Trial of US Army officer who refused to go to Iraq

Описание: (6 Feb 2007)

1. Exterior of Fort Lewis
2. Sketch of Ehren Watada and judge
3. Pan of sketch from judge to Watada
4. Various sketches shot of defence lawyer Eric Seitz, Watada and the judge
5. Ehren Watada supporters carry sign reading "Thank you Lt. Watada, You Stand For Us, We Stand for You"
6. Protesters on road overpass holding signs and yellow ribbons
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Tivana, Watada supporter:
"Impeach George Bush because of his illegal war and to support Lieutenant Watada and his gallant stand against the illegal and immoral war of George Bush."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Boyd, Watada supporter:
"He could not stand for this war. He had to, he didn't want to be a conscientious objector. He said this war is illegal and that is his stand. It is not that he is against all wars he feels defence is important. He is an honourable person. He says this war is illegal."
9. Zoom out of signs reading: "Thank you Ehren Watada" and "Courage to Resist - Support the Troops that Refuse to Fight"
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eiya Wolfe, Watada supporter:
"He didn't refuse any military service. He refused to go to Iraq because he beleives that war is illegal. He did not refuse to go to Afghanistan and yet they refused to deploy him to Afghanistan. I disagree wholeheartedly with what the military is doing."
11. Anti-Watada protesters with signs reading 'Al Qaeda Loves Watada' and 'Wah, Wah, Watada" and "Watada meet your Cellmate Bubba"
13. SOUNBITE: (English) Shelley Weber, Anti-Watada Protester:
"Who says it's illegal. The war resisters might say it's illegal, that is not for Watada to decide whether it is an illegal war or not. He volunteered for this and he, his actions are traitorous in my eyes. In earlier days he would have been taken out and shot."
14. Protesters at side of road with Shelly Weber UPSOUND (English) 'Hey, Watada, you're in the army now or did you forget."

STORYLINE

The judge in the case against the first US officer charged with refusing to deploy to Iraq barred several experts in international and constitutional law from testifying about the legality of the war on Monday .

In the Fort Lewis court martial, the military judge, Lt. Col. John Head refused almost all the defence witnesses in the case against 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, of Honolulu who is charged with missing movement for refusing to ship out with his unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Watada is also faces charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for accusing the Army of war crimes and denouncing the administration for conducting an "illegal war" founded on "lies."

The judge agreed with the military that the international and constitutional law experts would be irrelevant.

Head has already ruled that Lieutenant Ehren Watada (wuh-TOD'-uh) cannot base his defence on the legality of the war.

Demonstrators supporting Watada paraded near Fort Lewis, some calling for the President George W. Bush to be impeached.

Eiya Wolfe, a Watada supporter, said that the 28-year-old lieutenant refused to go to Iraq as he believed it was an illegal war.

"He refused to go to Iraq because he feels that war is illegal. He did not refuse to go to Afghanistan and yet they refused to deploy him to Afghanistan," she said.

Those against Watada's stand demanded his imprisonment.

"The war resisters may say it's illegal, that is not for Watada to decide whether it is an illegal war or not. He volunteered for this and he, his actions are traitorous in my eyes. In earlier days he would have been taken out and shot," said Shelly Webber.







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