Iraq War Resister Lt. Ehren Watada Allowed to Resign from the Military

Ehren Watada, the first commissioned U.S. military officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, has won permission to resign. The U.S. Army has ceased their three-year attempt to court-martial Watada. Rather than seek a second court-martial, the Army will grant Watada a discharge under "other than honorable conditions."

Lt. Watada, a Hawaiian native, told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that he was "glad to finally bring this chapter to a close and to move on. The actual outcome is different from the outcome that I envisioned in the first place, but I am grateful of the outcome."

Watada said he was "thankful to the people from all walks of life that supported me and agreed with my stand."

Watada won a crucial legal verdict last spring when a U.S. District Judge issued a preliminary injunction in favor of Lt. Ehren Watada, against Army plans to stage a second court-martial of Ehren Watada.

Ken Kagan, one of Watada's Seattle attorneys, said that Watada had previously offered a number of times to resign, and each time, it was rejected. Kagan said discharging Watada "under other than honorable conditions" was a "face-saving device" for the Army and called Watada "a hero and a patriot." The Army agreed to the resignation this month.

"It is our belief that history will treat Lt. Watada far more favorably than the United States Army sees fit to regard him now."

His father, Bob Watada, who had spoken widely for his son, said that he was very happy and that "he did the right thing. I supported him all the way, and I continue to support him."

Watada had refused to deploy in June 2006. He had been charged with conduct unbec oming an officer for making public statements about Bush. He also said that the Iraq war was based on false premises such as the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda.

It is unclear what Watada will do next.