Lt. Ehren Watada

I would like to bring your attention to a story I covered last August
about 1st Lt. Ehren Watada. The story covered his decision not to deploy
to Iraq and a speech he gave at the Veteran's for Peace National
Convention in Seattle last August. The full text of his speech can be
read here


In the weeks following that speech, I was contacted by the prosecuting
attorney from his court-martial and informed I was on the witness list.
I took up my own legal counsel, and while I remain on the prosecution’s
witness list, I have not been subpoenaed to testify against him in the
trial, which is set for February 5th.

Watada's case is critical for two main reasons.

If he is convicted for his speech charges, it sends a message to other
war resisters that they will be penalized for their speech more harshly
than even their decision not to deploy to Iraq. In addition, this sends
a chilling message to journalists who wish to cover their story – that
as a journalist you may be used as an arm of the prosecution to testify
against your sources.

This case has the potential to set precedent which would deleteriously
affect both free speech rights of service members of the U.S. military,
as well as journalists’ ability to cover those stories. It is important
to note that the Democratically controlled Congress has chosen NOT to
take a stand on either of these issues, when they could intervene on
both counts.

This, despite public outcry from countless media organizations and
mainstream organizations, like Military Reporters and Editors, who wrote
this statement:

"Army prosecutors have subpoenaed two journalists, Honolulu
Star-Bulletin reporter Gregg Kakesako, and Oakland,Calif., freelancer
Sarah Olson, to testify during a January pre-trial hearing at Fort
Lewis, Wash., in the case of an Army officer who denounced the war and
refused orders to deploy to Iraq."

"Responding to the situation, Military Reporters and Editors President
James W. Crawley said, "Trying to force a reporter to testify at a
court-martial sends the wrong signal to the media and the military."

"Reporters and photographers who cover the military have developed a
level of trust with America's fighting men and women to tell their
stories honestly, fairly and completely. Having military prosecutors
abuse that trust by forcing them to testify about matters that can be
ascertained by other witnesses and evidence, stifles that trust and
relationship between the media and military."

In addition, the National Press Club has issued this statement of support:

"The National Press Club today announced its opposition to the U.S.
Army's subpoenas of Oakland, Calif., freelance journalist Sarah Olson
and Honolulu Star Bulletin reporter Gregg Kakesako."

"The subpoenas call for the reporters to testify at the Feb. 5 court
martial of Army Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused to deploy to Iraq and made
several disparaging remarks about the conduct of the war. A petition
calling for the dismissal of the subpoena has been posted on the web."

Supporters of Sarah Olson and myself have set up this website


I urge you today, one week before the court-martial trial of Lt. Watada
begins, to go there and take action by signing the aforementioned
petition