Rally for War Resistor Lt. Watada

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Rally for Lt. Watada Prior to Court Martial Preliminary Hearing

On Wednesday, August 16, the day before Lt. Ehren Watada is to appear before his preliminary hearing, several hundred people bannered and rallied for Ehren at a gate on Interstate 5 to Ft. Lewis, WA where the hearing will take place. He is the first U.S. commissioned officer to refuse duty in Iraq. His charges are: three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: two counts of contempt towards officials (Article 88) toward President Bush, three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman (Article 133) and one count of missing movement (Article 87). If convicted of all counts through court martial he could receive over seven years in military prison. This case raises constitutional issues about the legality of the Iraq war, limits of presidential power and freedom of speech.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 17 and Friday, August 18 which will determine whether he will be tried in court martial or not.

Visit http://www.thankyoult.org/ for more information about Lt. Watada and his court martial by the U.S. Army.

§Banners Fly

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Early in the day before most activists arrived, banners were flown over the Interstate 5 freeway bridge to Ft. Lewis.

§Bannering Instructions

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Officer Erick Thomas of the Washington State Patrol tell people who were bannering what the limits of territories they could banner were to be. Earlier in the day, people were told to remove banners from the freeway bridge because, according to the police, they were impeding the flow of traffic on Interstate 5. Later they were allowed to banner on the bridge just so long as the banners were kept moving. One activist and IMC Seattle reporter was arrested for not obeying the order to remove a sign. He has now been released. What he was charged with is unknown.

§Two Women with a Message of thanks to Lt. Watada

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

§Ricky Clouser meets James Yee

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Sgt. Ricky Clouser, Iraq war resistor, is greeted by James Yee, a former Army Chaplain. Ricky turned himself in to Ft. Lewis on Friday, August 11 where he was told to report to Ft. Bragg, N.C., the home base of his unit. Visit http://www.sdmcc.org/rickyclousing/ for more information about Ricky. Army Capt. James Yee, a Muslim chaplain, spent 76 days in solitary confinement after being falsely charged with espionage in the fall of 2003. All charges were dropped in the spring of 2004 and all permanent records of the charges against him were removed from his files. His term of duty expired in 2005 and he was honorably discharged from the Army. He is now an active war resistor.

§First Gulf War Resistor Speaks

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Jeff Patterson was the first U.S. soldier to refuse assignment to Iraq in the First Gulf War in 1991 and be imprisoned. He is a member of Not in Our Name, Courage to Resist and Veterans for Peace and is a photographer for http://www.indybay.org. Here he speaks at the rally.

§Lt. Watada's Step Mother and Father

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Lt. Watada’s step mother Rosa Sakanishi and father Robert Watada listen to speakers at the rally. They also spoke.

§Abe Osheroff Speaks

by Don Maddox

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 5:24PM

Abe Osheroff at age 91 speaks at the rally. Abe fought in the Spanish Civil War and World War II and is against the Iraq war. He predicts that the U. S. will cease to be the sole super power as other countries rise up. He has been a progressive activist for 76 years and was encouraged to see the number of progressive youth at the rally.

Rally for War Resistor Lt. Watada

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