Here in Western Europe, many political issues are seen differently than they are in the U.S. For example, right from the beginning, several western European countries - notably Germany and France - were against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. They did not believe there was conclusive evidence that Iraq was harboring instruments of mass destruction.
Perhaps this difference in perspective results from Europe's location and its past history. The Middle East is much closer to Europe than the U.S., and many older people still vividly remember the destruction and chaos World War II brought directly into their countries. Here, waging war isn't entered into lightly.
With this background in mind, the case of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada has sparked significant media interest in Western Europe. Watada was the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq. He said he took this action because in his view the war is illegal and he did not want to be a "party to war crimes."
Watada voluntarily joined the armed forces. At the time, he was convinced he was doing the right thing. He wanted to defend his country against the threats from Iraq. However, since then, those threats were shown to be over-exaggerated. Watada said he was no longer able to serve in Iraq under false pretenses. He did not refuse to serve altogether - he simply refused deployment into a war he believed to be illegal.
Many have said that a military man must follow orders. But as Watada noted, following illegal orders would mean that he also would be breaking the law. This has happened in the past, notably the My Lai incident during the Vietnam War. And other cases may be coming up in the near future, as calls to investigate the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay become louder.
Both incidents cite the merits of "disobedience." In both cases, the reputation and even safety of the entire United States - and its citizens - was and has been put at risk. To be an American today in Europe is not easy. There is a lot of disillusionment and anger over many U.S. political decisions. Recent reports of CIA kidnappings and torture of "Middle Eastern" looking men from third party countries haven't helped to quell the resentment. Two of those abducted were innocent German nationals, one held and tortured for five years without trial in Guantanamo Bay.
Many say that Watada's actions denigrate the honor of the Japanese Americans who served in World War II. However, as evidence grows, similarities between the two wars have faded. As the majority of Americans now realize, the Iraq conflict was entered into under false pretenses. It is being called a "war of aggression" which was not sanctioned by the UN.
WWII, on the other hand, was a battle for the existence of America and its allies. To say that Watada's actions diminish the honor of past JA veterans ignores the evidence of the vast differences between the two wars.
It seems even the best legal minds are having problems defining this case. Before the trial started, the U.S. military court decided that charges against Watada would be limited to whether or not he refused to follow orders. They have, from the beginning, chosen to ignore the issue of the legality of the war. Ironically, exactly that denial of the bigger issue is what caused the mistrial ruling on the 8th of February.
Amnesty International has been hugely interested in this case. They believe that imprisoning Watada would be a denial of human rights. In light of the view in other parts of the world that this war should never have taken place - and with increasing allegations that President George Bush should himself be charged with war crimes - the outcome of this case will have repercussions around the world. No, Ehren Watada's fight is by no means just an American incident.
When one considers that in German the word "Ehren" means "Honor," Lt. Watada's actions seem somehow fitting from this side of the world.
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