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<i>apologies for cross postings...but please forward far and wide<br>
</i>all voices are needed in this national call for justice for Lt.
Watada<br>
<br>
<font size=5><b>STAND UP WITH LT. WATADA<br>
</b></font>NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION<br>
<i>Support his courageous resistance!<br>
<br>
</i><b>TUESDAY, JUNE 27, NOON TO 1PM<br>
</b>Steps of Northampton City Hall<br>
210 Main Street<br>
<br>
<font size=4>On June 7th, 2006, U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada
became the first U.S. commissioned officer to publicly announce his
opposition to the Iraq war and his intent to refuse to deploy with his
unit to Iraq.<br>
<br>
To demonstrate our support for Ehren, and his courageous stand, we will
participate in a National Day of Action on June 27th to support Ehren as
he officially resists deployment this week.<br>
<br>
<i>“I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to be party to an
illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our
aggression. My oath of office is to protect and defend America’s
laws and its people. By refusing unlawful orders for an illegal
war, I fulfill that oath today.” Lt. Ehren Watada<br>
<br>
</i><b>Join us and lend your voice to a national call for Justice for
Ehren Watada!<br>
<br>
</font>INFORMATION: AFSC (RAUL OR JO): 414.584.8975<br>
<br>
<br>
</b>*****<br>
MORE INFORMATION:<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.thankyoult.org/" eudora="autourl">www.ThankYouLT.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.couragetoresist.org/" eudora="autourl">www.couragetoresist.org</a><br>
<br>
</u></font>and<br>
<br>
June 22, 2006<br>
<br>
U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada reported to duty at 2:00 a.m.
early this morning at Fort Lewis, Washington, and refused orders to move
to the adjacent McChord Air Force Base to prepare to fly to Iraq. Lt.
Watada believes that the war and occupation in Iraq are illegal, and thus
participation in the war is also illegal.<br>
<br>
Lt. Watada's attorney Eric Seitz said, "This morning Lt. Watada has
been restricted to base without any actual charges or proper process. By
placing a complete gag order on Lt. Watada, the military has again shown
that their first concern is silencing Lt. Watada's speech in opposition
to the illegal war in Iraq. We will immediately challenge these highly
questionable and improper restrictions." Mr. Seitz is currently the
only non-military person authorized to have any contact with Lt.
Watada.<br>
<br>
Lt. Watada is the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse
deployment to the war in Iraq. By refusing to participate in the
on-going Iraq war and occupation, Lt. Watada joins a growing number of
high ranking military officers, West Point graduates, and current and
former members of the armed services who have expressed their opposition
to the actions of the United States in Iraq. Lieutenant Watada's refusal
comes in the wake of a series of charges and convictions against lower
ranking soldiers for participation in war-related crimes: 9 Marines
charged with premeditated murder yesterday, charges of a massacre in
Haditha, Iraq and convictions at Abu Ghraib Prison.<br>
<br>
Lt. Watada faces possible court-martial charges for refusing to
participate in the Iraq war and occupation and intends to defend himself
based on the illegality of the Iraq war and occupation. Lt. Watada, age
28, was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where he enlisted in the Army
and was obligated to serve on active duty as an Army officer for a term
of three years concluding on December 3, 2006. Lt. Watada was
stationed at Ft. Lewis in January 2006, when he first asked to resign his
commission because as he stated, "I am whole-heartedly opposed to
the continued war in Iraq, the deception used to wage this war, and the
lawlessness that has pervaded every aspect of our civilian
leadership."<br>
<br>
Lt. Watada's mother, Carolyn Ho, who flew in from Honolulu, Hawaii to
support her son, said today, "My son's decision to refrain from
deploying to Iraq comes through much soul searching. It is an act
of patriotism. It is a statement to all Americans, to men and women in
uniform, that they need not remain silent out of fear, that that they
have the power to <br>
turn the tide of history: to stop the destruction of a country and the
killing of untold numbers of innocent men, women, and children. It
is a message that states unequivocally that blindly following orders is
no longer an option. My son, Lt. Watada's stance is clear. He
will stay the course. I urge you to join him in this effort."<br>
<br>
Judy Linehan, of Military Families Speak Out said, "As the mother of
an officer who deployed to Iraq with Lt Ehren Watada's Stryker Brigade in
their first mission, I know the human cost of war intimately. I stand in
solidarity with Lt Watada as he breaks ranks with a Commander-in-Chief
who has flaunted international law withimpunity in the prosecution of
this illegal war and occupation of an unarmed country. The
lieutenant's quiet resolve and quest for truth facing into our
government's fabricated deceptions carry hope to a world that trusts in
the rule of law. Thank you, Lt Watada, for your courageous
stand."<br>
<br>
<font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=2><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica">"What would happen if
one woman told the truth about her life?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The world
would split open" ~ Muriel Rukeyser<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Garamond"><b>Jo Comerford<br>
</b>American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts<br>
140 Pine Street, Room 10<br>
Florence, Massachusetts 01062<br>
413.584.8975 (W)<br>
413.584.8987 (F)<br>
413.695.6059 (C)<br>
afsc@crocker.com<br>
<a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a><br>
<br>
</font><font size=1><i>New Resource: <br>
</i><b>Ten Reasons Why the US Must Leave Iraq: <br>
</b></font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf</a></u></font><font size=1>
<br>
</font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm</a></u></font><font size=1>
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