1
War is always the same.
It is young men dying in the
fullness of their promise.
It is trying to kill a man...
That you do not even know
well enough to hate.
It is a crime against mankind...
That so much courage and so much will...
And so many dreams...
Must be flung on the fires of war and death.
We, therefore, say again tonight,
let us choose peace...
And with it the wondrous works of peace.
And the decision that I made in
Cambodia will save those lives.
It will bring the peace
that we all want, in my opinion.
We shall completely destroy
Japan's power to make war.
I hate war!
He counted on America to be passive.
He counted wrong.
The United States will lead the
way, and we expect our allies...
To walk with us hand in hand.
No nation...
Will be permitted to brutally
assault its neighbor.
I call upon chairman khrushchev...
To halt and eliminate...
This clandestine, reckless...
And provocative threat to world peace.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe
we can have peace with honor.
2007 is the year...
In which the unacceptable military
threat imposed by China...
Will come to a halt!
And to those who challenge my resolve,
I give you two simple words:
Try me.
The president, on the other hand,
has spent the day in Colorado.
First flying into the air force academy...
Where he gave a speech on the presence
of American troops in Korea...
And later spending the day at his
Colorado campaign headquarters...
In downtown Colorado Springs.
So at this point, how long
is the operation going to last?
I know governor romer had called
fort Carson national guard...
To be able to be motivated, be
able to help in this situation.
We're also getting reports
from the pikes peak area...
That there was a huge snowstorm going there.
That's where the president is, of course.
It's supposed to be near blizzard conditions.
As far as we know,
the snowstorm has hit Colorado
just within the past hour.
Most Colorado citizens voted
in the morning or after work.
Eagle leader one,
we're below five Miles an hour.
Regs require us to find a nest.
Recon had the diner a half a click up.
Roger that, scout leader.
Jesus Christ, where the fuck are we?

It hasn't even been ten minutes.
It has been ten minutes.
What is she doing, trying
to win a talent contest?
Maybe she thinks we're not going anywhere.
That's not for her to think.
For all she knows, I got a
sled and ten siberian huskies.
I just want to get this paid for.
Come on, Liz. Lizzie.
You made the same mistake
you made a million times.
I told you before. Don't move
out your queen too early.
Look, you play your game.
I'll play mine. Okay?
Good evening and welcome to this special
edition of the ibs evening news.
I'm Gerald Irving. Presidential
primaries were held today...
In Connecticut and Colorado.
The polls are a few minutes away from
closing in the rocky Mountain state...
And have been closed now
for two hours on the east coast.
As of this morning, president
Emerson is leading... hey, harv.
- How 'bout we put the nuggets' game on?
- Talk to Katie.
- Care to watch the nuggets?
- The game was snowed out, ralphie.
I can't believe you don't
care about this stuff.
Please.
"Snowed out."
How do you snow out a basketball game?
Basketball's a bullshit sport anyway.
The president is losing by fewer than three
percentage point. Bunch of genetic freaks...
Of fuckin's nature, if you ask me.
It ain't the stimulatin' exercise like pool,
Let me tell you something about
this here game of pool, all right?
Harv, it's all angles.
You know, you hit a ball
here, it goes this way.
You hit a ball there, it goes thatta way.
All geometry.
- Who you calling now?
- Sally.
Can't you leave that poor girl alone?
It's almost midnight over there.
I don't pay that girl to be left alone.
You should lay your king down.
You're a loser here.
Hey, sal.
What's goin' on with the japs?
This might be the most emotional
election in recent American history.
A popular president dies, a very loyal
vice president takes the reins.
It seems a natural continuum.
But we should bear in mind that Emerson
was an appointed vice president.
After vice president Buchanan
was forced to resign,
less than 50 percent of Americans
backed Emerson's appointment.
- You're breaking up.
- Listen. Can you hear me?
You're breaking up.
The over/under's about 200.
Okay, if it comes in
less than... shit.
Here you go, boys and girls. I'll take it.
Wishful thinking, don't you think?
Maybe you guys want to start a tab.
I love your accent.
Are you from France?
I speak French, but I'm not from France.
She's from Canada, Lizzie.
Probably Quebec?
Bravo, monsieur!
That one is on me.
Did I ask for that?
What the fuck is up with this burger, harv?
What are you talkin' about?
There's something crunchy in it.
There's something crunchy
in this fucking hamburger.
It's lettuce, ralphie.
Eat it.
Hamburgers are supposed
to be juicy, not crunchy.
Come on, Lizzie.
I'm thinking.
I'm thinking about what you're thinking.
That's what you told me to do.
I didn't think it would take this long.
Do you want me to tell you my strategy?
I'll tell you what my plan is. Then
you can... if I lose, I lose. Okay?
It's not like it's the fall of the Republic.
That's the problem.
"If I lose, I lose."
It means nothing to you?
It's a problem? Because it's a game.
So, why are we playing?
He put fuckin'... could you try
not to complain for once?
You know it is the best food for Miles.
It's the only food for Miles.
It's only anything for Miles. Let
me ask you this question, harv.
When's the last time you had
an inspection here?
You're supposed to do that, make
sure it's clean. That's it.
Get the hell out. Come on, Harvey.
Take it easy.
No, no. When a man
insults my joint,
he insults the memory of my father.
Your father ever see you
in that chef boyardee hat?
Why you keep messin' with me?
It's a sacred trust. You put
something in somebody's food...
Where did they come from?
Hi.
I sure thought I'd seen the end of
customers for the night. Excuse me.
Yeah, standard perimeter
deployment. Exodus is in.
I need reports into channel 34 on the stat.
I need delta team in six minutes.
Hi, I'm special agent Dexter.
Do-do you guys want a booth?
No, thank you, ma'am.
This is special agent Williams.
Hello. Hi. You the proprietor?
I'm the proprietor, sir.
Do we have a problem here?
I'm no stranger to law enforcement...
Don't make a production out of it, honey.
Good evening, folks. Hi,
good evening. Hello.
I'm special agent Dexter.
This is special agent Williams.
With your permission, we need to see some
identification, check your person for weapons.
Sure. What's this all about?
Is there a problem, sir? Well,
there most certainly is.
Lizzie, sit down.
Lizzie.
Come on, Taylor. They're
just trying to do their job.
Mr. Taylor? All right. My
first name's Taylor. Right.
Yeah, check her out.
- Taylor Fletcher woods.
- And this is Lizzie Clark woods.
Ms. woods.
Hey, how did you do that?
It's not cool they know who we are.
What's the juice here? How do we
know you are who you say you are?
Mr. woods.
Taylor...
I'd sure appreciate some cooperation here.
Emerson's a different breed than we thought.
He seems disposed to continuing
the deceased president's...
Hard-line approach
on north Korea,
committing to keeping the vast
majority of U.S. troops there...
Fucked up my camera. Thank you, Mr.
Emerson. Send Noah to Colorado.
At least you got loaded up
on some good stuff today.
We got you some good stuff! Good footage.
Any minute, there's gonna be a crazy
mob breaking in through here.
That's not a problem, Mr. Howard.
You got that area cleared?
It's all secure, sir.
Thank you.
Good footage.
Real stuff we want.
Staged footage.
Make it real for once.
There's no egress, but post in the kitchen.
Trump, victorious in Connecticut.
We got bravo team on the roof...
president Emerson's campaign...
Seems to riding a crest of sentiment.
It's freezing out there!
Selecting Theodore slater from Wyoming.
No statement yet from the
president, who, as we said,
is in Colorado.
Thanks, bill.
President Emerson may find himself
as the first nonelected incumbent...
To win his party's nomination
since Gerald Ford in 1976.
Given Emerson's lack of
experience in political posts,
the rumors of an impending
shake-up in his cabinet...
Have taken on a new importance.
You're on.
Okay.
You know who that is? My God.
Delta team is in position.
Hi. Pleased. Walt Emerson. No kidding.
Walt Emerson.
My God!
Harvey.
I'm really so excited. Please tell
me you're old enough to vote.
What is your name? Katie.
Suppose you tell me about
the specialty de LA Maison.
We've got a great chicken pot
pie and chicken croquette...
- Mr. president, a second opinion's in order here.
- Please.
The chiliburger is harv's specialty.
He's a monster at it.
I call it my usual. Yeah. Is that right?
Pleasure to meet you, sir. My pleasure.
Chiliburger, Fine, then. Absolutely.
Let's see what this fella's raving about.
Chiliburger it is.
- Would your friends like something?
- Yes. Order up, everybody.
- What did you say your name was?
- Katie.
- I'd love a cup of Joe.
- Sure.
Coffee all around?
Ma'am?
Nothing, thanks. We're
gonna be here a spell.
There's a lot of white stuff
between here and air force one.
Good thing I got my campaigning in.
Absolutely.
- I didn't vote.
- Katie. Could have used you out there today.
I'm sure you did fine.
That's what they're telling
me, but perhaps your vote...
Could have taken me from victory to mandate.
He looks a lot older than on TV.
Okay. Looking forward
to that chiliburger.
Don't say anything stupid, okay?
You're telling me that?
He's coming over.
