Have you checked out The Hot Seat?

It's our new blog that brings in your elected leaders and people in the news and lets you ask the questions.

On The Hot Seat this week was Bob Watada, father of Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, answering readers' questions during our live chat about Ehren's refusal to deploy to Iraq.

Below is an excerpt from that Hot Seat session. To see the full conversation, go to http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com and click on "In The Hot Seat: Bob Watada." (Names of questioners are screen names given during the chat.)

Koauka: How do you deal with fellow veterans who served in the military, especially the AJA who served in the 442 and 100th Battalion? I truly understand what Ehren stands for. But, when you sign up for military service, aren't you bound to your duty regardless what the commander in chief decides?

Bob Watada: There are many fellow veterans in and out of the military that support Ehren, including the 442 and 100th. Ehren has relatives and an uncle that was killed in Korea and is very proud of the veterans that fought and died for our country. Thanks to them, we have the Constitution that we have today. An officer swears to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and does not swear to blindly follow whatever the commander in chief orders. The Army manual clearly states that an officer only follows lawful orders. Further, the Nuremburg Tribunal clearly demonstrates that civilians and military people are not above prosecution for the commission of war crimes. There are horrendous war crimes being committed in Iraq.

Ken Chang: Your son requested Afghanistan deployment, but if sent there and given an objective order, but all of his men decide like him that this war is illegal too, how would he respond? Accomplish the mission?

Bob Watada: If Ehren were in Afghanistan, and it was determined that he would be committing war crimes, he would take a principled stand to not follow through with the commission of a crime. The president clearly violated the Constitution. Read Article 6 and you will see that we are obligated to follow the mandates of the United Nations Charter.

Warren Kundis: An Appeal for Redress has now been signed by 1,608 active-duty, active reserve and Guard signatures asking Congress to bring them home. How do you see what they have done in comparison to Ehren's stance? And concerning the ACLU's friend of the court brief submitted to the court during the article 32 hearing: Why did the ACLU not comment on charge No. 1, missing as part of freedom of speech? Has the ACLU explained that point? Give my Salaam to Ehren.

Bob Watada: The appeal for redress signers are fellow soldiers that feel exactly as Ehren. They are making an appeal that the occupation is illegal and immoral and that the U.S. Army should immediately withdraw from Iraq. The ACLU did not comment on the missing a movement charge, because constitutionally protected speech was not involved.

America1: The current American soldiers that enlist into our voluntary military all obey and serve the commanders, generals and the president: 99 percent obey the orders given. Your son did not.

Why? You've both stated in the media — it is an illegal war that we are fighting in the Middle East. Do you think this is all about oil?

Bob Watada: My son has said that every soldier and every citizen has to follow what their conscience tells them what is right. There are many, perhaps more than the majority of the soldiers that agree with Lt. Ehren Watada. It has been estimated that over 40,000 soldiers have gone AWOL, and many others that are refusing to carry out orders in the field. As for why Bush ordered the military to the Middle East, it is no coincidence that he is tied to the Houston oil group, Rice is tied to Chevron, Cheney is tied to Halliburton, and the war profiteers like Bechtel have a vested interest in Iraq. It is all about economic greed for the U.S. corporations, and has absolutely nothing to do with U.S. national security.

Wharfrat: Why did your son take the benefits and freedoms this country offered but refuse to pay the price for them? Will he repay all monies spent on him while in the Army?

Bob Watada: My son is speaking out to protect the freedoms that we have in this country. Bush is trying to take away the freedoms we enjoy under the Constitution. My son has served with distinction in Korea and would serve where our nation is being attacked. In Iraq, there is absolutely no enemy that we are fighting. We are using the military to provide security and cover for the oil interests and the corporations that want the war profits. Oil is not for this country. The oil interests want to control oil resources in Iraq so the companies can control the world price of oil and their profits.

John K: For Ehren to get to this point, he must have felt he exhausted all his options. Did he?

Bob Watada: Ehren exhausted all options, including asking for a reassignment to another unit not going to Iraq, resigning, having (lawyer Eric Seitz) explore alternatives, and he also explored the route of a conscientious objector.