Ehren Watada

Ehren Watada (born 1978) is a First Lieutenant in the United States Army, a member of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who in June 2006 publicly refused to deploy to the war in Iraq saying that he believed the war to be illegal and that it would make him party to war crimes.

He was the first commissioned officer in the U.S. armed forces to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq. On February 5, 2007, Watada faced a court-martial. On February 8, 2007, over the objections of the defense, the judge declared a mistrial, saying that Watada "did not fully understand a document he signed admitting to elements of the charges." 

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Defend The Press
 * Sarah Olson
 * U.S. Military Code of Conduct
 * War in Iraq

General

 * "Ehren Watada", Wikipedia.
 * DA Form 458 Charge Sheet posted by The Seattle Times.
 * Ehren Watada File, ACLU of Washington.

Websites

 * Courage to Resist.org.
 * Thankyou Lt.org.

By Lt. Ehren Watada

 * "Lt. Ehren Watada's Speech at the Veterans for Peace National Convention" with commentary by Dahr Jamail, truthout, August 14, 2006.

Articles by Sarah Olson about Lt. Watada

 * Interview: "First Officer Announces Refusal to Deploy to Iraq," truthout, June 7, 2006.
 * Report: "First Officer Publicly Resisting War Gains National Support," truthout, June 8, 2006.
 * "The Courage to Resist: A US Lieutenant Refuses Deployment to Iraq," Left Turn, June 8, 2006.
 * Perspective: "When Soldiers Refuse to Fight: Is the US Army Trying to Silence Lt. Watada?" truthout, June 14, 2006.
 * Report: "Lieutenant Watada Refused Iraq Deployment Orders Today," truthout, June 22, 2006.
 * Interview with Lt. Watada: "Dissenters or Deserters?" Making Contact/National Radio Project, July 12, 2006.
 * Report: "Iraq War Vets' Support for Lt. Watada Growing," truthout, August 16, 2006; AlterNet, August 17, 2006: "A growing number of Iraq war combat vets are resisting orders, going to jail, or going AWOL -- and they want to talk about why."
 * "Lieutenant Watada Should Be Prosecuted, Article 32 Hearing Finds," truthout, August 25, 2006.
 * "Lieutenant Watada Faces New Charges," truthout, September 18, 2006.

Articles by Gregg K. Kakesako about Lt. Watada

 * "Watada could face prison and discharge for defiance. Refusing to report for Iraq could elicit a court-martial," Honolulu Star Bulletin, June 8, 2006.
 * "Watada court-martial backed. An Army officer rejects beliefs that Bush's acts were illegal and that the war is immoral," Honolulu Star Bulletin, August 25, 2006.

Articles by Dahr Jamail about Lt. Watada

 * "Ehren Watada," truthout, August 14, 2006.
 * "Democracy Now! Interview: U.S. Army Tries to Force Sarah Olson and Dahr Jamail to Testify Against Ehren Watada," Atlantic Free Press, January 4, 2007.
 * Dahr Jamail, "Lt. Ehren Watada: court-martial for refusing to fight in Iraq," GlobalResearch.ca, January 28, 2007.

