say he "won" because the war is illegal and unjust, but that's all it is.........spin.

The judge fucked up by omitting too much of watada's "defense." He should be retried.

tbone · 02-12-2007, 03:02 PM

Yeah, he will definately be retried, but still, this is a huge deal and bolsters his supporters.

7960 · 02-12-2007, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by tbone

Yeah, he will definately be retried, but still, this is a huge deal and bolsters his supporters.

It's a procedural error by the judge... it will increase his support becuase he's going to SAY there was a mistrial because he's right, but in reality he was wrong, he is wrong, he will be wrong, and if he's tried again and if the judge doesn't make procedural errors then he'll lose.

motivez · 02-12-2007, 03:55 PM

I don't know how I feel about this.

Kytro · 02-12-2007, 06:54 PM

Interesting, seems the judge and prosecution shot themselves in the foot in trying to side-step the political stunt.

The problem of course they can't really do that, the stunt is why they are putting him on trial.

motivez · 02-14-2007, 06:51 PM

Let me ask you guys a question:

When (in your mind) does it become unacceptable for a soldier to claim conscientious objector status?

kinggovernor · 02-14-2007, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Let me ask you guys a question:

When (in your mind) does it become unacceptable for a soldier to claim conscientious objector status?

he is not claiming conscientious objector status. They should file for conscientious objector status before signing up

Diesel66 · 02-14-2007, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Let me ask you guys a question:

When (in your mind) does it become unacceptable for a soldier to claim conscientious objector status?

Conscientious objector status doesnt keep you from going to war. He just refuses to deploy.

Diamond Cross · 02-14-2007, 09:53 PM

I feel a soldier should register as a conscientious objector as soon as he joins, and not after. To me any point in time is unacceptable.

I can understand the fear and anxiety, but you joined up to be a soldier, and it is a soldier's job to kill people and break things.