How do I look?
Hi there. Walt Emerson. Hi.
Hi, I'm, Lizzie woods. Pleasure.
Nice to meet you.
Walt Emerson. Hi.
Taylor woods. It's an honor, sir. Taylor.
You've got that New York
sense about you, no?
Very good, sir.
Goldman sachs.
I'm the oil and mineral analyst.
Of course you are.
Whose move is it?
That would be my move. May I?
Yes, yes.
Have a look here.
Well, well, well.
Wow. Is this, Kasparov
deep blue, game three?
I... I don't
think so, sir.
No, I'd say she's about seven moves away.
Really.
So, you two,
satisfied Americans, would you say?
- Absolutely, Mr. president. We've been so happy this year.
- My only...
My only problem... excuse me,
I just want to get this...
I ju... I just want to get something in here.
My only debate with you is
the social security issue.
Is that right. I think your
moving the age to 73...
For benefits on pension funds
and stock portfolios...
Is just gonna trigger panic selling.
Any idea how we came about the age
of 65 for social security? No.
Actually, no, come to think of it.
I mean, why not 70 or 80 or 64?
I have no idea. We adopted the
social security system...
Reloading.
From Bismarck, hook, line and sinker.
Bismarck was an s.O.B. Just looking
to boost his popularity...
With his social welfare system.
So he goes to his actuaries,
and they assure him...
This is the late 1800s.
So they tell him that everyone's
gonna be dead by the age of 65.
- Of course, today it's equivalent to 105.
- Unbelievable.
Fascinating. It's 9:00, Mr. president.
Okay. So that's how we're
starting to think in terms of 73.
I hope I didn't interrupt the game.
I should go check the results.
Nice meeting you both. Thank you. Edifying.
Thank you for the tip. Good luck to you.
Oop. I'm sorry. Got it.
You're gonna need that one, That's okay.
Good luck. Good luck to you.
You have our vote.
Kasparov deep blue. He's very short.
What do you two have in the pool?
Fifty-eight.
Fifty-nine. The polls in
Colorado have now closed.
Sixty-one. Here at ibs, we are
ready to project a winner...
In the Colorado primary.
With all precincts having
reported, ibs is projecting...
That president Walter Emerson...
And... yes!
There it is. Casper the fucking ghost.
Will win the primary with 63%...
We got the prick by the balls.
Here's what we do.
Call him up and tell him the deal's still
on, but he has withdraw by noon tomorrow.
Otherwise, no deal. He's got no maneuvering
room to even change the platform.
So, we make him feel like he's got
a little wriggle room, right?
Cut him off at the knees,
make him think he can walk.
Why don't we just proceed ahead?
We're gonna win anyways.
Let's just... no, he's at the Hyatt.
I'm gonna call him now.
If he's cozy in that
hotel room with a blonde,
he's a lot wiser than I.
When do you think we're gonna
get out of here, by the way?
Tracey's got a ballet recital tomorrow, and
Alexandra's got my blood oath on this one.
Well, air force one is about 20 minutes
from here at Peterson air force base,
and as soon as the weather gets
better... it clears up, it's safe...
We get marine one to come, get us out
of here... 23-skiddoo, we're all set.
Okay. Well, let's just
do what we need to do.
What if Casper wants to talk to you?
Well, I'll...
I guess I'll...
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You
don't want to talk to him.
You're talking to your constituents.
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that
he received the votes that he did.
Many people view Emerson
as not presidential.
He's very vice presidential,
very second banana.
His experience in foreign posts
has certainly been strong.
He boasts probably one of the
best resumes since George Bush.
True, but he doesn't have the
physical bearing of a president.
Traits that well could have been
ascribed to har... hold on one moment.
Okay, this isn't...
I'll say this quick.
Think about it. We'll all
be happy in August, okay?
Apparently this is a massive military
action from the middle east.
Our first indications are... No,
I said if you... we'll all be...
That there is a large troop
movement in the Gulf area.
Okay. Apparently Israeli radio has
just issued... Good news or bad news?
A nationwide call-up
for their reserves.
That's in response to what appeared to be...
Sir, you should check this out. A large-scale
maneuver from the Iraqi army and air force.
- What is it?
- What's the story, Howard?
What's happened? No indication of
American troops in the region...
Having encountered any hostilities. Gayle?
Okay. Bear with me,
ladies and gentlemen.
This is... let's just
get this together.
Okay. All right,
here we go.
We have some information from at least
two correspondents in the middle east.
This has not yet been verified by any government
sources, and we should underscore that.
But... okay. Okay, we are now getting
word from our correspondents...
In Baghdad and Kuwait.
Udei Hussein, the dictator of Iraq,
has taken a military force
and has crossed...
His southeast border into Kuwait,
heading directly for Kuwait city.
Boy's got some balls.
Okay.
All right. Our initial reports are that the
united nations-led American peacekeeping force...
Has been overrun.
Howard, get secdef on the line.
We're trying to nail down
the significant details.
Can... can we...
Okay.
We have John Marino on a cell phone.
How is this happening?
Where did this come from all of a sudden?
I-I-I don't know.
John, can you hear me?
John?
Marsh?
- Okay, we're having some problems.
- - Marshall.
Lbs military analysts
will be with us shortly.
So far, no contact from the white house,
other than a statement that the president
is monitoring the situation carefully...
And that he is gravely concerned.
I don't understand.
What about our satellites?
How come we didn't... that's
a question for secdef, sir.
He's been distracted by the Korean mess.
Yeah, I should say, when a nation
can invade another nation...
And overrun American troops.
Sir, maybe we don't know because
it did not happen. It happened.
It's all over the news we
don't have confirmation.
We have to assume it happened.
Doesn't this bastard get it?
I'd say not.
I didn't even know we had troops in Kuwait.
Technically, we did not.
They were under
u.N. Supervision.
It was our turn in the Helsinki rotation.
How many troops were there? Three...
three-twenty. I'm not sure.
You're not sure? There's a big
difference between 300 and 320.
Either way, I'd rather have no troops than
a small force that acts as an inducement.
Jesus.
The gigantic Israeli reserves...
Well, does Hussein think that
we're just gonna let it stand?
The Israelis have begun a full mobilization.
I think he does, the little fuck.
I don't need that, marsh. We need to
make this very, very clear for him.
We will. When we get home, we'll send
the bastard home without any supper...
And we slap him with every economic
and diplomatic sanction there is.
Sir, I have secretary hancock on the line.
- Well, we're doing something.
- Yes, we are.
Okay, let's get to it.
Do we have speaker capability?
It'll just take a second, sir. Marsh, Ms.
Redford, I need you to listen...
To these conversations carefully.
Decisions we make
must be made instantaneously.
Marsh, talk to the ibs fellow.
Make sure he's not taping.
The phone is ready. The secretary of defense.
Put your camera down, please.
Okay. Don, suppose you tell me why I'm hearing
about the start of world war III on the TV.
That may be overstating it a bit, sir.
Mr. secretary, I may only be holding
this office for four months,
but the president
selected me his successor...
Because of my unilateral
understanding of foreign affairs.
Hell, I deputy-chaired
the national security council.
So why don't we forego
the patronizing crap...
And have you explain
to your commander-in-chief...
Why he's hearing about this on ibs.
We're getting the pieces together, sir.
The s.O.B.
Overran our position?
It appears to be a complete annihilation.
We have a report they executed
the few prisoners they took.
The women too? There were nurses and
administrative personnel there,
so, yes, women too.
One of them was an apache helicopter pilot.
Women? That's important. That
gives us high moral ground.
How could we have been
taken by surprise like this?
We saw the activity, but we thought
it was a military exercise.
Gulf war provisions forbid any Iraqi movement
in this area, exercise or otherwise.
It's not the first time he's
violated the u.N. Provision.
We didn't feel it warranted
taking you from your campaign.
Frank, come in. General
Lancaster just walked in, sir.
Is it just the two of you? Yes, sir.
Gentlemen, I want to remind you...
That we should keep the nature
of the classified content...
That's being discussed here to a minimum.
The president is not in a secure location.
- We will be in a few hours.
- I'm afraid we don't have time.
Frank, does he have it?
What? He has what?
Nuclear weapons?
No, sir, biological and chemical.
We're looking at a computer screen.
The imagery appears to display
launching pads for Iraqi...
Tactical, chemical and biological weapons.
The site that we have there...
Contains eight canvas-covered
missile trailers...
And four deployed
probable missile launchers.
How far advanced is this?
I've never seen...
This kind of installation before.
These are m.R.B.M.S. Okay.
Are they ready to be fired, any of them?
That would depend on their ground support.
I'm hesitant to say, but conservatively,
the earliest they could launch
is in one hour, forty minutes.
They look positioned to attack Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv.
In Israel, sir. Thank you.
And Greece and Turkey as well.
- Where are these launch pads?
- Outside rabat, a few clicks from the turkish border.
They're mobile. That explains
why we had not yet seen them.
Jesus. Marsh, who's running
the show over at ibs?
Carl isaacson.
Isaacson.
Howard, you want to hook up this
isaacson fellow with marsh?
