Lt. Watada refused orders this morning to deploy to Iraq
Now under confinment and complete gag-order without charge
June 22, 2006

Contributions to the Friends and Family of Lt. Ehren Watada legal and
political defense fund are urgently needed to challege these new
restrictions.

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.

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.

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.

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."

On June 27, a national day of action in support of Lt. Watada and
coordinated through the website www.ThankYouLt.org will take place in dozens
of US cities, including: Ft. Lewis, WA; Tacoma, WA; Honolulu, HI; Charlotte,
NC; Cleveland, OH; Harrisburg, PA; San Francisco, CA; Oklahoma City, OK;
Atlanta, GA; Corvallis, OR; Medford, OR; New York City, NY; and Pittsburgh,
PA.

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 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."

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 with impunity 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."

www.ThankYouLt.org

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