The court-martial of First Lieutenant Ehren Watada began today.
As I suspected, his defence team is bound, bent and determined to turn his court-martial into a circus focused on the legality of the war in Iraq.
I wish I could say that I’m surprised, but I’m not. This whole sorry episode has stunk of orchestration from the get-go.
Rather than, you know, actually defending their client, Watada’s “defence” team seems determined to slap a “martyr” brand on his forehead.
The military judge informed Watada and his team that they could not debate the legality of the war in court.
So … the defense presents a laundry list of international and constitutional law experts as defence witnesses. Why law experts? So they can testify as to the legality of the war in Iraq.
*sigh*
The military judge flat out tells the defence that the question of the legality of the war in Iraq can not be answered in a military court.
This led to “heated exchanges” between the judge and the defence team.
Folks, I’ve seen a lot of trials, and when your attorney is arguing with the judge — your future is not so bright. Looks good on the news and to your fans, but I’m here to tell you that the court room belongs to the judge and he isn’t going to lose any arguments in there.
Oh, well. This is what Watada wants. More importantly, it’s what the Anti-War movements needs. They get a martyr to hyperventilate over — and who cares about a Dishonourable Discharge? It’s just the military.
*sigh*
See you in four years, Weaselboy.
LawDog
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I hope he gets put away for a long, long time. He makes me ashamed for all of us, much like Pvt. Green and the idiots in the AG scandal.
I will be an officer in about 18 months, and I will remember this, as a perfect example of what *not* to do.
It’s a shame they can’t bust him down to the ranks. I’d love to see PFC Watada questioning the legality of burning shitters to a surly old first sergeant.
Three people you don’t argue with,
A judge.
A Police Officer.
The guy that fixes the brakes on your ambulance or cruiser.
Pity they won’t hang him for desertion.
i thought they could nix his commision?
While I don’t agree with the Iraq war or the reasons we went there, this guy gets me steamed. Not for disagreeing with the war, but for bailing out on his men right before a deployment. If he’d had any honor, he would have resigned his commission as soon as he had this crisis of belief in the war. Then, as a silly-villian he could have protested to his hearts content.
To train with your men for combat and then leave them with an unknown officer right before entering the theatre of operations IS JUST WRONG!
I hope he enjoys confinement.
Once you have given your WORD, you are obliged to keep it. Period.
There is no dishonor in doing your duty according to the rules of engagement. If you disapprove of this war, then fill out your absentee ballot before you ship out. This is the only way to change things.
Of course, you could come back with Osama’s head on a stick & plant it at the WTC memorial site.
That should end the War in short order.
Anon 9:30AM there are a lot of indications that he signed up with this sort of thing in mind.
Here in Kansas City the radio station I listen to had a short discussion of the subject. Let’s just say that he does not appear to have many supporters here.
I know nothing about the person in question, but I *do* know that a Dishonorable discharge from the military is essentially a “lite felony”.
Folks with dishonorable discharges cannot buy nor own firearms, at least not according to our modern-day interpretation of the “living Constitution”. :O~
Allan Cole, here. Thanks for your kind comments about Sten, LawDog. There’s sample chapters of all the Sten books on my homepage, (www.acole.com) including a little Emperor’s Cookbook my wife put together at the request of many fans. Chris died in 2005, on a July 4, appropriately enough. He’d been suffering from a lung ailment that a lot of guys picked up back in Vietnam. Although the VA denies any responsibility, of course. Anyway, keep up the good work and do check out the Sten pages. The books have been republished by a U.K. company and the royalties will be most welcome in his widow’s coffers, I assure you. Stregg Forever… Allan Cole
Oh GOOD GRIEF…
This just in…I can’t read, I didn’t understand, can I get myself out of this now?
And weaselboy got his mistrail…*rolls eyes*
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,250792,00.html
I’m glad to see from a later posting that it looks like this weasel is going to do a little hard time after all.
I just wanted to toss something in about his lawyers trying to use arguments about the propriety of the war as part of their defense: It’s a sign of a very weak case. Consider the following proverb among lawyers: “If your case is weak on the law, pound on the facts. If your case is weak on the facts, pound on the table.”
–LER