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1st ID soldier jailed, discharged for refusing to deploy to Iraq

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  • 1st ID soldier jailed, discharged for refusing to deploy to Iraq

    1st ID soldier jailed, discharged for refusing to deploy to Iraq

    By Gina Cavallaro and Jane McHugh
    Times staff writers


    A 1st Infantry Division soldier in Germany who refused to deploy to Iraq, citing his Muslim beliefs against fighting fellow Muslims, was sentenced to 14 months confinement and given a bad conduct discharge, according to a published report.
    Sgt. 1st Class Abdullah Webster, 38 and with 18 years of Army service, pleaded guilty to two counts of disobeying a lawful order and one count of missing movement June 3 at a court-martial hearing, the military-owned newspaper Stars and Stripes reported June 7. He had applied to be a conscientious objector but was turned down at the unit level. His his appeal process is continuing, the newspaper said.

    Webster told his commanders he would not deploy based on guidance he received from Muslim clerics, one of whom, Air Force Capt. Hamza Al-Mubarak, testified for the defense that Webster had done the right thing, Stars and Stripes said.

    But it was pointed out at the court-martial by Webster’s former commander in a Kosovo peace keeping deployment, Lt. Col. Thomas Quigley, that Webster did not qualify as a conscientious objector because he was not opposed to all wars, just wars in Muslim countries, Quigley said.

    “I sincerely believe he was a devoted Muslim, and because of his devout faith he chose to put that before his Army duty and values,” said Lt. Col. Courtney Paul, executive officer of the 1st Infantry Division’s Engineer Brigade, who was commander of the 82nd Engineer Battalion when Webster submitted his conscientious objector packet.

    The division deployed to Iraq from its home base in Wuerzburg, Germany through the month of February

    “We knew this was going to happen,” Paul told Army Times.

    “He had made comments up to the last minute. But I wasn’t sure which way he would go until it came time for the call forward,” said Paul, at his brigade headquarters in Tikrit. Webster, he said, had made all the preparations to go and even loaded his duffel with all the other soldiers’ duffels just days before they left.

    “He said he would rather spend seven years in jail than fight Muslims. He said it was wrong for Muslims.”


    http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f...25-2997479.php
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

  • #2
    If these extremists and terrorists are his fellows, he shouldn't be in Iraq.
    No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
    I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
    even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
    He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

    Comment


    • #3
      A real odd fish.

      Lives and enjoys everything that is called USA and when the country needs him, he say he wont fight!

      What will happen if the Police also says they wont arrest a person of their own faith?!


      "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

      I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

      HAKUNA MATATA

      Comment


      • #4
        Here are some more who are having problems. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135636,00.html

        Comment


        • #5
          No simpathy for this guy, he joined the military knowing full well the enemy he may face could be of the Muslim faith, his muslim cleric should also be discharged as well IMO. I don't fault them for their faith but they are in the military to do a certain job. If you can't or won't do it, why join?
          Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.

          -- Larry Elder

          Comment


          • #6
            I dont understand, why do these people join the military and waste our tax dollars when they know fully that our prime enemies of the moment are of the Muslim religion and they know they wont fight a fellow Muslim? I have no problem fighting a fellow Christian while defending my country.

            Comment


            • #7
              exactly.

              Comment


              • #8
                I don't think he opted out because they were muslim enemies. He like many Christians and others in America, too might have felt that the war is not justified in Iraq.

                Although I believe, when you're given an order in the military, you've got to follow it. You fellow soldiers are going to war to fight an adversary to your nation and you should protect the nation, no matter what. Your Nation comes first.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I wonder if the soldiers are to decide if they will go for a war that has been decided by their elected democratic govt (it is immaterial whether the war is for the right or wrong reasons as per the said soldier).

                  To use religion or community as a 'shield' for not going to war or an active area where the chances of being killed is high, is wrong from the code and ethics of soldiering - it is not to reason why, it is not to make reply.

                  In India, it is fortunate that religious or community exceptions is not asked or demanded as a reason not to be sent to war or active duty. If that were the case, then the Indian JAK Light Infantry (composed of Kashmiri Moslems) and the many Moslems soldiers in various units of the Indian army (rifle companies composed of Moslem like the units of the Raj Rif, Grenadiers etc) would not fight in the Siachen or in the Indo - Pak Wars.

                  Likewise, the Madras Regiment units (composed of Tamil rifle companies) would not have gone to Sri Lanka.

                  Religion should not be mixed with soldiering as religion should not be mixed with politics.


                  "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                  I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                  HAKUNA MATATA

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Asim Aquil
                    I don't think he opted out because they were muslim enemies. He like many Christians and others in America, too might have felt that the war is not justified in Iraq.

                    Although I believe, when you're given an order in the military, you've got to follow it. You fellow soldiers are going to war to fight an adversary to your nation and you should protect the nation, no matter what. Your Nation comes first.
                    You are right. The court-martial should sentence him for life or death. What he did amounts to mutiny as his nation is at war. In times of war mutiny is punishable by death even in our army.

                    Cheers!...on the rocks!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Ray
                      Religion should not be mixed with soldiering as religion should not be mixed with politics.
                      True sir. Since you have served in the North eastern sectors in India. You could elaborate on how Indian troops keep the nation first and then there beliefs. I know of a christian officer from a para cdo unit who gave third degree to a village priest and uncovered a cache of arms from a village church.

                      I was told by an instructor once that during a cordon and search operation in a Kashmiri village house was being searched that belonged to one of his troops. On being asked as to way he did not stop the company commander from searching his house. The soldier said that he did not want to interfere in the units operation.

                      I thank my stars for having the good fortune of having served with such selfless troops.

                      Cheers!...on the rocks!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Asim Aquil
                        I don't think he opted out because they were muslim enemies.
                        Unless this bit is true: “He said he would rather spend seven years in jail than fight Muslims. He said it was wrong for Muslims.”
                        I don't suppose it could be too wrong though, the "freedom fighters" in Iraq largely target Muslims.
                        No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
                        I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
                        even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
                        He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          This soldier is setting a bad trend in the US forces. In furure the US army/navy/airforce/marines will think twice before recruiting muslims. Earlier, just before the 2nd Gulf War some idiot muslim marine threw a grenade in this unit and killed/injured some of his buddies. If this segregation starts they (muslims) will cry discrimination and injustice.

                          Cheers!...on the rocks!!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            its all very well to gob off about 'obeying orders' and 'country first', but when a society follows that path it ends up with a society and army like germany's in 1933, through its slavish devotion to military discipline it found its self morally unable to challenge hitler even though it wanted to.

                            western nations should just accept that this will happen sometimes, the soldier doesn't want to be there, his comrades probably don't want him there, so he should go home.

                            no soldier fights well because he fears imprisonment, so only a fool would send the unwilling.
                            before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Angel,

                              Have you been a soldier?

                              Let's say that you are civilian. Would you like to be in jail for 7 years?

                              'Jail' and 'shame' are great motivating factors are not honourific appendages I assure you.

                              At least in my part of the world.

                              I don't know how the rest of the world would cope with being a shamless individual and a jailbird.

                              But if it is OK where you live, then who am I to dispute?
                              Last edited by Ray; 07 Nov 04,, 20:44.


                              "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                              I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                              HAKUNA MATATA

                              Comment

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