Then get me Ben-razzi. I'm sure
he's on top of this already.
Marsh, I'm going to have
to address the nation.
Let's talk to this ibs guy... - no, no, no. No,
I don't think you should address the nation.
I don't think that's a good idea.
Just make it happen.
But the writers aren't even here. Please.
Okay. Howard, as soon as you
got isaacson, let me know.
Bring him right up.
Give me what our troop
mobilization status is.
We can begin defcon 1 and
mobilization of 3,000...
In less than an hour.
We would release the tactical
fighter wing at Langley...
And then the division ready
brigade at the 82nd.
And that would put them in Iraq when?
Partial proliferation in ten days.
Then we'd have to slash our
troop strength in the koreas.
But I believe... I'm sorry, sir.
May I interrupt?
I believe premier Kim when he says
that a downsizing of our troops...
On the 38th parallel will propel him...
Into a flat-out invasion
of north Korea.
I'm not gonna drop a domino and allow
China to walk into Japan, bottom line.
I'm certainly not gonna offer
up another tiny force,
naked and vulnerable to Hussein in the Gulf,
not like the 300 that just died.
Yeah.
Right, sir.
Are you telling me that we have
no manpower in the Gulf area?
- There is one carrier. It's the u.S.S...
- Wait. Hold it.
Why didn't you tell us there was a carrier?
What do you think the point of this
conversation is? Sir, I was just about to...
Now you're telling us there's one carrier.
Theu.S.S. Powell.
Hold on, sir. Hold on, please. Yes?
We're just getting the
pictures from the n.P.I.C.
What's that?
Is that ours?
Lbs correspondents have confirmed
that three Iraqi divisions...
The hammurabi, the Medina luminous...
And the in God we trust...
Are in Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti military force
of a few thousand troops...
Must now contend with a half
a million Iraqi troops.
Udei's not gonna make the same
mistakes his father made.
He's not gonna wait for us to
build up our strength. All right.
There's no tougher military proposition
than reversing an invasion,
but that's exactly what we're going to do.
I'm gonna hang up the line. I'll
be back to you in ten minutes.
When I do, I expect to be able
to conference call. Howard?
Conference call makes
our line unsecure, sir.
How many speakerphones can we set up, then?
We have four secure satellite
speakerphones like this one.
They're trained on the Sierra system.
But we've got some cell phones, don't we?
No, those are utterly impossible
in terms of security.
I think what we should do is we
should stick with the satellites,
and I'll place the calls
through my q-line.
There are several unauthorized people here.
I don't think... that is my decision.
I want cabinet members and any essential
military personnel at the ready.
Major coddington.
Yes, sir.
Take a position by the booth,
and access only to the president,
myself and, and redford.
No problem, sir.
All right.
You got a map?
I don't think...
I can check in the Van. You looking
for a map or a globe? A map.
Howard, what about...
You got a laptop?
Can you pull up an atlas on the Internet?
Sir, the I-line memory's
not going to accommodate that.
I think if you get rid of one of these
phones... no, I need the phone lines.
Are you telling me all I have at my
disposal to battle global crisis...
Is four phones in a diner?
Four secure satellite phones, sir.
- Sir?
- Yes.
Sir, we have a map in the back.
Fine. Thank you. Could you get it,
please, and set it up over here?
Sir, I have
Mr. isaacson for you.
Hello. Mr. isaacson.
Hey, how are you?
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, hold on.
Yeah, this is Marshall Thompson.
Mr. Thompson, how are you? You just got me.
I was heading out the door.
You're aware of our situation?
Yeah, well, of course.
I'm headed to the station.
Yeah, yeah, well, it's obviously very grave.
Now, the president needs to make
an address to the nation.
Okay, well,
that's great. Sure.
We have one of your guys here doing a sort
of "day in the life of the campaign" deal.
Yeah, right. Noah Boyd.
He's one of our top guys.
Yeah, well, I never liked the idea,
but we could turn this around...
And make this beneficial to all of us, okay?
In what way? Now, it's the darndest thing.
See, we're stuck here. We're trapped
in a diner in... where are we?
Morty's roadside diner.
No, no, town, town.
- Aztec, Colorado.
- Yeah, we're in aztec, Colorado.
A-z-t-e... what? Home of
the screaming beavers.
Home of the screaming beavers.
A-z-t-e-c, and, we were out campaigning,
and, you know, then the
storm came out of nowhere.
The caravan was on its way back to air
force... anyway, we're in a diner.
So the president has to make an
address to the nation a.S.A.P.
Well, no problem. Can you give me to Noah?
Yeah, he's right...
- Noah.
- Yes, sir, I'm here.
He's right here. Is this possible, Noah?
Nothing's ever a problem, sir. We
can go through the I-com line.
Take me less than a minute to boot it up.
Okay, that's...
That's that, then.
Noah's got you covered. All right.
Now here's the deal.
This speech is yours exclusive.
All recording devices will go on and
off according to our instructions.
- Okay, let me talk to Noah.
- Yeah.
- Yes, sir?
- Got that Noah?
Loud and clear.
Good.
Okay. All right. I'll get
word to highland hills.
Now, listen. I don't want any of this
60 minutes hidden camera bullshit.
Straightforward.
You go over there.
Sir, I have prime minister
Ben-razzi on the phone.
Mr. prime minister.
Yes, sir, I'm fully aware of
the gravity of the situation.
Yes, sir, well, soon my country will
be at a state of full readiness.
I understand.
What? No, sir.
Sir, I beg of you to recall those planes,
or at least keep them in your
airspace for the next ten minutes.
No, no, I see this no differently
than bush did in '91.
An incursion on your part will only form
an alliance among the arab nations.
Well, Mr. prime...
Mr. prime minister,
I've made arrangements to go on ibs live...
In a couple of minutes here.
Globally, yes.
Exactly. Exactly.
That would... that's all I'm asking.
That would be great.
Yes, sir.
I don't think you'll have any need to
take an offensive action at that point.
All right.
Thank you, Mr. prime minister.
Okay. The prime minister has agreed...
To keep his air force in abeyance
until after the address.
Let's keep an open,
secure line there. Okay.
Let's get ready for the address. Okay.
All right.
No, off, off, off.
We're not ready yet.
Facts, figures, locations
are not important right now.
The important thing is to convey
a sense of determination...
About what it is
we're gonna do as a country.
That's what the American people have to hear.
That's what this speech is about.
I can verify what has
taken place, obviously.
Yes. And then I need to
be very, very specific.
Yeah. If you find yourself in general
waters, be very specific about it.
Excuse me, Mr. president.
As your national security
advisor, I must inform you...
That what you're about to do is not in
your best interest or that of the country.
Noted. On the record. However,
he is going on in a few minutes.
So is there anything that you
can advise the president...
That would be helpful for what he is
about to say to the American people?
If udei is in Kuwait
on his way to Saudi Arabia,
that means that he has cleared
out all of the minefields.
We are not talking brigades here.
We are talking armies.
I appreciate that very much...
the republican guard...
Is out in full force, and that is a
totally different matter here, sir.
The debate is over. I'm
going on the air. Noah?
Yes. We have to bring the monitor
over where I can read it...
And the president can see it.
I'm just grabbing
my tripod. Just a sec.
I'll watch the monitor
and make sure that ibs...
Remember, ibs is way ahead
of everybody on this.
Everybody knows basically what's going on.
I need to go on and be very specific
about what I'm doing about it.
You're the only one who can do that.
Let's do this.
Wait, wait, wait.
Hold it, hold it.
We need a different chair.
This chair is not any good.
It's the only chair we got.
This is ridiculous, this chair.
There are at least three
armored divisions in Kuwait.
Okay, now, listen.
In the red?
Bad color. It's a distraction.
If you could just...
Everybody, actually, just move to that side.
Iraq still uses Soviet migs
in its air force.
I think you should wear a blazer. Okay.
All right, could you get a blazer?
At least one more Iraqi division
has entered the fray...
Forty-five seconds before we get live!
Dex, Dex.
No time. All right, come back.
We need to go over your speech.
One thing is clear, and that is
that this is a large army.
Emerson the diplomat,
Emerson the peacekeeper,
Emerson the coolheaded.
I hear you, marsh.
It's gonna be good.
It's going to be fine.
Thank you.
We've just received word... - back against
the wall. Please be quiet during this.
The president will be addressing the nation.
There is no time delay.
When Gerald goes to you,
start speaking naturally.
Right here.
I'll be watching that.
From a diner in aztec, Colorado.
Nice and still. Watch for my cue.
Ready? Very good.
Ladies and gentlemen, the
President of the United States.
Here we go.
My fellow Americans,
as the world now knows, the
leader of Iraq, udei Hussein,
in complete defiance of u.N.
Resolutions 687, 773 and 883,
has invaded the emirate of Kuwait
as his father did in 1990.
In the process, he has killed
several hundred American troops...
Serving as a peacekeeping force.
Our intelligence also indicates that
at least eight Iraqi divisions...
Are holding Kuwait
and progressing to Saudi Arabia.
This is not the act
of a warrior nor a leader...
But that of a barbarian.
