Military attempts to stop Lt. Watada from speaking against illegal war
Press Advisory
ThankYouLt.com
09 June 06
http://thankyoult.live.radicaldesigns.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=
view&id=23&Itemid=9

PRESS ADVISORY (June 9, 2006) - On Thursday, June 8, 2006 U.S. Army
First Lieutenant Ehren Watada's commanding officer moved to prosecute
Lt. Watada for protected speech. An official investigation into his
public speech in opposition to the illegal war in Iraq is underway. Lt.
Watada was read his rights and declined to make a statement without a
lawyer present.

In response, Lt. Watada confirmed, ?I have a legal and ethical
obligation to speak out against, and refuse to fight, this patently
illegal war in Iraq. This has not changed.?

Eric Seitz, lead attorney for Lt. Watada's legal team, declared "It is
obvious that the military is simply trying to keep him from speaking out
in opposition to the unlawful war."

On Wednesday, June 7th U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada became
the first U.S. commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to the
unlawful Iraq war and occupation. Standing before the national media at
a Tacoma, Washington press conference, Lt. Watada outlined his duty to
refuse the illegal order to deploy in support of an illegal war. A
showdown with the military is imminent as Lt. Watada's Stryker brigade
is scheduled to deploy from Fort Lewis, Washington for Iraq within days.

Steve Morse, director of the GI Rights Hotline, a non-governmental legal
resource center for members of the military, explains "When soldiers
join the military they swear to uphold our Constitution, they do not
give up their basic right to freedom of speech." According Mr. Morse,
"Members of the military clearly have the right to say what they think
and feel about the military, and even participate in peaceful
demonstrations, as long as they are off-duty, out of uniform, off-base,
and within the United States. This is outlined in Department of Defense
Directive 1325.6".

It is expected that the military is moving to stage a Commanding
Officer's Non-Judicial Punishment hearing (Article 15 of the Uniform
Code of Military Justice) in order to impose even further restrictions
on Lt. Watada. The military will likely focus their investigation on
vague UCMJ articles that bar "any commissioned officer who uses
contemptuous words against the President (or any senior members of
government)" (Article 88), and "conduct unbecoming an officer and
gentleman" (Article 133).

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Note: We are aware that the Fort Lewis military public affairs office
may not yet be aware of this new development.