A difficult decision

Ehren Watada refused to go to Iraq citing concerns over the legality and morality of the war in Iraq. His court-martial is of vital import to the entire military...not over his right to do so but over the implications for every soldier.

If he is found innocent based on his defense the war is illegal and/or immoral and he is duty bound as a soldier to refuse to obey those orders then every soldier in Iraq is theoretically, by inference, intriniscally guilty of war crimes. The Nuremberg Trials are an important and applicable precedent.

Personally I think the outcome of the trial is a foregone conclusion. Arguing the war is illegal buys into the rhetoric of the vociferous segments of the population that, much as they accuse Bush's administration of doing, is cherry picking their intelligence reports. It is difficult to ignore the fact that several other countries, partially based on their own intelligence, bought into the same rationale. In the rush to follow the political winds a great number of people are retroactively saying they would have done different...but the truth is that at the time the several rationalizations were agreed to by a great number of nations and arguing the war is illegal is never going to fly in a military court.

I find it admirable that he is willing to take the risk he took for what he believes for and wish him luck...he is going to need it. And should the impossible happen and he win his case...it will be interesting to see if every soldier who has been to Iraq or is there now will be prosecuted. Something tells me....not real likely.