We must now assume that
udei Hussein's objective...
Is one of a manifest destiny.
At present, nearly 80% of our troops...
Are on the sea of Japan
or the 38th parallel.
To put it as bluntly as possible,
the United States of America
does not have the capability...
Of dealing with the Iraqi invasion
force with conventional expedition.
There are defining moments
in the history of every nation,
moments which delineate
our strengths and our character.
Often these moments require that a harder
right be made over an easier wrong.
It is with that in mind that I now wish
to speak directly to the Iraqi people.
Unless your leader, udei Hussein,
immediately withdraws
from his position in Kuwait,
leaving all weapons behind where they are,
and turns himself in for arrest...
At the American embassy in Kuwait,
I will authorize the dropping...
Of a multi-megaton nuclear
device on the city of Baghdad.
I'm now giving you, the citizens of Baghdad,
one hour and twenty minutes
to leave the city,
save your lives and those of your children.
It is my deepest and most
heartfelt wish and prayer...
That udei Hussein
accept his responsibility...
As the sovereign of a nation and a responsible
member of the international community.
That is it for now.
God save us all.
Thank you.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen,
if you are just joining us,
the President of the United States
has just given what may be...
- The most dramatic speech ever given by a sitting president.
- Jesus.
What? What?
Well, I mean, that wasn't
exactly peacemaking, was it?
Subjective, isn't it?
All right, thank you, everybody.
Thank you very much.
He would order the dropping of a
nuclear bomb on Baghdad unless:
One, udei Hussein withdraws and
retreats from Kuwait; Two...
According to weather intel,
navigating an aircraft to
your position is impossible.
We could risk it and try sending a
helicopter to you. No, no, no, no.
We could risk sending a helicopter here,
but we cannot risk putting the
president on a helicopter out of here.
Agreed. NORAD has dispatched a winter a.P.C.
To your position.
It should be there in about an hour.
All right.
What will my ability be to
communicate once inside the a.P.C.?
There are shortwaves on all the a.P.C.S,
however the lines are nonsecure.
If they're nonsecure, forget it.
Bottom line, we work from here.
Mr. president, admiral Miller
here, central command.
With your permission, I'd like
to speak to you off speaker.
Admiral, Hussein's weapons
go hot in an hour and a half.
I will not hold your comments against you.
Okay. Sir, I must object
to your threat on ibs.
Hussein's weapons can be
dealt with conventionally.
Our high-tech weapons can do all
that the nukes can do... no, no, no.
We've been down that road before.
That's a good point, sir.
That's not a good point. We've been
down that road before. Listen, people!
Let's be clear. If we attack, we
attack, and it's gonna be major.
I'm not gonna send over
a couple of tomahawks,
and get on the phone and say,
"how do you like them apples?"
It's never worked before. Hussein's
like his old man. He's a survivor.
After every calamity, he emerges dusting
off his uniform asking, "is that it?"
Even a limited air attack
is an extensive air attack.
It's not 20 or 50 sorties but hundreds.
Which the u.S.S. Powell
can't accommodate.
Right. Then we'd have to move into
their planes, airfields, Sam sites.
Granted, but even that doesn't leave
us with just the nuclear option.
Okay, okay. Before we carry out the
"should we or shouldn't we" debate,
let's ensure what we in fact can do.
General Riley, what do we have?
Well, Mr. president,
at stratcom under start 2,
our missiles are now set on a
trajectory that ends in the Atlantic.
What brilliant commander-in-chief
came up with that one?
How long to reset the target?
Our record's 20 minutes.
It used to be shorter, but we
de-alerted five years ago.
What do we have in our arsenal?
Several triple warhead
Excalibur 3 nuclear missiles.
- We could hit our designated targets in two hours.
- - Two hours?
No, that's unacceptable. We have to hit
Iraq before their weapons can go hot.
How the United States
would launch a nuclear attack,
particularly when it must be initiated and
completed in less than an hour and a half...
Is very limiting.
We do have file footage here.
The u.S.S. Powell is our one and
only warship in the Gulf region.
The Powell is one of only two surface
ships to carry nuclear weapons...
Since president bush's
nuclear ban instituted in 1992.
Okay, what weapons do we have on thepowell?
The fastest deployment would be by tomahawk.
Detonation in 40 minutes.
Okay, but if we do that,
we have to give Hussein
enough time to comply.
We could launch tomahawks
45 minutes from now.
He would have that time plus an
additional 40 to comply, correct?
Not really. Once that missile's
on its way, it's on its way.
There must be some way to divert it, right?
We can do two things...
If Hussein complies while
the missile is in flight.
Firstly, we can detonate. Then we'd have
nuclear rain all over the detonation area.
Possibly a friendly one. Exactly, ma'am.
We can also deactivate the bomb.
The problem is that, then, where
the bomb lands, it lands.
And that's like giving Hussein
a free nuclear weapon.
Sir, I'd say our only option is to
actually drop a bomb on Baghdad.
We could use our b-2s
based in Saudi.
How long to load her and put her up
in the air? On your orders, sir.
The good news is the b-2 can be recalled
at the last second if necessary.
We can strike within an hour.
This is problematic.
The b-2s we'd have to fly over Saudi
territory. We'd have to get permission.
This guy is invading their oil fields.
Of course we're gonna get permission.
There is no "of course."
I know these guys. Sharing a little
baba ghannouj at a state dinner...
Does not make you know them.
Okay. All right. We're gonna put the b-2 up.
We don't have time for protocol.
Sir, it is not a matter of protocol.
It's international law.
Understood.
Consider it an act of civil disobedience.
Get me secretary of state and,
give me a few minutes, folks.
What are you doing? Use
some common sense. Come on.
Specialty of the house.
Wow.
Thank you very much.
Bitch of a situation
you've got on your hands.
Yes. Yes, it is.
If I were you... - excuse me.
May we have a word here, please?
I'll get that. Okay. Would
you like something?
No, I'm fine. Thanks.
Mr. president, I was thinking... Gayle.
What can you tell me about admiral Miller?
Miller?
Yes.
Do you know him?
He was one of the president's nominees
for chair of the j.C.S. Two years ago.
He lost out to Lancaster.
He's been running
central command ever since then.
Southwest Asia, the middle east,
those are his territories,
but he's based in mcdill, in Florida.
The arab countries don't
want us in the Gulf area.
My guess is he's probably
feeling like a paper tiger.
Yeah, I think so.
That certainly explains
the giant chip on his shoulder.
It's a chip you need right now, sir.
Madam chairman, we just might
have to drop that weapon.
If we do...
You know, Truman debated
agonizingly before Hiroshima.
Not so much about dropping the bomb...
But whether or not to forewarn
the Japanese people.
We'd have won the war either way,
but he would have slept
better the rest of his life.
I'm determined to spare
as many lives as I can,
and I just, for the life of me,
can't imagine...
Hussein is gonna let
the city of Baghdad die.
Our strategy is to roll the dice...
That he'll comply.
With all due respect
to your Vegas metaphor, sir,
nuclear warfare is not about gambling.
It's about certainty.
Strategic certainty.
Moral certainty.
Secretary clift is on the phone.
Do I seem uncertain to you, Gayle?
Hussein, for example,
could withhold the oil from us,
or he could flood the world market.
In any case, Hussein will have the
leverage to manipulate oil prices at will,
and you can assume that...
Well, don't forget, Gerald,
in 1990, the only people smiling
were the boys at exxon and shell,
who saw gas prices and stocks...
Debra, where are you now?
I'm on my way to state.
And what are you sensing?
Well, I'm not sensing support.
Just about everybody
is demanding an audience,
and Andrea in Greece is going to defcon 1.
Defcon 1 has got to be the limit. It
cannot escalate one inch beyond that.
Understood.
Okay, I'm gonna,
issue an executive order
freezing all Kuwaiti assets.
Marsh, we need to get
on with treasury. Yeah.
Or is it the a.G.? No,
I think it's treasury.
Yeah. Okay. All right. It's treasury.
The oil lobby is gonna go ape-shit.
Yeah, I know,
but get on with Nichols anyways
and get that rolling on the stat.
I'm sure he can work off
my verbal directive for now.
Debra, you need to get on with any other
foreign nation that'll do the same.
We need to freeze those assets
before udei can get to them.
Got it. Okay, and I need gestaing.
My guess is that he'll follow the French
pattern of denying us use of their airspace.
Give me some time. I think
I can make his squares.
No, forget that, okay? What I
need is to speak with gestaing.
Very well.
As you will.
What has been much louder... this is
coming from the congressional side...
Is what several members
of the white house...
Excuse me, several members of the house...
Are calling a deliberate
violation of the war powers act.
Well, update us on that.
Sir, it's the oval office,
line two, Mr. Omari.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Mr. president,
this is inappropriate.
You should not negotiate with an
emissary from another head of state.
You should leave that to Gayle or myself.
Absolutely.
Normally, yes. Duly noted,
but I need to do this.
- On the record.
- Record.
Mr. Omari?
It's Alice, sir. I have Mr. Omari.
He's with a translator. Go ahead.
Mr. Omari,
this is the president.
