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The Left's Definition of a 'Hero' By Michelle Malkin CNSNews.com Commentary February 07, 2007 Angry, left-wing Washington Post blogger William Arkin considers American troops in Iraq who believe in their mission "mercenaries" who are "naive" and should be thankful they haven't been spit upon yet. Curdled Democrat Sen. John Kerry thinks those soldiers, who volunteer for service, didn't "make an effort to be smart" and are "stuck in Iraq" because of their intellectual deficiencies. At the last anti-war spasm in Washington, liberal peace-lovers vandalized a military recruitment office -- repeating an act of destruction taken by rock-wielding thugs across college...

<p>An Army lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq in 2006, saying he believed the war was illegal, has officially left the service. Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek confirmed that Ehren Watada was discharged Friday.</p> <p>Watada was charged with missing his unit's deployment and with conduct unbecoming an officer for denouncing President Bush and the war—statements he made while explaining his actions.</p>

He took a principled stand that the invasion and occupation were violations of international laws." Watada was tried in military court in February 2007 for ...

First Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned military officer to refuse deployment to Iraq because he believed it was an illegal war, has won his three-year legal battle with the Army. With little fanfare, the Army at Fort Lewis in Washington state accepted the resignation of the 1996 Kalani High School graduate last Friday and he will be discharged during the first week in October. Rather than seek a second court martial against the infantry officer, the Army will grant Watada a discharge “under other than honorable conditions.” Joseph J. Piek, Fort Lewis spokesman, said “this is an administrative discharge...

First Lt. Ehren Watada will not face a second court-martial for his decision to refuse deployment to Iraq, after a federal appeals court judge allowed the U.S. Army to drop its appeal in the case Wednesday. "We are cautiously optimistic that perhaps we've had enough litigation," said Watada's attorney, James Lobsenz. Watada was court-martialed in 2007 on five criminal counts after his high-profile refusal of deployment. The case ended in a mistrial, when the military judge declared that Watada did not fully understand a stipulation he had signed before the trial. The case then went to the civilian U.S. District...

A federal judge ruled that Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused to deploy to Iraq with his Ft. Lewis combat brigade, couldn't be retried on several of the charges against him. But the ruling still may allow the military to try him on two court-martial counts. Citing the constitutional protections against being tried twice for the same crime, a federal judge on Tuesday ruled that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada cannot face a second court martial on three of five counts resulting from his high-profile 2006 refusal to deploy to Iraq with a Fort Lewis brigade. The ruling by Judge Benjamin Settle,...

Plenty of former officers have criticized the Iraq War, but there's only been one active duty career soldier who's not only come out against the War but also refused to go and fight in it. (He said he would go to Afghanistan instead, but that the Iraq war is "illegal"). That soldier is Lt. Ehren Watada, 30, a junior Army officer from Hawaii who's become a poster child for the anti-war movement. He's also become persona non grata within the military and is facing a possible sentence of six years in prison. Our friend Tara McKelvey is the first journalist...

It was two years ago yesterday that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, a 1996 Kalani High School graduate, declared publicly that he would not deploy to Iraq with his Stryker brigade combat team. Today, Watada is still in the Army working at a desk job at Fort Lewis, Wash., while his case is tied up in federal court. Ken Kagan, Watada's attorney, told the Star-Bulletin that federal judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma will probably take up the matter early this fall. In November, Settle ruled that no court-martial will be held for Watada pending the outcome of his claim that it...

<p>A U.S. District Court judge today granted a preliminary injunction that bars the Army from proceeding with a second court-martial trial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, the first Army officer to face prison for refusing to deploy to Iraq.</p> <p>Watada's court-martial in February ended in a mistrial, and his attorneys have claimed that Fifth Amendment constitutional protections prevent Watada from being tried twice for the same crime.</p>

Posted on: Friday, October 5, 2007 2:54 PM HST Judge blocks Watada's court-martial Associated Press TACOMA, Wash. >> A federal court judge has temporarily blocked a court-martial scheduled for an Iraq war objector based at Fort Lewis. The court-martial of Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada of Hawaii had been scheduled to start Tuesday. Watada’s lawyers argue the Army is violating his constitutional rights by trying him twice for the same crime. Watada is charged with missing his unit’s deployment to Iraq in June 2006 and with conduct unbecoming an officer for denouncing President Bush and the war. U.S. District Judge...

