US soldier refuses to serve in "illegal war"

[Cooter]

Friday May 16, 2008

Matthis Chiroux is the kind of young American US military recruiters love.
"I was from a poor, white family from the south, and I did badly in school," the now 24-year-old told AFP.

"I was 'filet mignon' for recruiters. They started phoning me when I was in 10th grade," or around 16 years old, he added.

Chiroux joined the US army straight out of high school nearly six years ago, and worked his way up from private to sergeant.

He served in Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines and was due to be deployed next month in Iraq.

On Thursday, he refused to go, saying he considers Iraq an illegal war.

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq," Chiroux said in the sun-filled rotunda of a congressional building in Washington.

"My decision is based on my desire to no longer continue violating my core values to support an illegal and unconstitutional occupation... I refuse to participate in the Iraq occupation," he said, as a dozen veterans of the five-year-old Iraq war looked on.


Full story here:
US soldier refuses to serve in 'illegal Iraq war'

[HK4U]

Here is a question perhaps some of you can answer for me. In the last 50 years or so out of all the so called "wars" we have been in how many did we actually have congress vote to declare war. It seems our presidents both Republicans and Democrats always manage to skirt the constitution by having a "police action" or some such.

[kwo51]

One the war on drugs, and we are losing it.

[tcotariu]

I seem to recall Congress voting for the war in Iraq. I believe that makes it legal. To some it may not be “right” as the “rightness” of something can be subjective depending on a persons moral and ethical values, but that is different than being legal.

[toreskha]

I'm so tired of hearing about the supposed "illegality" of this war. It's not illegal. What's a "legal" war, anyway? The entire concept is stupid. Calling it "immoral" is also nonapplicable, because morality really isn't part of the game plan in war. That's like talking about a healthy chili cookoff. War is amoral, and any overtones about liberation or morality are just motivational propaganda.

This war is badly conceived, non-strategic, a waste of time, money, resources and lives, and almost completely irrelevant to our goals, but it is neither illegal nor immoral. Contrary to what we've heard, democracies in the Mideast are neither feasible nor would they really have any positive impact on us. Would it make the oil any cheaper? No - democracies, although stable, tend to make things more expensive.

[Red Hat]

That's Ok...Leavenworth has plenty for him to do!

[NDS]

Originally Posted by Red Hat

That's Ok...Leavenworth has plenty for him to do!

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that Leavenworth was no longer employed. I thought these types are given some kind of 'other-than-honorable' discharge and let go.

[Red Hat]

If they get sentenced to maximum security they go to The United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Any court-martial conviction is a Felony and the sentence can vary. Leavenworth is alive and thriving...

U.S. Disciplinary Barracks

[HK4U]

I remember the solder that refused to serve under the U.N or its command a few years back. He was court marshaled. He should have been given a medal.

[NDS]

Originally Posted by Red Hat

If they get sentenced to maximum security they go to The United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Any court-martial conviction is a Felony and the sentence can vary. Leavenworth is alive and thriving...

U.S. Disciplinary Barracks

I see you began with "If" so I still wonder what the chances are the military will take this course rather than just divest the service of him. Interesting to see that Leavenworth still contains a military prison. As I said, the impression I've gotten recently is that discipline had changed and prison was a much less likely option.

Thanks for the link--as a lifelong civilian, the workings of the military can appear bewildering to me.