I call you on a matter of grave concern
to my government, Mr. Emerson.
Yes, this is very grave.
Your announcement has created
havoc in our streets.
Our hospitals are flooded with young
children, the victims of stampedes.
I request of you
a taking back of your comment.
- Mr.
- Thompson, sir... Give us one second, please.
What is it?
Forgive me, Mr. president, but,
this man isn't translating
correctly for you, sir.
What do you mean? Well,
it's a lot of things.
They're small things, but they could
add up to something big. Like?
He said, "I request of you,"
when what I heard this Omari
really say is, "I demand of you."
He's got a tone in his voice, sir.
So you speak arabic?
Yes, sir.
I'm U.S. army, retired, m.I.
- I was a decryptor in desert storm, sir.
- Is that right?
Yes, sir. Yes, it is. All right.
Well, then, welcome aboard.
You're our translator.
What's your name?
I'm special agent Dexter, sir.
I'm in charge of your domestic
traveling detail. Shit!
I should know that. I'm sorry.
Please, sit down.
Excuse me, special agent. I just want you
to know, sir, that this is not prudent.
There's a special training that
goes along with this line of work.
Naturally. There isn't time for that.
I just want you to know that.
I appreciate it. Okay. You're welcome.
Listen carefully, speak
carefully, obviously,
and, do your best.
I will, sir.
Okay.
Okay, and all set?
Ready.
Everyone ready?
Go. Mr. Omari, I now have a translator.
We're ready when you are.
Mr. Emerson, your threats
are the most barbaric act...
Ever perpetuated against our
nation... peace-loving nation.
I believe your people
to be peace-loving.
Your leader, however, is clearly
in violation of u.N. Resolutions.
Our satellites have detected launch pads
for biological and chemical weapons...
In rabat and other locations...
Weapons which are outlawed
by u.N. Resolutions number...
I suggest that you reexamine your...
He sounds angry now, sir.
Belligerent.
We will not stand for your accusations.
Are you denying the existence of
chemical and biological weapons?
Okay, sir. He's conferring
with someone behind him.
I can't quite make out who it is, however.
He said something about...
Okay, sir, he's back.
We, have every right to defend ourselves.
It is the right of every sovereign nation.
You know as well as I do
that directing fully armed...
Chemical or biological weapons...
At any other sovereign nation is by
every standard an act of aggression.
I must warn you,
Mr. ambassador,
my speech was not idle.
You must meet our terms unconditionally...
In just under 40 minutes.
There is no negotiation.
He's rather hysterical now, sir.
You are a, puppet of Zion.
You are not an elected leader
of your nation.
I am the President of the United States.
When an elected leader...
Is in place, perhaps then we will negotiate.
Understand, the, split second...
That your air force crosses
into Iraqi airspace...
Your air defense has no capacity other than
primitive systems which we can easily overcome.
I assure you, our air wing
will be over Baghdad proper...
Several minutes before you've
reached launch capability.
I repeat, we will take necessary actions.
And I repeat, unless I have
proof and am convinced...
That your weapons will not be hot,
we will make good on my promise.
Unless I am convinced by our satellites
that you are laying down arms...
And equipment and return... sir.
He's left the phone, sir.
What?
He's conferring with
someone behind him, sir.
I can't make out who it is or what it is,
but it's some kind of argument, sir.
Okay, he's back.
I will not negotiate with a Jew.
It is my, defined duty and obligation...
And instructions not to
negotiate with a Jew.
This is why I told you
this was not a good idea.
- He hung up, sir.
- He what?
He hung up? Yes, ma'am. Howard, reconnect.
Are you sure? No, it was distinct.
Definitely the sound of a phone
slamming down on a receiver, sir.
That was inevitable.
Israel will not tire in its defense,
and the I.D.F. Will continue...
Balancing between deterrence and restraint.
It should not be an issue,
and it will not be.
I think what Gayle means is...
I know what Gayle means.
It's one thing if George Bush
dropped a bomb on an arab country.
It's war.
If you drop it, a Jew...
- It's jihad.
- A holy war.
The problem with jihad is, you
know when you've lost the war.
- You just don't know when you've won it.
- That's right.
When do you stop fighting for Allah?
At least Saddam was secular. Udei's
been playing the Allah card for years.
Yes. Which is why we have
to win this war now.
Dropping an atom bomb isn't a war, sir.
That's right.
Katie, sit down.
Are you following any of this? I think so.
It is difficult not to. Yeah, I imagine so.
My staff here thinks that my being Jewish...
May affect my decision about what
to do with Hussein and Iraq...
That I have some bias, some racist...
Sir, you're taking this way out of context.
That's not what I meant.
No. What do you think?
I'm not one to say.
There's not a lot of Jews in aztec.
I mean, some may pass by
if they're truckers,
but for the most part,
I can't make a comment...
On things having to do with Jews.
Is it okay to say "Jews," or do I
have to say "Jewish Americans"?
You're doing fine.
Well,
the only thing I know is...
That you guys don't believe in Jesus,
and that means that...
If you are the president
of the United States,
you have nobody to answer to but yourself?
You know, the truth is, I'm an atheist.
Every president must become an atheist.
You take the oath, and then
you must leave behind...
All thoughts of an afterlife,
a better place beyond.
My responsibility, my purpose...
Is to preserve our existence here on earth.
Okay. Well, thank you
very much, young lady.
Now, I'd love a fresh cup of coffee.
You want some more? Yes, some more coffee.
Thank you very much.
If you could...
How 'bout some decaf?
No, regular coffee. Yeah,
regular coffee. Okay.
That's what you do, that's what we do.
This is what...
We're all winners.
Are you trying to get the Vegas
vote with this atheism bullshit?
I gotta talk to bean.
Could you...
Howard, let's get the
first lady on the phone!
Preserve the secure line and
go with the phone booth.
Sir, I'd appreciate it if
you'd put that phone away.
We could take it from you if you'd like.
No, you don't have to take it.
Not doing me any good anyway.
Appreciate that. You're helping us out.
No problem.
We got a very tough storm still
in Southern Colorado,
even though it's moving through
Colorado Springs, I hope.
People, stay in, stay off the roads,
and we're working very hard to
get ahead of this snow removal.
- Can I get some coffee, please?
- Yeah, sure.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Ms. Gayle redford.
You know, I, I read about you.
Time, newsweek.
Even read an interview about you
in one of them girlie magazines.
Which one was that, now? Playboy.
That's right. That's just
what it was. Yeah.
You led protests against desert storm.
Almost cost you your confirmation.
I'd rather think it won me my confirmation.
You know what?
You may not get a shrink to say so,
but that man is plain insane.
I'm tellin' ya, that man, our leader...
Is gonna rain down the
end of the world on us.
He thinks the United States...
Has to play big brother to every
pipsqueak nation in the world.
I've been listening.
There's not one legitimate reason...
For him to even be
considering what he's doing.
I don't have to educate you...
About nuclear winter,
Ms. redford.
Can't you stop him?
I guess not.
I guess no one can.

This is Gerald Irving with an
ongoing ibs special report.
We are trying to follow
events across the globe...
As efficiently and quickly as possible.
On a satellite phone, we have John
desimio from riyadh. John. Gerald, hi.
Hey, bean.
Hello, Walter.
How are you? Just when I started growing
into the job, it got bigger on me.
This is something else, Yes, it is.
Listen, Walter... listen, let
me talk to Tracey first.
Is she there? Yeah, she's
right here next to me.
Don't tell her anything, okay? Come on.
Okay. Daddy wants
to speak to you, honey.
Hi, daddy. Hey, muggins. How's my angel?
Daddy, I'm not your angel.
I'm your Princess.
That's right. I'm sorry. How's my Princess?
Daddy, know what?
Tell me.
Guess who was special
person at school today.
You.
No, daddy.
Timmy.
It was his turn.
Well, when is it gonna be your turn?
I don't know, daddy. Do you
want to speak to mommy again?
Yeah. I love you.
Mommy, daddy's on the phone.
Hey.
Hey.
Tell me you're not really gonna do it.
I have to. I may have to. I don't know.
You realize you're killing
just civilians, Walter.
No soldiers, no udei, just civilians.
I may not have a choice.
You're the President of the United States.
You've got all the choice in the world.
Alex, honey, I need you with me.
I'm not your Eva braun.
Do you think history's gonna forgive this?
Do you think it'll forgive us?
It's gonna be fine.
No matter what happens,
it will never be fine again.
Listen, I'm not gonna be able to get you
and Tracey up in the looking glass.
The harder right over the easier wrong?
Listen, it's not... I just
need a working government.
I need every seat,
that's all. I...
Don't do it.
I love you, bean.
We... we gotta get the
looking glass to Andrews.
Yeah. Of course.
I already called it in.
Good.
How's Tracey?
She's a kid.
She's good.
Bean?
I don't know.
I need the cabinet on the ground,
so we should put the deputies up.
We should also probably board speaker Hazel.
Aw, Jesus. That fat, smelly fuck is
gonna load the whole shebang down.
Guy couldn't shovel sand in a rat hole.
I suppose he's next in line, but
why do we have to get him up,
put him in control?