Lawyers turn to federal judges in Seattle to stop new court-martialLawyers for Fort Lewis 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who in June 2006 went public with his refusal to serve in Iraq and said the war is illegal, asked the U.S. District Court in Seattle on Wednesday to halt his court-martial, which is only days away. Watada's second court-martial is slated to begin Tuesday. His first court-martial earlier this year ended in a mistrial before a jury could deliberate. Watada's lawyers said they hope for a decision Friday. Monday is a federal holiday, Columbus Day. Before Watada's lawyers announced their move,...

Via Barnett, this comes from one of the left’s own, Ezra Klein: AN ODD CLOSE. As the Military and Progressives panel came to an end, a young man in uniform stood up to argue that the surge was working, and cutting down on Iraqi casualties. The moderator largely freaked out. When other members of the panel tried to answer his question, he demanded they “stand down.” He demanded the questioner give his name, the name of his commander, and the name of his unit. And then he closed the panel, no answer offered or allowed, and stalked off the...

The start of a court-martial for a Fort Lewis officer who refused to deploy to Iraq last year has been moved from July 23 to Oct. 9, a spokesman at the Army post said Monday morning. Both the government and the defense for Lt. Ehren Watada requested that the date be pushed back, and the military judge agreed, according to Joseph Piek, the Fort Lewis spokesman. The October date, if it stands, would put Watada back in court at about the same time his Stryker brigade -- the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division -- is scheduled to return from Iraq...

Military judge also won’t disqualify himself in case of Fort Lewis war protesterLt. Ehren Watada suffered two losses in court Friday during the Army’s second attempt at court-martialing him for refusing to deploy to Iraq last year. Military judge Lt. Col. John Head first refused to disqualify himself from the case, despite arguments from Watada’s new attorneys that there is at least the appearance that Head cannot be impartial in this matter. Head then ruled that trying Watada again wouldn’t violate his constitutional right not to be prosecuted twice for the same crime, also known as double jeopardy. Head is...

SEATTLE -- The Army's court of appeals issued a partial stay Friday in the planned second trial for a Fort Lewis soldier who refused to go to Iraq and spoke out against the Bush administration. The decision by the Army Court of Criminal Appeals in Arlington, Va., means the July 23 court-martial for 1st Lt. Ehren Watada could be on hold until the court reviews arguments from both sides. The order allows for all pretrial hearings to continue, including one scheduled for June 5 at Fort Lewis, south of Tacoma. "Assembly of the court-martial and all proceedings ordinarily following assembly...

BELLINGHAM – Leaders of the state Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly Saturday to support Lt. Ehren Watada, the Fort Lewis officer who refused orders to serve in Iraq. The party’s central committee also decided to continue the Democrats’ tradition of ignoring results of the state’s presidential primary election. That means Washington Democrats will instead use caucuses next year to decide who the state supports in the race among Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and others for the party’s nomination for president. The decision to disregard the 2008 presidential primary came on a 119-142 vote at the state party central committee...

HONOLULU -- Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada has found two new lawyers for his court martial for refusing to go to Iraq. Watada’s first trial ended in mistrial after three days when the judge said the soldier didn’t fully understand a pretrial agreement. That deal would have cut the Honolulu man’s sentence to four years. Watada, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., is charged with missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer. If convicted, he could be sentenced to six years in prison and be dishonorably discharged. A second court martial is due to begin July 16. Honolulu-based military defense lawyer...

In a slow, measured voice, Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada urged people at an anti-war rally in downtown Eugene on Saturday to choose what is right, even when faced with negative consequences. Watada, stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., faces a court-martial and up to six years in prison for refusing to fight in Iraq. He was the main speaker at Eugene's annual protest against the war, held each year at the Federal Building to mark the March 20, 2003, anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. "They may imprison or torture or take away our lives, but they can never...

A novel based on the "Star Trek" series "Enterprise" is dedicated to U. S. Army officer Ehren Watada, who was court martialled for failing to deploy to Iraq, calling it an illegal war. It should be noted that the novel's authors dedicated their last novel to Cindy Sheehan.

In the wake of last month's mistrial, the court martial of Army First Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada has been rescheduled for July 2007. The young officer stands accused of multiple violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or UCMJ, stemming from his refusal to deploy to Iraq with his unit in June of 2006. He also faces charges for interviews that he gave before and after his unit deployed without him. Watada has stated in numerous public appearances that the war in Iraq is illegal, and that any order to participate in a criminal act is -- by its...