were illegal. general john hiden said his first obligation is to follow the law and not just the orders of the commander in chief. >> i provide advice to the president. he will me what to do. if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen. i will say mr. president. that's illegal. he will say what would be legal and we will come up with a mix of options. that's the way it works. it's not that complicated. >> cnn pentagon correspondent is here. the authority to launch nuclear weapons. what would constitute an illegal versus legal order. >> it's not complicated, but it is one of the most sensitive things out there. as the senate hearing reminded everyone, it is the president of the united states that has the