It was all for naught getting the nomination.
No, here's what we do.
We make a constitutional play. We argue that
Teddy slater is the de facto vice president.
Not Hazel. You don't think we're
on the tightrope already?
Why don't we just play this one by the book?
All right, I'll put fatso in the air.
Maybe it'll crash.
You hangin' in there?
Yes, sir. This weather's something.
You went to school around here, didn't you?
The air force academy, right?
Yes, sir. Couldn't get
into west point. Yeah.
Do you, ever look inside that thing?
Yes, sir. What's it look like in there?
Is it ominous? Not as
ominous as it should be.
I guess these things never are,
Listen, Nick, I just wanted you to know...
How much I appreciate the fact that...
You may be the first of your kind to
ever actually have to do his job,
and it means a lot to me
to have you on the team.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Roger that, bravo team leader. We
believe that was just a deer. Out.
Roger. Out.
For a man who has sent
the world into turmoil,
it is surprising how little
we know about udei Hussein.
Carla livingstone is a fellow with the
tumar institute in Philadelphia...
And is currently working on a
book about the Hussein dynasty.
Carla, what advice do you give to president
Emerson given what you know about...
We're done. The speaker was already
at Andrews with his family.
His family?
Yeah.
The bad news has been conveyed.
If you look at our history,
it's filled with...
Prognosticating the behavior of world
leaders as if they were all rational.
Things are a little different...
From when we were at Princeton.
Little less hair, a few more pounds.
I was quarterback.
You were the running back.
Yes, but, as you said, it was Princeton.
Yeah.
Back then, you won at everything, marsh.
Debate class, poker, cheerleaders.
Udei actually killed his father's
valet... but you got bean.
He would pummel him to death with a club
at a party honoring hosni mubarak's wife.
You're not with me on this one, are you?
The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
Did you know that?
No.
Yeah, yeah.
The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
Walt,
did you ever read the test
results on Los Alamos in '45?
It was a motherfucker of a fireball.
It rose to 10,000 feet before it dimmed.
People could see it 180 Miles away.
Shattered glass a hundred Miles away.
Yeah, it was...
It was beautiful.
Very impressive.
It, it created a crater that
was a thousand feet in diameter.
And there was this... this...
Steel tower.
It was about ten stories high.
It weighed 220 tons.
It was knocked right off its foundation.
And then...
Just evaporated.
Just like that.
Now, what you are going to do in Baghdad...
Is gonna make those tests
look like mosquito bites.
You are going to be wiping out Baghdad.
There's going to be nothing left.
No rebuilding, no aid, nothing.
Just cockroaches.
You will be wiping out a civilization...
Where civilization began.
And, my friend,
you'd better damn well be okay with that.
Sir, general Riley is
currently available at offut.
General Riley?
Yes, sir.
What status report can you give us?
Well, sir, the republican guards
moved 20 clicks from Saudi Arabia.
There's no hint of withdrawal?
Not at all.
In fact, it now seems
the Syrian and iranian armies...
Are moving troops to the Israeli front.
The Israeli military is fully mobilized.
Are the Israeli fighters in the air?
No, sir, but the Israeli nuclear silos...
The ones that don't exist?
Yes, those ones.
They've gone hot. Excuse me. Mr. president?
General Riley, hold on a second.
Yes, general Lancaster.
We... we've latched onto every
known nuclear silo on the planet.
And? And it seems everyone
has gone hot, sir.
Mr. president,
it's Carl isaacson at ibs.
Well, now, this certainly
should be interesting.
Mr. isaacson. Mr. Thompson, how are you?
Yeah, quite a mess we have going on.
What could we do for you? Well, look...
We got a situation here.
We've been approached by haffez
Omari about going on the air.
Wha... it...
He wants to go on the air?
That's right.
And, you know, given the circumstances,
we'd like to get a green light.
Hold on.
You can't be serious. Really? Yes.
Where is he? At his office at the u.N.
We have a crew, and we're ready to go.
Okay, put him on the air.
Okay?
Yes, okay.
Okay, we're talkin' less than a minute.
All right. Thank you for consulting with us.
No problem.
You know, you think there's a panic now,
wait till this prick finishes his speech.
And if you could say anything
to udei Hussein tonight?
I'm sure I am saying it to him.
He is a huge fan of ibs.
Go ahead, then. Abu Hussein on ibs.
Love your country. Livin'
large in Providence, r.I.
Thank you very much, Mr. Hussein.
Abu Hussein, the nephew of...
Okay. We're moving
fast here, folks.
Standing by at the united
nations is haffez Omari,
the Iraqi ambassador
to the u.N.
Mr. Omari, thank you
for joining us tonight.
Yes. Thank you.
Allow me to begin by asking
about your specific intentions.
I have not agreed to be subjected
to a hostile interview.
I instead have a statement
of some urgency to make.
Okay, then.
Go ahead.
One hour ago, your nonelected president...
Announced that he had
ordered the delivery...
Of nuclear bombs...
To be dropped with... no... on
the peaceful people of Iraq.
Five minutes ago, surveillance indicated...
That a fleet of war planes...
Have left a base in Saudi Arabia...
Without Saudi approval.
We do not feel the need to
engage in a war with the U.S.A.,
and so we must do... Yes!
What we have to to stop the aggression.
They're gonna cave.
They're gonna cave! Congratulations, Mr.
President.
They reacted as you expected.
So it humbles us to come...
To this level.
I have before me a list
of precise locations.
I have just now sent them...
Via facsimile to the office...
Of the American chairman...
Of the joint chiefs...
This very list.
These are the locations...
Of land-based and submarine-based missiles...
General Lancaster.
Armed with nuclear warheads.
The moment the American
wing of fighters crosses...
Iraqi airspace,
we will launch
a full-scale...
Nuclear attack...
On five...
Four locations...
Inside America, Israel...
And every member of NATO.
Knight takes rook.
That is all for now.
Miller here, sir.
We have one option now.
Miss, let me get some more coffee.
Conventional attack, or no?
Not even that anymore.
I think we must carefully
consider what Omari said.
Our satellites have been on the
listed longitudes and latitudes.
I should have a report in five minutes.
Admiral Miller, I want the b-2 to proceed
forward till it reaches the border.
Sir, in light of this new development,
I must agree with admiral Miller.
We don't even know if they're going
to fire chemical weapons at all.
It's even less likely now that arab
forces are moving towards Israel.
They'll be firing on themselves. Exactly.
So why risk an international nuclear attack on
something that probably won't happen anyway?
Sir, we risk almost no condemnation...
If we fire on them using conventionals.
Look, even if they do fire those weapons...
Let me be Frank.
If it means sacrificing
Israel or Turkey, so be it,
as long as we save American lives.
Sometimes the toughest decisions
are the ones with one option.
Excuse me, sir, but you have created a
mistake here. You've created a monster.
But that does not mean that we can't
deal with this thing methodically.
We take out their chemical
warheads using conventionals.
Upon returning to the white
house, we deal with Hussein...
Calm, cool and collected.
Lancaster back, sir.
I'm here.
It's bad. Let me
give you the layout.
Okay, hold on a second.
Howard, you got a pencil?
I have a red felt pen, sir, but no pencil.
Please, give it to him.
Didn't ask for a red felt
p... felt pen is fine.
Agent Williams, general Lancaster
is going to give us some locations.
Mark them on that map over
there with that red pen.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Ready when you are, general. We
have uncontroverted information...
That nuclear weapons are now uncovered.
On the tip of tripoli, we
see two missiles. Tripoli.
Ladies and gentlemen,
ibs has latched onto...
The latitudes and longitudes
of all the locations...
Provided by the Iraqi government.
Our satellite cameras can now confirm...
The following launching pads, which seem to
come from land bases all over the world,
and, remarkably, submarines.
The first appears to be in tripoli.
We have uncontroverted information...
The missiles in tripoli are aimed at Rome.
Cruise missiles are directed at New Delhi.
Tomahawk missiles are poised
to strike against Addis Ababa.
Missiles based on inland China...
Are aimed at Tokyo and Hiroshima.
We now confirm
the following American targets.
There's also an indication
that New York, Washington, D.C.,
and pensacola, Florida, are targeted.
Iraq's Lancelot missile is programmed
to hit NORAD in Colorado Springs.
Sir, Mr. Omari
is back on the line.
So much for not negotiating
with a Jew. Yeah.
Considering this situation, I'm surprised
he wants to negotiate with this Jew.
Okay, I'm ready for you, sir.
Back up, Dex.
Go ahead.
And... you're good.
I assume you have confirmed out positions.
We have.
I assure you, the moment your air
force passes into our airspace,
we will consider that
a first strike before the fact.
I understand.
We will fire...
All our weapons simultaneously.
We have never bluffed a military
action, and we will not now.
- I assume not.
- We are, however,
willing to reach an
accommodation which should...
May result in a peaceful resolution.
I'm listening.
Turn your plane around, and we will
stop loading missiles in rabat.
In addition, we will lower
our nuclear readiness...
And, disable our nuclear missiles.
What about the incursion into Kuwait?
