News Story - Verizon Online: "Army Officer Refuses to Deploy to Iraq
By MELANTHIA MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer
TACOMA, Wash. - An Army lieutenant who refuses to deploy to Iraq with his Fort Lewis Stryker brigade said he's prepared to face the consequences, including a possible prison term.
1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who joined the Army in March 2003, said he researched the reasons behind the U.S. involvement in Iraq and concluded the war is illegal and immoral.
'We have violated American law,' Watada said. 'We can't break laws in order to fight terrorism.'
Watada said he would be willing to serve in Afghanistan or elsewhere, but he said he believes intelligence on whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction was manipulated 'to fit a policy that was already implemented prior to 9-11,' and he cited 'mistreatment of the Iraqi people,' saying it was 'a contradiction to the Army's own Law of Land Warfare.'
Army officials said Watada's decision to publicly declare his intent to disobey orders 'is a serious matter and could subject him to adverse action. . .'"
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