BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- A first U.S. Army officer who refused an order to deploy to Iraq was court-martialled Monday as protests in his support were organized in several cities across the United States.

    1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, of Honolulu, faces a charge of missing movements when he refused to ship out to Iraq with his brigade last summer, and two charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for statements criticizing the war as illegal and immoral.

    Watada pleaded not guilty on the charges.

    Supporters of the officer -- including Hollywood celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, organized a demonstration outside Fort Lewis, the military base where his court martial trial got underway Monday 70 kilometers south of Seattle in the state of Washington.

    The charges stem from public comments Watada made encouraging soldiers "to throw down their weapons" to resist an authoritarian government at home.

    The charges cite statements Watada made on June 6 defending his decision on the basis that U.S. president George Bush initiated an illegal and immoral war.

    
    "I could never conceive of our leader betraying the trust we had in him. As I read about the level of deception the Bush administration used to initiate and process this war, I was shocked. I became ashamed of wearing the uniform. If the president can betray my trust, it's time for me to evaluate what he's telling me to do," Watada said, according to the court martial charge sheet.

    Watada could face up to four years in prison and a dishonorable discharge if he is convicted on all charges.

    Watada's case has garnered significant support in a nation that has turned sharply against the Iraq war.

    Mike Honda, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said last week that Watada volunteered for the military in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks "out of a desire to protect his family and compatriots."

    Watada joined the army in 2003 and was posted in South Korea until 2005, when he was transferred to Fort Lewis to prepare for deployment to Iraq.

    Instead he requested to be transferred to another unit and proposed that he be deployed to Afghanistan. That was turned down.

    A military panel will now decide if Watada's criticism of the war amounted to officer misconduct -- whether it posed a danger to the loyalty, discipline, mission and morale of the troops.

    (Agencies)