General Court Martial For Watada
Preliminary reports indicate that the officer responsible for the Article 32 hearing in the case of the dishonorable Ehren Watada will recommend a formal general court martial.
1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, of Honolulu, has been charged with missing troop movement, conduct unbecoming an officer and contempt toward officials. He refused to deploy to Iraq on June 22 with his Fort Lewis-based unit.
A report by the investigating officer, Lt. Col. Mark Keith, "does recommend that the case be tried by general court-martial," J.C. Mathews, a civilian spokesman at the Army base south of Seattle, said late Thursday
Keith's report was expected to be released Friday.
The Army laid out its case against Watada at a hearing last week, showing video footage of the lieutenant calling the war illegal.
Keith could recommend anything from dismissal of the charges to a general court-martial.
His recommendation goes to Watada's brigade commander, Col. Cynthia Murphy, and to Lt. Gen. James Dubik, Fort Lewis' commander, who has the final say on whether Watada should stand trial, Mathews said.
If convicted, Watada could face seven years in prison and dishonorable discharge.
It is, of course, up to the chain of command what happens from here. But an article 32 is similar to a grand jury proceeding in the civilian world. Earlier posts here, here and here.
By doug in colorado, Friday, 25 August , 2006 @ 5:04 pm
I suspect an already susceptible (left-leaning) young man got some very bad legal advice from a lefter-leaninger attorney or two, telling him he could really stick it to George Bush and become a star of the anti-war universe, like Cindy (tombstone…whatever) Sheehan. It doesn’t so much matter that Watada puts his hands over his ears and shouts “Illegal War, Illegal War…”. (Anyone who’s read the Congressional resolutions and authorizations, and if you insist, the 17 UN Resolutions, and the ceasefire Saddam signed, can see the war was as legal as any in history, and more so than several.) His lawyer is hoping for a bully pulpit, a platform to make himself famous while collecting fees and contributions, and Watada is going to go to Leavenworth for letting down the men he was supposed to be leading and protecting, for wasting the time and money spent on training him and preparing for deployment, and when released he’ll have a criminal record and a Dishonorable Discharge.
By Gaius, Friday, 25 August , 2006 @ 5:05 pm
Yup. He was led down a path.