That remains.
The United States has neither
the right nor the privilege...
To interfere in the internal
affairs of the Gulf states.
But, since you...
Attach your economic future
to the Saudi oil fields,
we'll be willing to sign a treaty...
Freezing oil prices at...
Current opec levels for the world.
We will also begin peace negotiations with,
Mr. Ben-razzi.
Carter and Clinton...
Had their moments as
middle east peace brokers.
Now... now you
can as well.
Not acceptable. You must withdraw
from Kuwait immediately.
This is not a negotiation,
Mr. Emerson.
All right. Well, then the b-2, of course, will
be over your airspace in about five minutes.
He wants to speak directly to you, sir.
Here goes.
Put him on speaker.
He's up. This is the president.
Mr. president,
understand this.
We have the power.
We have the oil.
I have the match.
"I have the match"?
Is that your response, sir?
"I have the match"?
That's my response.
Omari is right, sir. If there's one thing
these guys don't do, they don't bluff.
No, he's not bluffing,
but nothing's changed.
Sir, 23 nuclear missiles aimed
at us and our allies...
Is a definite definition
of something having changed.
General Lancaster, you still with us?
Right here, sir.
There must be someway to confirm where
the Iraqi nuclear arsenal came from.
We have Paul rubenstein on it.
He's our foreign munitions expert.
He's looking at our satellite images now.
Okay, let's not let the b-2
enter Iraqi airspace.
- I want to hear this first.
- Good move, sir.
I don't see what difference it
makes where they came from.
They have them. They're ready to use them.
We either call their bluff, or
we abort the nuclear mission.
Mr. president, I'd be happy to
give the order to abort mission.
I didn't say anything about abort mission.
I said hold position.
Don't play a fucking game with me, admiral.
This is the bomber that our sources
in the Pentagon are telling us...
Will be used to carry and drop a
nuclear weapon onto the Iraqi capital.
This multibillion-dollar stealth
bomber has been revamped...
So we can assume that
their ballistic missiles...
Came from an exchange of technology
from China and/or north Korea.
Pakistan. Pakist... China
and north Korea, sir.
I wouldn't jump to that
conclusion just yet, Gayle.
Let's hear what this
rubenstein fellow has to say.
Madam secretary? I'm on
with Blair in a minute.
The rest of the department is already in
communication with the other heads of state.
What about president gestaing?
He's being transported to a secure phone.
It has been 60 years since any nation...
Has dropped an atomic bomb on another.
Sixty years in which
the deadliness of the weapon...
Has risen in direct proportion to the
advances in science and technology.
Our two pair cannot beat his boat. What?
Major coddington, would you
excuse us, please? No, he's fine.
Hear me out. Take away udei's
offer for price stabilization.
Assume he's gonna bump the
shit out of oil prices, okay?
That's gonna send us
into an economic tailspin.
He still has the weaponry to launch
on us and a dozen other countries.
Now, once we hit Iraq...
If.
Ifwe hit Iraq, there's no reason
for any country to attack Baghdad.
Damage is already done. They're just
gonna sit back and take a licking.
So once we are in Baghdad airspace,
there's nothing that can deter him
from hitting us or our allies.
Now you understand?
This is what's happening?
What are you telling me? To cave in?
Absolutely not, sir. You present
it as his capitulation.
He has come to you with the idea
of price stabilization.
- Hey, when has that ever happened?
- Never.
Walt, this is
the thing. Never.
Not in any administration. This will be a
first. On top of that, you've saved...
Three countries from chemical attack.
Sir, the level of heroism here is at
least as high as that of Kennedy in '62.
Powell in Venezuela. Stop
it right there, sir.
I appreciate you got a job to do, but
I'd like to have a word with the man.
I just wanna talk to him. Not now, okay?
I don't understand why you're
giving me this static.
You need to calm down. The man has a weapon.
I pay my taxes.
I can speak my mind.
You know how much I paid in taxes last year?
I can understand.
Three large. You know what
that's like for a guy like me?
You know what that is? All right!
- Let's hear what he has to say.
- Yes, sir.
Keep it under control. I got it. Thank you.
Thank you. I pay
my taxes, you know?
Yes, I heard that.
Okay, I just wanted to say that, speaking
for the common man, we're with you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Let's crispy-critter them
motherfuckers, you know what I mean?
Teach that little prick a lesson
he and his daddy never learned.
Keep your hands at your sides.
You drop that bomb,
you got my vote and the vote
of every real American.
My buddy Ace and I were having
this conversation the other day,
and accidentally I let slip the word "fag."
My buddy gets bent out of shape,
saying, "ralphie, be careful.
You don't know who's around."
Then he teaches me this little trick.
Every time we see one of them homosexuals,
we use the word "watermelon."
You see a fag, you say, "wouldn't
some watermelon be nice now?"
I said, "geez, Ace, that's ingenious!
What do you call blacks?"
He says, "texans."
I say, "what do you call spics?" He says...
He says,
"truckers."
Finally, I say, "what do
you call them arabs?"
He looks at me and says, "hell, Ralph,
we just call them sand niggers."
See what I'm sayin'? Nobody gives a
shit about no dirty-ass sand nigger.
And as far as their nukes go,
they're so stone age backwards,
they probably never seen a button,
let alone know how to push one.
Ralph, is it?
Yeah.
Ralphie.
Ralph...
Is there anything else?
No, that about covers it.
Okay. How 'bout, if I promise
when all this is over...
To pass a presidential decree...
Forever relinquishing you from paying taxes?
Would you promise
to never speak to me again?
Gentlemen.
Okay. Step out, sir. Thank you.
It's fine.
Sir, general Lancaster
has Mr. rubenstein available.
Finally. Mr. president, we have Mr.
Rubenstein.
This should be interesting. Mr.
Rubenstein, this is Walt Emerson.
It's an honor, sir. All mine.
What do you got for us?
Sir, we have authenticated the nuclear
weapons the Iraqis laid out for us.
Yes, we know that. Yeah, but
what you don't know is...
I mean, the thing of it is,
these are American-made weapons.
American-made? Yes, sir. Arms dealers?
No, not arms dealers.
The markings are clear.
These weapons were French property.
The French government? That is
exactly what I mean, Mr. Thompson.
It's France for sure. Our analysts
at defense are swearing by it.
Something doesn't jive here.
You've been invaluable,
Mr. rubenstein.
Good luck, sir. I'm here if you need me.
- Thank you.
- Excuse me, sir,
but monsieur le president
gestaing is available now.
- I got him on two.
- Fucking, cocksucking, motherfucking French...
- Marsh.
- Piece of frog shit.
We call them milkmen.
"Milkmen"?
Shut the fuck up, Ralph.
Okay.
It's one thing for them to
have sympathy for Iraq.
In fact, I always admired
them for their... their...
Humanitarianism? Yeah,
but this is different.
I mean, this is outright treason.
How the fuck do they think they can get away
with this? Sir, gestaing is now available.
That's not a conclusion you
want to jump to, marsh. Henri.
Monsieur president.
Comment allez-vous?
Ca va bien. So the mosquito is back.
I'll say.
Inevitable.
Yes. Henri, I must ask you
about these weapons Iraq has.
Yes.
It seems they're all French.
Oui.
That they're yours.
- They come from France.
- Of course.
Of cour... how can he say that...
It's quite a situation. Oui. I understand.
Your administration... no, it was not me.
It was bouvier. Personally, I find
it to have been his most heroic act.
Well, now that everyone
knows where they're from,
I have to figure out a way to
explain it to the American people.
Tell them the truth.
The world should understand why France
has taken this position all these years.
And you've also sold them some submarines?
The submarines were improvisational...
Bouvier looking for an extra dollar.
Could have told us. It was discussed
with president Buckingham.
He was angry, but it was done,
and what was done was done.
Well, we'll discuss it at gatt next month.
For now I need to do what
I need to do, and so do you.
So, can you send over a portfolio
with all the weapons you sold Iraq?
I've just sent the list
to general Lancaster's office.
It should be there momentarily.
It is the most updated list.
Just to acknowledge, what is the
exact vintage of these weapons?
Exactly as we used the pakistanis.
They're all post-1996,
every one of them.
Okay, Henri. I'm also being told
that a missile is headed your way.
We see that. You know, the bastard
promised that they wouldn't do that.
We predict it will land in orly.
Right. Well, just don't
launch anything offensive.
No, no.
Under any circumstances.
We'll save our bombs for qaddafi.
Talk to you later.
Au revoir.
Did you hear how cavalier he was?
- I don't get it. I don't understand.
- Am I missing something?
Okay, okay.
Here's what we have to do.
- We have to get gestaing back on the phone.
- Absolutely.
The French supplied them. They
have the means to disarm them.
We have to get gestaing's
commitment on this.
Also, call a meeting
of the general assembly.
This is unacceptable behavior from a member
of NATO. They can't just supply the world...
Marsh. You're missing something.
What? I'm all ears.
General Lancaster?
Yes, sir.
Does gestaing's laundry list
correspond with our surveillance?
Perfectly. Iraq can hit, by our estimations,
over a dozen nations at once.
