Press Release
August 15th, 2006

WATADA HEARING PLACES THE WAR ON TRIAL

(Ft. Lewis, WA)--On August 17th, U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq, will appear before a military court, in the opening round of a contest that raises core Constitutional issues about the legality of the war in Iraq and the limits of presidential power.

Watada has been charged with three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, two counts (for the same statements) of contempt towards officials, specifically President G. W. Bush, and one count of missing movement. If found guilty of all charges, he could be sentenced to seven years in confinement, five of them as punishment for speaking out. He faces an Article 32 hearing, a military pretrial hearing similar to a civilian grand jury hearing.

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Lt. Watada's civilian counsel, Eric A. Seitz, will call expert witnesses including former United Nations Undersecretary Denis Halliday, Col. Ann Wright (Ret.), who resigned in March 2003 to protest the invasion of Iraq, and University of Illinois Professor Francis Boyle, an international law expert, to support Lt. Watada's contentions that the invasion of Iraq violated domestic and international law and that high level policies and rules of engagement permit, encourage, and condone the commission of war crimes in Iraq.

"The defense will prove not only that what Lt. Watada said about the war is true, but that as an officer in the United States Army he was duty bound to learn the truth about this war and having done so to refuse to carry out orders to participate in it," Seitz said.

Press arrangements for the Article 32 hearing can be made through the Ft. Lewis Public Affairs Office, (253) 967-0152 / 0147. The latest information indicates that the hearing is scheduled to be held in a room that will only seat ten people. Press should address their concerns to the Ft. Lewis Public Affairs Office.

Eric Seitz will hold two press conferences / community briefings to discuss the latest news on the case at South Park Community Center, 4831 South Tacoma Way (between S. 48th St. and S. 50th St.) in Tacoma, Washington.

Thursday, August 17th, at 7:30 with Denis Halliday, Ann Wright, and Francis Boyle.
Friday, August 18th, at 7:30 with Lt. Ehren Watada.