Between Iraq and a Hard Place

A friend of mine sent me this article. It details the case of Lt. Watada, who is rejecting orders to deploy to Iraq, on grounds that the war is illegal. He is obviously taking harsh criticism from people who believe the military and its constituents should follow orders unconditionally. Watada, unfortunately, is in a uniquely terrible position. He has military precendent that tells him that following orders does not protect him from trial and inprisionment. Recall the case of Lynndie England, a US Army reservist linked to the Abu Ghraib Prison abuse scandal. She defended her actions in the following 2 ways: 1. On May 4, 2005 Col. James Pohl tossed out her plea bargain as new testimony by Pvt. Graner suggested that Pfc. England did not know her actions were wrong at the time. 2. England reportedly said that she was "instructed by persons in higher ranks" to commit the acts of abuse for psyop reasons, and that she should keep doing it, because it worked as intended. England noted that she felt "weird" when a commanding officer asked her to do such things as "stand there, give the thumbs up, and smile". This defense was not acceptable, and England was sentenced to 3 years in prision. For following orders, to hear her tell it. What advice should we give Watada? 1. Follow the orders, and possibly be put in jail; even if he does not realize the actions are wrong now. 2. Refuse the orders, and go to jail anyway. Good luck to him.