He is right, you know. He is speaking truth to power. He knows what he is talking about.
2007-02-08 12:41:13 · 13 answers · asked by Spock 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Yes. He took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is his duty as an officer to not obey an order he deems illegal. That his court martial was declared a mistrial by the judge appears to show that even the military justic system is not clear about this or how to handle it.
2007-02-08 12:46:05 · answer #1 · answered by KCBA 5 · 1⤊ 4⤋
If no one can prove that the war against Iraq is legal or illegal then a mistrial would seem most appropriate. I though he is brave soldier to speak the truth against power and risking prison terms for something he so strongly believe in. His requisition to be deploy in Afghanistan also shows that he's not one that refuses war.The Call to Conscience had presented the findings on Disobeying Illegal Orders, in which it state: “The oath to support and defend the Constitution implies that if in conscience a person believes an order to be illegal, he or she has an obligation to refuse the order.”
Like to think that individualism is not a constitutional rights, it's an ethic that Lt.Watada had misconducted only.
2007-02-08 23:46:19 · answer #2 · answered by Micky 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, he most certainly NOT right. He signed a contract, and is trying to renege. I think the government should toss his sorry *** in jail for awhile, then sue the crap out of him and get paid back for every single penny he's earned in the military.
NO ONE forced him to enlist. It's an all-volunteer Army. And since even EXPERTS in international law can't decide if this is a legal war or not, I don't think he has the background to make a valid case.
Why is this an illegal war, anyway? Saddam violated the cease fire many times - didn't that alone give us the authority to go back?
2007-02-08 20:58:01 · answer #3 · answered by Lola 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lt. Watada is absolutely wrong.
See, here's the thing that you civilians cannot understand because you don't have the experience: members of the US military DO NOT have the right to decide whether or not the actions of the US government are "legal" or "illegal." When given an order, they are REQUIRED by both the oath that they swore and military law to obey the order. The order that Lt. Watada disobeyed was the order to deploy. That order, in and of itself, was lawfully given by persons in positions of command and authority to give it; therefore, the order to deploy was NOT an illegal order. The as-yet unresolved issue of whether or not the war itself is "legal" or "illegal" has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the order to deploy. As I said, that specific order was 100% legal, and Lt. Watada had a duty to obey it. He broke military law by disobeying it, and deserves to be punished.
Additionally, Lt. Watada was responsible for the lives of his men. By depriving those men of the leader that they trained with and knew before going into a combat zone, he has put the lives of those men in danger. He turned his back on his men, and for that he will never be forgiven by his men.
He is a disgrace to himself, his uniform, the Army, and his country.
As for the court-martial being declared a mistrial, that means that the presiding judge was not satisfied with an aspect of the case; it does not prove or disprove anything on the part of the government.
2007-02-08 20:58:27 · answer #4 · answered by Team Chief 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, there is nobody that can prove the war is illegal. We had the right to go back into Iraq as soon as Saddam violated the ceasefire from the first Gulf War (he did so 17 times).
2007-02-08 20:45:36 · answer #5 · answered by Wocka wocka 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You have performed an irreversible mind meld with the Watada. Your no longer a Vulcan, you are now a retarda.
2007-02-08 21:42:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I support putting him in prison for 4 years.
2007-02-08 20:45:39 · answer #7 · answered by Yak Rider 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
No, I don't support him. And no, he is not right. Not when he is in the military. He swore to an oath which he now refuses to uphold.
2007-02-08 20:53:54 · answer #8 · answered by Beachman 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He shouldn't have joined the military, if he wasn't going to fulfill his duties, nobody forced him.
2007-02-08 23:02:08 · answer #9 · answered by kc 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No I don't support him. He knew what he signed up for and he should have lived up to his obligations. He didn't and I personally hope he goes to jail for it.
2007-02-08 20:46:06 · answer #10 · answered by . 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