Cindy is back and has begun a summer long hunger strike.  She has stated she intends to only drink water for the next 3 months or so, or until the troops come home.  I am betting the strike ends first.

As reported at Michael Moore:

GSFP and Code Pink are sponsoring a hunger strike for peace which begins July 04, called Troops Home Fast Some of us like Dick Gregory and Diane Wilson will be fasting until the troops come home from Iraq, and some, like me, will be fasting for a specified time. My fast will begin on 7/04 and end on the last day of Camp Casey: 09/02.

We are announcing the fast from Washington, DC on 07/04 and having our last supper on 07/03 in Lafayette Park.

If you can join us in DC on the 3rd and 4th, or fast in solidarity with us on that day, or any other time, please let me know.

Love and peace soon,
Cindy

Peace or pizza?

Anyway, the link above leads to the official site which says:

 The fasters are demanding that we bring our troops home from Iraq. They want the White House and Congress to call for:

• The withdrawal of all U.S. from Iraq;
• No permanent bases in Iraq;
• A commitment to fund a massive reconstruction effort but with funds going to Iraqi, not U.S., contractors.

That’s a new twist, they want to elimi’nate contractors….oh. wait….I get it…Halliburton.  Gotcha.

Our fasters now include Cindy Sheehan; actress Susan Sarandon, environmentalist Diane Wilson; comedian Dick Gregory; singer Willie Nelson; Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches; Dr. E. Faye Williams, National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women; Colonel Ann Wright; Iraq veteran Geoffrey Millard; Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women; and CODEPINK cofounders Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans and Gael Murphy.

Couple of famous names there, Susan Sarandon and Willie Nelson.  A 3 month fast is a serious thing, so I wonder how these people intend to make a living?

The inevitible has happened.  The Army has formally charge LT Watada for his refusal to deply.

Army Files Three Charges Against Lt. Watada

The Army filed three charges Wednesday, including conduct unbecoming an officer, against a lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq last month because he believes the war there is illegal.

Military lawyers calculated that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, could face nearly eight years in prison and a dishonorable discharge if convicted, said his attorney, Eric Seitz of Honolulu. The other charges are missing movement and contempt toward officials.

I still maintain he is lucky.  He is disobeying a superior officer in a time of war, a charge that carries the death penalty.  He is fortunate that cool heads have prevailed.

By the way…I wonder which military lawyers they consulted?  I think for the 3 charges filed, they are being generous.  Let’s break them down.

The first (conduct unbecoming) is Article 133, the second (missing movement) is Article 87, and the final (comtempt towards officials) is Article 88.

Article 88 carries a max of one year imporisonment and dishonorable discharge.:

“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

I suppose by calling the president a liar, this qualifies.

Article 87 carries dishonorasble discharge and 2 years.

“Any person subject to this chapter who through neglect or design misses the movement of a ship, aircraft, or unit with which he is required in the course of duty to move shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

The law makes allowances for neglect or design, and this is clearly missing deployment by design, the higher penalty.

The final one has an unusual penalty.  It does not set one down specifically, it is based on similar acts in the UCMJ.  That is likely the uncertainty factor.