What are your opinions on Ehren Watada, the U.S. soldier refusing to go to Iraq?

paige_98_69

He should be discharged. Going to Iraq is his job as a soldier. In the civilian world, if you refused to do your job you would get fired, simple as that.

krusty_blue_spaz

he should not have joined the military if he did not want to fight for his country

iraq51

Throw the UCMJ at his sorry a** and let him spend his time in Ft. Leavenworth doing hard time.

Refusing to go, especially as an officer is inexcusable. What did he think he was joining; the Girl Scouts. Sorry, no offense to the Girl Scouts.

spider

He is a fool. He joined the military, no one forced him to join. Once you join the military you have signed a contract for a term of service, the terms of which make him a GI, Government Issue,
he belongs to the government and military. If he didn't want to fight he shouldn't have joined to begin with. He has an obligation to do as ordered, is agreement to it happen when he enlisted.
He is a coward who lacks the ability to honor his commitments,
and his word has no value, based on his lack of integrity in accepting the consequences of his own choices.

Patrick J

Well, he should have not joined (unless he joined on a 6 year contract he joined after we went to war by now) it is because of Pus$ies like him that we have to keep going back. I don't agree with the war either but damn it someone else needs to go fight for a while instead of calling us volunteers (of 6-7 years ago) back cuz the rest of the counries youth are unwilling to fight (catch 22 I am just tired of the idea of having to go back, but I think the only way to stop misuse of the military is to stop joining) So, I think he is a PUS$Y but I do respect his viewpoint, however he joined up (most likely) after the war started, so he has no excuse.

rhsaunders

I live in the Seattle area, and of course he has been much in the news here. Basically, he has no case. His claim that the war is illegal is not supportable: Congress passed a resolution authorizing it, and that is all the legality that is needed. If on a court-martial board, my ruling would be: As to the specification, proved; as to the charges, guilty; punishment, reduction to the lowest enlisted rank, two years confinement, loss of all pay and allowances, dishonorable discharge.

deitymike

as an american i respect his stance however if he wasnt willing to fight regardless of the reason he should jave not join he either goes or face time. if not throw him in the brig

Kathy O

he shouldn't have joined in the first place. if he's a coward then he should be shot. if he joined for money, and perks, then he is stealing from you and me. personally i hope they send him to do duty in some hellhole in antarctica, and extend his tour!

fatboysdaddy

The congress gives the president the power to declare war. They did this prior to going to war in Iraq.
He has refused a legal and lawfull order.

AreWeThereYet?

Three Letters, ... POS

levyrat

I have no respect for someone who joins the military and then tries to weasel out of his obligations based on his interpretation of the legality of the war. They call people like that a "sea lawyer" or a "barracks lawyer," and they endanger other soldiers by disrupting discipline.

JMB

Natasha

He should be court martialed. He has broken the law. It isn't about freedom of expression, he VOLUNTARILY joined the military and part of that is following all lawful orders. No matter how he tries to spin his decision it all results in him not honoring the committment he made when he accepted a commission as an officer. He should be ashamed of himself.

electricpole

If he is willing to quietly fulfill the duration of his contract as a treasonist, and face what comes (prison & the death penalty(?))with bravery and integrity, you have to give it to him that he stands on principle. Kind of a Ghandi like stand.
But if he is attempting to pick, & chose his war, then he is a fraudulent coward, and should be punished without mercy.

CG-23 Sailor

I doubt many in our Armed Forces WANT to go to war. but they are willing to do so when called upon. Ehrin Watada is a coward who listens to way too many Conspiracy theorists who think Bush is to blame for everything. He joined the Military as the Iraq war was starting. He knew what was required. He knew what he is trained for. He joined. and then when the time came he refused. Did he think this was some sort of game?
Watada is a dispicable coward and should have the full measure of the law thrown at him.
His reasons are absolutely unfounded and have no basis in fact.
The US is NOT acting illegally, or unethically.
unless you listen to terrorist sympathizers....

jslewis81

He is a yellow belly little wimp and that is putting it nicely since we can't swear on here. These are the things that should happen to him, drop his rank to the lowest possible. Keep every paycheck that he is due, charge him with willfull disobeidence to a superior (the president), put him in front of a firing squad for execution for disertion, he is letting his commrades go out there and fight and die. That is just like if he was out there in a fire fight getting up and running away and leaving them one man short to fight. Before he is executed he should be fined how ever much money the military spent on his training food housing, if he can't pay it then make his family pay for it, and put it out for the public to see, so anyone who is thinking about getting into the military knows that they could be sent to war whether they agree with it or not and if they join and then desert their commrades that this will happen not to just them but to their family

Daniel

Hes not american

YR1947

his choice and the war in iraq is wrong u call it a democracy so let him have his freedom

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