HONOLULU -- President George W. Bush's announcement on Tuesday to increase troops in Iraq did not prevent Hawaii soldier Lt. Ehren Watada from speaking out at a packed public forum.

Watada faces a court-martial next month. Watada will leave Hawaii to return to Fort Lewis, Wash., for his military trial.

Supporters waging their own campaign against the war in Iraq flocked to the Church of the Crossroads on Tuesday night to hear him speak.

The 28-year-old Hawaii-born Army officer became known across the country after he became the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq.

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Join the discussion on Watada's refusal to deploy to Iraq.

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Watada said he believes the war is illegal. He told the packed house that he realized it only after he signed up for the Army.

"I fell for it," Watada said. "I believed in our leaders and like many other Americans, I asked 'What could I do for my country?'"

While in training, he said he realized that the soldiers "were used and defrauded manipulated."

Watada said he was in turmoil about what to do.

"I looked at the consequences for both. To challenge the system was to stand up against insurmountable odds," he said. "I felt I had no choice."

Watada said that he is willing to pay the price for his decision, and he wishes others would stand up with him.

"I hated to leave my troops, but something had to be done to stop this insanity," he said.

Watada is charged with missing a troop movement and for conduct unbecoming of an officer. The artillery officer is the first objector since 1965 to be prosecuted by the military.

He faces a maximum of six years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.

Reporters were not allowed to ask Watada what he thought of the president's plan to increase troops in Iraq.