(Photo:David Belisle)

Soldier says no to Bush's illegal war....

US Army Lieutenant Ehren Watada, after serving a tour of duty in South Korea, has refused orders to deploy to Iraq on grounds that to do so would make him culpable of war crimes in an illegal and unjust war.

...In one clip, shot at a recent Veterans for Peace conference in Seattle, Watada is seen explaining what he hopes to accomplish. "Today I speak with you about a radical idea," he says. "The idea is this: that to stop an illegal and unjust war, the soldiers and service members can choose to stop fighting it."[emphasis mine]

Watada is now facing prosecution for one count of missing movement, two counts of contempt toward officials, and three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer—offenses which, if he is convicted, could put him behind bars in a military prison for seven years.

The clip above, however, was used by prosecutors, not the defense, to emphasize how dangerous it would be to military morale and discipline if Watada's example were followed by other soldiers.

If only that danger were imminent! No one seems to be following Watada’s brave example: he is the sole American officer so far to refuse duty in Iraq.

Imagine. Despite President Bush lying about weapons of mass destruction to invade a country which posed no threat; the alleged use of American-made cluster bombs in civilian areas; torture of prisoners by US personnel in Abu Ghraib and elsewhere; and reported rapes and murders by U.S. soldiers, Lieutenant Ehren Watada is the sole officer refusing to serve in Iraq.

What sad testimony to the effectiveness of nationalistic brainwashing.

By refusing to settle out of court, the US military has prompted Watada's defense team to place the war itself on trial, something the US government may come to regret as evidence to the war's illegality mounts.

Good luck and best wishes to Lieutenant Watada.

Complete story here.