Guide Note

Ehren Watada is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was the first commissioned soldier in the Army to refuse deployment to Iraq. In 2006, he refused to be deployed with his unit to serve in the Iraq War. Watada contends that the United States' invasion of Iraq was illegal, and his involvement in the war would make him party to war crimes. His 2007 court-martial ended in a mistrial,¹ and a second trial was forbidden under Watada's Fifth Amendment rights. The U.S. Army challenges the ruling, and still seeks legal action against Watada.

Fast Facts

Born: 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Holds the rank of First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army
Previous unit: 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division²
Refused deployment to Iraq
Alleges that the Iraq War was started on illegal grounds
Argued that his participation in the war would make him guilty of war crimes
First commissioned soldier in the Army to publicly refuse deployment during the Iraq War
Court-martial trial ends on February 7, 2008 in a mistrial¹
A second trial was deemed unconstitutional on November 8, 2007
Would violate Watada's Fifth Amendment right to be protected against double jeopardy
Trial not delayed permanently³

Categories

News | Politics | Iraq War

View Note History

Ehren Watada Trial

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Ehren Watada
Thank You Lt. Watada: Pre-Trial Motions & Decisions
truthout: The Watada Mistrial: Here's What Really Happened (February 8, 2008)
The Nation: The Press and the Watada Trial (January 23, 2008)
Courage to Resist: Lt. Watada Mistrial Clear Victory... (February 8, 2007)
YouTube Video: A Soldier's Duty? The Ehren Watada Story (Time: 18:24)
YouTube Video: Ehren Watada: a Soldier Refuses an Illegal War (Time: 38:34)

Ehren Watada Trial News

Google News: Ehren Watada Trial
The Honolulu Star Bulletin: Watada’s Latest Appeal Still Pending (February 9, 2008)
- "The Army Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled that Watada, a 1996 Kalani High School graduate, can be court-martialed again, but Watada appealed that decision to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Armed Forces."
The Guardian: Watada Iraq Court Martial Hearing Threatens to Backfire on Bush (January 4, 2008)
- "Lt Watada, the first military officer charged with public dissent since 1965, faces charges of 'missing movement' and 'conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman'. If convicted, he could spend up to six years in prison."
truthout: The Court-martial of Ehren Watada Begins (January 2, 2008)
Army Times: Court Issues Stay in Watada Court-martial (May 21, 2007)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Army Expects to Retry Watada (February 9, 2007)
BBC News: Mistrial in US War Objector Case (February 7, 2007)
ACLU: Lt. Watada to Face Reduced Charges for Political Speech (February 7, 2007)
Common Dreams: War Objector's 'Freedom of Conscience Must Be Respected,' (February 6, 2007)
The Indypendent: A Bellweather Trial: Ehren Watada’s Court-Marshall and the Iraq War (January 10, 2007)

Ehren Watada Trial Blogs and Commentaries

Speaking Freely (Asia Times): Asian American Soldiers of Conscience (February 22, 2008)
The Nation: Will the Watada Mistrial Spark an End to the War? (February 9, 2008)
In Motion Magazine: History Will Vindicate The Courage of Lt. Ehren Watada (April 8, 2007)
truthout: First Officer Announces Refusal to Deploy to Iraq (June 7, 2006)

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