General Court Martial For Watada To Proceed

The commanding officer at Fort Lewis, Washington has recommended that general court martial proceedings be started against LT Ehren Watada. Two charges have been specified, missing movement and conduct unbecoming. A third charge, contempt towards officials was dropped without comment.

SEATTLE - An Army lieutenant who challenged the Bush administration's reasons for going to war in Iraq and then refused to deploy to the country will face a military trial, the Army said Thursday.

Fort Lewis commander Lt. Gen. James Dubik recommended that the Army proceed with a general court-martial against 1st Lt. Ehren Watada.

Watada, 28, was charged with missing troop movement, conduct unbecoming an officer and contempt toward officials for comments he made about President Bush.

The Army later added another specification of conduct unbecoming an officer based on his comments in Seattle during the national convention of Veterans for Peace in August. At a hearing later that month, prosecutors showed video footage of Watada calling on other soldiers to stop participating in U.S. involvement in Iraq.

Dubik referred only the charges of missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer. He gave no reason for dismissing the charge of contempt toward officials, Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek said Thursday.

"He has the statutory discretion to determine what charges to refer to trial," Piek said. "We can't discuss the particulars of the case because it is ongoing."

Watada, from Honolulu, has said he believes the war is illegal. He was first charged after he refused to deploy to Iraq on June 22 with his Fort Lewis Stryker unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Watada faces up to six years in prison if convicted. Links to all earlier posts can be found here.