2006

 * Hal Bernton, "Officer at Fort Lewis calls Iraq war illegal, refuses order to go," The Seattle Times, June 7, 2006.
 * Christian Hill, "Officer goes public against war in Iraq, deployment," The Olympian, June 8, 2006. See video: "Stryker soldier explains why he'll refuse orders to deploy to Iraq."
 * Jaime Jansen, "US Army officer publicly refuses 'unlawful' Iraq deployment," Jurist, June 8, 2006.
 * "Army Lieutenant Becomes First Commissioned Officer to Refuse Deployment to Iraq," Democracy Now!, June 8, 2006.
 * Brad Wong, "Soldier's Iraq war stance backed: Watada has right to refuse to go, retired officer says", Seattle Post Intelligencer, June 20, 2006.
 * Mike Barber, "Unit gets ready for Iraq -- without Watada. War resister makes good on promise," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 23, 2006.
 * Jeremy Brecher and Brendan Smith, "Lieutenant Watada's War Against the War," The Nation, June 26, 2006.
 * Hal Bernton, "Army charges lieutenant who wouldn't go to Iraq," The Seattle Times, July 6, 2006.
 * Katherine Tam, "Fort Lewis soldier charged," The Olympian, July 6, 2006.
 * Jaime Jansen, "US Army officer charged for refusing deployment to 'unlawful' Iraq war," Jurist, July 6, 2006.
 * John Kifner and Timothy Egan, "Officer Faces Court-Martial for Refusing to Deploy to Iraq," New York Times (Common Dreams), July 23, 2006.
 * Michael Gilbert, "Witnesses say Watada would have committed war crime by deploying to Iraq," (cache), The News Tribune, August 17, 2006.
 * Eli Sanders, "Putting the Iraq War on Trial," TIME/CNN, August 18, 2006.
 * Jeannie Shawl, "US Army officer to recommend court-martial for Iraq war objector," Jurist, August 25, 2006.
 * "Officer Wants Trial for War Objector," KFMB.com/CBS News 8, August 25, 2006.
 * "Army officer recommending trial for Watada. Iraq war resister faces 3 charges; report likely today," Associated Press (The Seattle Times), August 25, 2006.
 * Christian Hill, "Court-martial recommended for Watada," The Olympian, August 26, 2006.
 * Greg Small, "Inouye agrees with court-martial for Watada. The senator says he is not 'too happy' with the Army officer," Associated Pres (Honolulu Star Bulletin), August 27, 2006.
 * Sean Barry, "Military Officer’s Refusal to Serve in Iraq May Gain City’s Support," The Daily Californian, August 29, 2006.
 * Charles Burress, "Officer's Refusal of Iraq Deployment Divides the Japanese American Community: The Case of Lt. Watada," ZNet, September 17, 2006.
 * Gabriel Haboubi, "US Army lieutenant to be court-martialed for protesting Iraq war," Jurist, November 9, 2006.
 * Teresa Watanabe, "Watada reaffirms stance as he faces court-martial," The Honolulu Advertiser, November 12, 2006.
 * Robert Shikina, "Watada court-martial set for Feb. 5: A forum supporting the Army lieutenant is held at UH-Manoa", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, November 20, 2006.
 * "Lt. Watada To Speak About Refusal To Deploy," KITV Honolulu/The Hawaii Channel, December 19, 2006.
 * "Soldier Explains Reason For Refusing Deployment To Hawaii Crowd. Watada Faces Court-Martial Next Month," KITV Honolulu/The Hawaii Channel, December 20, 2006.
 * Leila Fujimori, "Watada states his case in Moiliili. Standing ovations greet a soldier facing a court-martial for refusing to go to Iraq," Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 20, 2006.
 * "U.S. army officer who refused to deploy to Iraq rallies support in Hawaii before his military trial," Associated Press (International Herald Tribune posted by Refusing to Kill.net), December 20, 2006.

