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Navy Files Charges Against Pablo Paredes
Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo E. Paredes decided to protest the Iraq war by not sailing with his ship when it left San Diego Harbor on Dec. 6. And holding a press conference about it Yesterday, the Navy decided to charge Paredes, 23, with being absent without leave and missing movement, charges that could send him to military prison for as long as a year and limit his employment options. The action by the Navy surprised Paredes, who made headlines and drew supporters and critics with his stance. "Consequences? Nobody told me there would be consequences!" "I showed up at the base expecting to hear whether the local Navy command had approved my conscientious objector status. Instead I was read the charges against," said Paredes, who is on temporary "It's ironic. The other day marked the two-year anniversary of a war that was criminal from the beginning, and today I get charged for not participating in it," said Paredes, a weapons control technician who joined the service in 2000. it's not "ironic". It's sublime, asshat Attorney Jeremy Warren, who represented Paredes, hopes the Navy will follow the recommendations of one of its chaplains and grant his client conscientious objector status. "I'm still optimistic that the Navy will do the right thing" and agree with a chaplain who said that "it was morally imperative that the conscientious objector status be granted," Warren said. Warren said the Navy could deem Paredes a conscientious objector and still prosecute him, although he hoped the latter would not happen. Not gonna happen. He's too high-profile and too bigga mouth (even bigger than Chuck Simmins) No date has been set for the court-martial. If there was a bright spot yesterday, Paredes' brother Victor said, it was that the process is finally moving. LOL"At least now we have a clear and definite direction to work in," said Victor, who lives in New York City. "It is definitely a lot more concerning when you are in limbo." Paredes agreed. "At least we are moving somewhere. I want to be out of the military, and this is moving toward that." But there could be a detour, said Jeremiah J. Sullivan III, a San Diego attorney who represents military defendants. "The big thing is that they want to give him a bad conduct discharge and maybe some brig time. With a bad conduct discharge, he'd find it difficult to get a job with the state or federal government." Or any other patriotic companyIn December, Paredes called several members of the media to tell them of his one-man boycott. Then he turned up pier-side wearing a shirt that read: "Like a Cabinet Member, I Resign." Unlike a Cabinet Member, you have a committment of time and to take orders. Wasn't a problem til you found out that it might mean getting shot at. Coward and Grandstander. Ward Churchill's illegitimate son Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-26 |
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