Lt. Watada is very courageous in refusing to serve in Iraq; he is also correct in turning to the constitution to substantiate his refusal. His oath of office is to the constitution, not the president or congress. The vast majority of an officer's oath is related to supporting and defending the "Constitution". Officers in the military are responsible to follow "lawful orders" and questioning orders that an officer feels is "unlawful". In his refusal to serve he has clearly done some sole searching and came to the conclusion this was "unlawful" and therefore is forcing the government, in a small way, to review the reasons why we are in Iraq. He may not be completely correct in some of his assertions however, I don't believe he should be considered or treated as a traitor, far from it. The bottom line is, only the courts can determine whether this was a "lawful order". I only hope this will not have to go to the Supreme Court based on its newest members. No matter how bad things were in Iraq before we arrived, at least they were stable (certainly more stable than today); our presence in Iraq has served to do nothing more than destabilize the region. The premise for our presence in Iraq has been based on miss-truths, I feel giving Lt. Watada grounds for his refusal. R.S. Major, USAF (Retired)

What garbage. Of course he is not a traitor; the constitution spells out VERY clearly what you have to do to be considered a traitor. The LT is not one. He is however a deserter in time of war. An offense that is just as bad according to the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) and he needs to be tried as defined by the UCMJ. This means he will stand trail and be judged by a court of his peers or he may select a single judge to preside and determine guilt, he would be smart to select trial by judge, their sentences tend to be less than a group of his officer peers would most likely give him for running out on them like a coward. I have news for you, he will be tried, he will be found guilty of at least missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer, and he will serve time. He will be lucky if he is not tried on the charge of Desertion, since that does carry a death sentenced. This is one of those times that he will pay for his decision and maybe he will remember the old saying-for every action there is a reaction and sometimes it is a lot worse than you could imagine. GaryE38 Major, US Army (Retired)

Lt. Watada is courageous, and the American people must defend his right to question why we were not told the truth. Maybe this young man will give the rest of us the courage to voice our opinion on this war. I have always felt the war was waged to protect the oil fields. LT Watada, is not a traitor, he is questioning why are we in Iraq? My question is how many more men and women from our county must die, how many more Iraq's must die, before we make President Bush and his advisers accountable to the American, and the Iraq people.

Is it me or DID HE SWEAR OR AFFIRM to FOLLOW ORDERS of the PRESIDENT and ALL OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER HIM? If he thought that they were illegal then he should have gone to legal counsel. What message is he sending the younger service members? It?s not about what he believes is right or wrong! It?s about SERVING YOUR COUNTRY. STILL SERVING AND OBEYING LAWFUL ORDERS!!!!

A "traitor" is defined as anybody who has EVER disagreed with George Bush at any point during his infallible life.

If he thought that they were illegal then he should have gone to legal counsel.

Implicit in EVERY order is a requirement to believe that the order is legal. Watada failed in that requirement, and thus is automatically guilty of treason.

It's about SERVING YOUR COUNTRY.

More to the point, it's about serving Bush (because Bush IS the United States) and enforcing Bush's infallible doctrines at all times and at all costs.

Bush is the Traitor!  He has engaged in a unprovoked WAR in a country where we do not belong.  These people have been fighting amongst themselves for hundreds of years and will continue when we are gone.  The United States cannot change a culture.  We have lost too many lives already.

cowardly perhaps, but certianly not a traitor. They are over there now to keep the peace, the war times should or could be at an end. Even those in that country want the U.S. gone. I say when the attacks came from Alquida and those terrorists we should of just dropped a few nukes on them and ended it all completely. I honestly don't give a damn for any country that doesn't care for it's own race. They certianly do not there.

 

None the less if your an active member of the armed forces do your duty !!!!! or face the consequences !!!!

Lt. Watada is not a traitor.  But the military has their own mindset.  We need to get out of Iraq and out for good.

Too many of our soldiers, sailors etc are wounded and our country is doing nothing about it.  Except laughing in their face and telling them its all in their head, you can work, just go and get a job. 

 

A vet of 24 yrs military.

        I understand that even Military personnel have a right to question an order they feel is illegal. Lt. Watada has made a decision that the war in Iraq was undeclaired and illegal. He stands proud and strong behind his decision. I applaud him for his courage.  It takes as much courage to stand up to Military justice and possibly years in prison as it does to follow orders, pack up and go overseas.

       Isn't this one of the things we are fighting about ? The freedom and the right to speak out against our own Government if we feel the powers that be are wrong? Isn't this one of the rights we are promoting as a the tenet for a new type of Government in Iraq?

      This war is political. It is for the control of oil. If we can go to the moon and back then don't tell me we can't have a clean and efficient substitute for oil and gasoline.  We could  have had it YEARS ago. How can people really believe the baloney that is spread to us from the Government? Follow the money trail to find the truth.

Anyone who enters any military branch, enlisted or commisioned, and thinks that he/she will not have to do things that are distastefull (at best) is cognitively lacking.  This bozo should have known, given this time in history, that he would be deployed to a situation that he might not agree with.  If this was not acceptable, he should not have entered the military.  This is an officer?  I don't think so.   He needs to do time.

I have lots of questions concerning the motivation and legality of the "war" we are fighting and the way that I fear it will expand.  Of course, I also question the way we have conducted the actions we  have taken and their "resolution" since WWII. 

I know a lot of patriotic young men and women  joined the military after 911.  Sadly, it was done without long thought about what it could mean..........what that choice might require of them.  I am not retired military, just a widow of a career soldier who died on active duty in 83.  I saw a lot of young folks, male and female enlist and then decide they made a poor choice for themselves when they were asked to function in a manner that would be distasteful as a civilian. 

I support this man's position but I believe it is one that should be maintained and acted upon as a civilain.   If he is willing to take this position, refuse to go and take the consequences, that is his business.  For me, the bottom line is that one should think long and hard about what may be expected/demanded of one before joining.  This is the case with any prospective career.  The military is  incorrect for many. 

Just some thoughts and best wishes to all.