2007

 * Jason Leopold, "The Court-Martial of Ehren Watada Begins," truthout, January 2, 2007.
 * "Watada lawyer: Army trying to stifle his defense," Associated Press (The Olympian), January 3, 2007.
 * Hal Bernton, "Soldier's lawyers seek OK to put Iraq war on trial," The Seattle Times, January 4, 2007.
 * Christian Hill, "Iraq War resister's court-martial turns on pretrial hearing today. Ehren Watada's defense argument faces crucial test," The Olympian, January 4, 2007.
 * Jeff Paterson, "Lt. Watada military hearing tackles free speech for soldiers, relevancy of truth. Journalists and anti-war activists subpoenaed for Army prosecution," Not in Our Name, January 6, 2007.
 * Aaron Glantz, "More Subpoenas Come Down in Watada Case," Inter Press Service (Electronic Iraq), January 9, 2007.
 * Jeanine Plant, "Putting the War in Iraq on Trial?" Wire Tap Magazine, January 9, 2007: "By focusing on the political comments about the illegality of the war made by Lt. Watada -- rather than his refusal to deploy -- the prosecutors of the 28-year-old officer might force the indictment of the war itself."
 * Editorial: "The case against Lt. Ehren Watada," The Seattle Times, January 9, 2007.
 * Ben Hamamoto, "As Watada Pretrial Begins, Local Nikkei Activists Arrested," Nichi Bei Times, January 11, 2007.
 * Paul Nyhan, "Public inaction dismays Watada. Officer faces court-martial for refusing Iraq deployment," Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Common Dreams), January 13, 2007.
 * Joshua Pantesco, "US Army officer barred from disputing legality of Iraq war at court-martial," Jurist, January 17, 2007.
 * "Interview a Soldier, Go to Jail," PRWatch.org, January 17, 2007.
 * Ken Mochizuki, "Lt. Watada explains his risky stand in extensive interview," International Examiner (New America Media), January 17 - February 6, 2007.
 * "Watada cannot use 'illegal war' defense," Associated Press (Honolulu Star Bulletin), January 18, 2007.
 * Teresa Watanabe, "Officer facing court-martial denounces war," Los Angeles Times, January 18, 2007.
 * Bob Egelko, "Judge lets charges against Army officer stand. Trial to proceed on refusal to deploy, criticism of Bush," San Francisco Chronicle, January 18, 2007.
 * "Citizens' Hearing on the Legality of U.S. Actions in Iraq: The Case of Lt. Ehren Watada," Tacoma, Washington, January 20-21, 2007 (WarTribunal.org).
 * Editorial Board, "An Army lieutenant's unbecoming conduct," Austin American-Statesman, January 22, 2007.
 * "Lt. Ehren Watada Faces Court Martial for Refusing to Serve in Iraq," Democracy Now!, January 23, 2007.
 * Marc Cooper, "The Press and the Watada Trial," The Nation, January 23, 2007.
 * Zbignew Zingh, "The People Lead When Their Leader's Freeze. A Report on the Citizen's Hearing on the War in Iraq," Dissident Voice, January 23, 2007.
 * Dave Collins, Opinion: "Military judge applied double standard," Vietnam Veterans Against the War published in Austin American-Statesman, January 23, 2007.
 * Matt Hutaff, "Ehren Watada Is a Patriot," The Simon (CA), January 23, 2007.
 * War-Tribunal, "Veterans, Military Families, Community Leaders Deliberate on Two Days of Testimony Charging that the Iraq War is Illegal: Citizens' Panel to Announce Findings Before Watada Court Martial," ZNet, January 24, 2007.
 * Jim Warren, "War protest calls deserter, mom to action. 'We felt like we were needed'," Lexington Herald-Leader (KY), January 24, 2007.
 * Bobbie Morgan, Guest Editorial: "One young hero versus the mighty military," Bainbridge Buzz (WA), January 24, 2007.
 * "Conduct Unbecoming," ToTheCenter.com, January 24, 2007.
 * "Watada Agreement Means Journos Won't Have to Testify in 'Antiwar' Case," Editor & Publisher, January 29, 2007.
 * Hal Bernton, "Army drops 2 charges against officer," The Seattle Times, January 30, 2007.
 * Dean Paton, "Backstory: Dissent of an officer. The first trial of a commissioned officer who refused to deploy to Iraq starts Monday," Christian Science Monitor, February 2, 2007.
 * "Watada lawyer: Double jeopardy will be argued if second trial proceeds," NBC News WBIR.com (Knoxville, TN), February 7, 2007.
 * Bill Simpich, Report: "The Watada Mistrial: Here's What Really Happened," truthout, February 8, 2007.
 * Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, "Watada Follows Military Rules on Dissent. Mistrial declared as Army's case flounders," truthout, February 12, 2007.