Victory for sailor who said no to war

In a significant victory for Iraq war resisters, a Navy judge decided not to send sailor Pablo Paredes to jail for refusing to board a ship bound for Iraq.

Citing “a higher duty to my conscience and to the supreme law of the land,” Paredes, 23, had rejected offers of lighter punishment in exchange for a guilty plea.

He told the judge, “I am guilty of believing this war is illegal. I am guilty of believing war in all forms is immoral and useless, and I am guilty of believing that as a service member I have a duty to refuse to participate in this war because it is illegal.” (Click here for Paredes’ statement)

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CONTRIBUTOR

Susan Webb

Susan Webb is a retired co-editor of People's World. She has written on a range of topics both international - the Iraq war, World Social Forums in Brazil and India, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and controversy over the U.S. role in Okinawa - and domestic - including the meaning of socialism for Americans, attacks on Planned Parenthood, the U.S. as top weapons merchant, and more. Previously she taught English as a second language and did a variety of other jobs to pay the bills. She has lived in six states, and is all about motherhood, art, nature and apple pie.