All Things Watada

The following is updated information regarding the impending court marshall of First Lieutenant Ehren Watada February 5th. I hope I get all that's important at this point because this will be the last posting I make for a while (unless I can get my hands on a laptop) because I am flying out Sunday morning to Seattle with other members of our Southern California Watada campaign from NCRR (Nikkei Civil Rights and Redress) to attend the court marshall and lend support to Ehren, Carolyn, Rosa and Bob.
Tomorrow is our rally in Little Tokyo (info given again) and also the last chance to see Ehren speak publically (Seattle) Now this is what is the most important thing to know about Ehren if you are only now learning about him. He is facing court marshall on three counts: missing in movement (submitted resignation but was refused) and two remaining counts of conduct unbecoming of an officer. An additional two counts were dropped this week concerning conduct unbecoming AND the subpoenas of Sarah Olsen and Greg Kakasaka were dropped. He is now facing a four year sentence in Leavenworth Prison for DARING to speak out on the illegality of the war in Iraq. There are numerous postings here on this blog as well as plenty of information you can garner for yourself on this matter. Ehren would not be facing this much prison time if he did not go public with his statements. THAT is why this case is so unique, he is the first commisioned officer to refuse deployment AND he is risking years in prison because of his legal and moral integrity. Just this week the military offered him 18 months and a dishonorable discharge in exchange for his admittance to conduct unbecoming. HE REFUSED. And now he is speaking one last time to the public in Seattle. First Lieutenant Ehren Watada is an AMERICAN HERO, in the TRUEST sense of the word!!!!!
Additional posts:
http://thehollytree.blogspot.com/2006/12/american-hero-first-lieutenant-ehren.html

Your last opportunity to hear from Lt. Watada in person prior to his military court marshall!!!
Saturday, February 3, 7 PM
University Temple Church
1415 NE 43rd. Street, Seattle WA
(next to University Bookstore)
$10 suggested donation for the event. No one will be turned away.

LOS ANGELES

Show Your Support for Lt. Ehren Watada

Save the Date: February 3rd, 4:00 PM

Meet at corner of San Pedro and Second streets in Little Tokyo

@ the Friendship Knot sculpture.

March through Little Tokyo in Los Angeles

(details below)

This is our chance to show support for Lt. Watada, the first U.S. military officer to refuse

to serve in Iraq as a conscientious objector. The government will try him February 5th.

Please join NCRR (Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress) in their support of First Lieutenant Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, now facing six years in prison and Augustin Aquayo, also facing court-marshall and seven years in prison.

February 3rd (only two days before Ehren's court marshall)

4:00 PM

Meeting at the corner of San Pedro and Second streets in Little Tokyo @ the Friendship Knot sculpture.

March through Little Tokyo.

Presentation at 5:30 at Higashi Auditorium (behind the corner of 2nd & San Pedro)

Coffee, tea and Udon to be served.

Guest Speakers:

Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada

Helga Aguayo, wife of Augustin Aguayo

Jabbar Magrudder, Iraqi vet

Reverand Paul Nagano

Music and entertainment by:

Nobuko

Olmeca

For more information call: 213-680-3484

www.thankyoult.org

SUPPORT FOR EHREN WATADA GROWS AS

COURT-MARTIAL HEARING APPROACHES

Feb. 3 March and Program in Little Tokyo to Oppose the Iraq War

and Support Military Resisters

The community as a whole is invited to come out on Feb. 3 at 4:00 p.m. to 2^nd & San Pedro Streets to voice their opposition to the war in Iraq and to march in support of military resisters. Sponsored by Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) and Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization (AAVVO) the march and program will call for an end to the Iraq War, oppose President Bush’s call for 21,500 additional troops and urge support for 1^st Lt. Ehren Watada and other military resisters, such as Army Spc. Agustin Aguayo, both of whom face court-martial hearings in the coming weeks. The march will wind its way through Little Tokyo, ending at Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple*,

505 East Third Street

, for a program.

Feb. 5 Court-Martial Trial Begins

As the Feb. 5 court-martial trial of 1^st Lt. Ehren Watada approaches, anti-war activists and supporters across the country are stepping up their activity aimed at getting the military to drop its charges against Watada. Watada faces charges of (1) missing a troop movement for failing to deploy to Iraq with his Stryker Brigade last June and (2) conduct unbecoming an officer, for statements criticizing the Iraq War and President Bush. He faces up to 6 years in prison.

In January pre-trial hearings at Fort Lewis, Washington, presiding military judge Lt. Col. John Head ruled against Watada, stating that the legality of the war (Watada believes the Iraq war is illegal) is irrelevant to the charges at hand. Head also refused to recognize Watada’s First Amendment right to speak out against the war.

Support for Watada has continued to grow despite these legal setbacks. Members from Iraq Veterans Against the War have set up “Camp Resistance” across the road from Fort Lewis, planning to stay there until the end of the court-martial trial. In New York, San Francisco, the Bay Area, Chicago and other parts of the country organizers are calling for more vigils, rallies and programs in support of Watada and all military resisters and against the war.

Lt.Watada’s father Bob, his wife Rosa and Ehren’s mother Carolyn Ho, have toured the country and continue to speak on behalf of their son, appealing for support.

Feb. 3 March and Program in Little Tokyo Features Watada’s mother Carolyn Ho and well-known performers Quetzal and Nobuko Miyamoto

Featured at the program on Feb. 3 will be Carolyn Ho, who will fly in that day from speaking engagements in the mid-West. Ms. Ho will give an update about her son’s court-martial trial before heading for Olympia, Washington for the first day of his trial.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SIGNED THE PETITION OF SUPPORT FOR LIEUTENANT WATADA WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE COURT MARSHALL PLEASE URGENTLY SIGN HERE

http://www.thankyoult.org/content/view/25/35/

ALSO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS HERE

http://www.thankyoult.org/content/view/5/9/

CALL COMMANDING OFFICER Gen. DUBICK

at Fort Lewis to voice support for Lt. Ehren Watada

You do not have to provide your name or address

They are tallying th enumber of phone calls received

Just say that you are calling to support Lt. Watada. Dismiss all charges,

PHONE: (253) 967-0148