All right, then. Send the b-2 into Iraq.
We're gonna let her fly.
- Gonna let 'em fly?
- That's illegal.
It's absolutely illegal. They will
impeach you before you're elected.
Okay. You know what?
We need to have a chat.
- Where's my coat? Ms. redford, would you join us outside?
- Certainly.
- My coat.
- I have it, sir.
Agent Dexter, I want you two to stay inside.
If there's a sharpshooter in that shit
storm out there, he deserves a target.
Major? I'll be ready, sir.
Your coat, Mr. Thompson.
No.
Hey, look at this!
Okay, sir, you can't sit here.
Come away from the window.
Poor bastard's goin' to hell.
He's gonna take us with him.
What the hell are you talkin' about, Mr.
Crispy critter their asses?
Ralph, you just told the president
he should drop the bomb on Iraq.
That was before Katie told me that our
fearless hebe leader didn't believe in God.
They're going to be nukes flying
around like tennis balls at wimbledon.
Why are you people discussing this?
- You think Emerson's gonna come back in and put it to a vote?
- When he comes back in here,
we'll sit him down and we'll all
talk some sense into him.
What do you think this is,
a.A.
Okay, folks, I need you to clear
this window area, please. Thank you.
I got Emerson's ear.
We had a good dialogue going.
- He'll listen to me.
- Give me a break!
Thank God kissinger's on the case.
Shit! Son of a bitch!
What the fuck are you doing?
Drop the weapon, pal.
Drop the weapon!
- Put it down, buddy.
- Shit!
Drop the weapon, mister.
- Put it down.
- Why don't you just shoot?
Put it down, now!
Put it down!
Harvey!
Don't gonna be no apocalypse here.
Not on my watch!
Harvey! Don't you do it to yourself!
- Don't you do it!
- Harvey!
Jesus!
Jesus, where'd the fucking
shotgun come from?
Williams, secure the weapon.
Nest is secure.
Jesus, mother Mary.
Sir, we're under control.
Under control. Yeah.
That's that. He's the only person with
the combination to the briefcase.
All right, let's call stratcom.
- Howard!
- Yes, sir.
Call stratcom,
chairman, joint chiefs, Miller.
Right, sir. Get 'em on the phone.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Okay, gentleman, we've,
had a rather serious incident here.
As a result, our man
with the football has been shot.
Shot? What happened?
The cook here, he lost it.
He took our...
He killed coddington.
He was a fine young man and a good guy.
I don't want to diminish what's
happened here, but we must keep focus.
Inside the briefcase are the codes necessary
to launch our weapons, of course.
I'm assuming one of you has the combination.
Not here, sir.
Can we just shoot it open?
No. No, no, sir.
You can't do that.
Any kind of forced entry and
the components self-destruct.
Right, but there's
got to be a backup, right?
I have it, sir.
Thank goodness.
Every joint chief receives
the combination code...
At the weekly briefing if our
arm is carrying the football.
All right.
Let's get this going, then.
Admiral Miller?
Mr. president,
I respectfully decline.
- "Respectfully decline"?
- Bring me the briefcase.
- Right away, sir.
- I have four minutes to acquire those codes.
What I need is for you to set aside your
personal feelings and do your fucking job!
May I remind you, admiral,
that this is an act of treason?
Sir, the combination...
Is 0-8-0-6-1-
niner-4-5.
And, sir, along with that, I
must submit my resignation.
Sir, let me repeat that back.
0-8-0-6-1-
niner-4-5.
Okay, general, I got
binoculars and a keyboard.
I have no idea what to do. Okay.
Put your eyes to the lens,
and your retinal code...
Will enable you to see a
ten-point alphanumeric code.
- Can't anyone look through these?
- They could try,
but their retinas would be burned.
Just an n.S.C precaution,
sir.
I'm almost certain that
we've reactivated the system...
Using your specific retinal information.
- "Almost certain"?
- Yes, sir,
I'm pretty certain.
Okay.
I see...
Latitude, longitude...
And the code atop.
Okay, sir, look back into the briefcase,
type in the latitude and
longitude that you need...
Hold on. We have it right here. Okay.
It is 33.14 north,
And 44.22 east.
All right. You see the code, sir?
Yes, I see the code.
All right, relay it to us
in the phonetic alphabet.
That'll constitute your authorization.
7-5-Juliet-kilo-Romeo-
Lima-8-golf-5-niner.
Let me say that again.
7-5-Juliet-kilo-Romeo-Lima-
8-golf-5-niner.
7-5-Juliet-kilo-Romeo-Lima-8-golf-5-niner.
Sir, you are authorizing the
release of free-falling,
strategic nuclear weapons on Baghdad, Iraq.
That's right.
Mr. president,
your codes are now being
electronically delivered to the b-2.
We have finally been able to make
satellite audio contact with Eric Vince,
our correspondent in Baghdad.
Eric? Eric,
can you hear me?
- Eric Vince, are you there?
- Yeah, I can hear you just fine now, Gerry.
- Are you okay?
- - I'm here to tell you that here in Baghdad...
Pandemonium that I have never seen
in my entire professional career.
I can tell you... honey, I'm getting through.
Really? Yeah, maybe the storm...
Hello?
Yeah, h-hello?
Yeah. Hello.
Mrs. Fisher.
Yes, Mr. woods. Yes, I know it's late.
I'm sorry to wake you, but Lizzie and
I want to talk to Dylan. Is he...
No, no, I'm sure he's asleep.
Of course he's asleep.
We just wanted to get
one... hi, this is Lizzie.
We just want to talk to Dylan, okay?
Eric, I should tell you,
if you do not already know this,
that it is more than understandable...
For you to put down the phone
and head out of the city now...
For your own protection.
Well, Gerry, I see
12 million people on the street,
all trying to get out of the city.
They're either on foot or they're in cars.
I'm told more people have died by being trampled
to death than died the entire Gulf war.
How many reporters get to say morituri...
As I do to you and to my
family, my friends at ibs.
Not many, Eric.
When daddy gets home, he's gonna give you...
A million, zillion... A million, zillion...
Good night dream drops.
What the fuck are you doing?
Mr. woods, we were
very clear about this.
We asked you repeatedly to stay off the
phone. We've been very clear about the phone.
I'm... give me the fuckin' phone back.
Hello.
No. No, your daddy will
call you back, okay, buddy?
That's my... I'm just speaking to my kid.
They're dropping a bomb on my kid!
That's my son on the phone.
Give me the fuckin'...
Let me talk to him!
You motherfucker! Please try
to lose your threatening tone.
Please, sir. Are you gonna shoot me now?
Are you gonna shoot me now?
Mr. woods, you're gonna have
to calm down right now.
Ten minutes before we all die, are you
gonna kill me? You have to calm down.
That makes a lot of fucking sense.
We'll all be fine.
I'm fine. Give me the f...
Come on.
You can understand stress
at a time like this.
Please, Taylor, please.
Sit down, Mr. woods.
Let the man stand, please. I appreciate
what we all have to do here.
If you have something you need
to say, please, let's hear it.
Let's hear it now. What is it? You...
You have no right.
Regretfully, I am the only one
that does have this right.
No, you have no moral right.
You were never elected.
You can't even make the shallow argument
you have a mandate of the people.
You made a choice that your ego will
not allow you to back off from.
Taylor... if you bomb...
Baghdad, we're all next.
I understand you're afraid. Everyone's
afraid. The whole world is afraid.
I'm asking you to believe
me that it's gonna be okay,
not because I am telling
you to but because...
It's the truth.
Sir, the b-2 spirit has acknowledged
receipt of the presidential order.
You're asking too much. I have a son
in New York. It's heading due east...
I have a daughter.
Tracey, right?
Dylan! I love my child no
less than you love yours.
He's gonna be five!
- Please trust me.
- We have an Iraqi launch...
In tripoli.
We now have two more launches, sir.
What's the e.T.A. Of the detonation in
Baghdad? Six minutes and twenty seconds.
And the e.T.A. Of the tripoli? We now
have eight more Iraqi launches, sir.
E.T.A. Of the tripoli launch.
17 minutes in Rome, sir.
Okay, so that's 12 Iraqi launches thus far?
Yes. No...
No, we now have...
Sir, we have confirmed the launching of
a Lancelot missile, target position...
Sir, it's coming in on NORAD.
That's not far from where we are.
Sir, a.P.C.S have arrived at your position
to get you to safety and handle casualties.
- What about the other American cities?
- Washington, D.C.,
Miami and New York.
I would not be overly concerned
about those cities, sir.
Our spacecom at Peterson should
be able to deal with them.
- And what about our position?
- Sir, we don't have the air defense capacity...
To actively engage the Lancelot.
We don't have the capacity?
Sir, no one anticipated...
That we'd have to defend ourselves
against our own technology.
Isn't that terrific foresight.
Once the missile enters space,
we lose our lock on it,
and we can't regain lock until...
The a.P.C. Outside your position is
far safer than where you are, sir.
I'll be staying inside, general.
No, you won't.
Mr. president, allow us
to escort you outside.
I'm staying inside with these brave people.
You're the president.
You have to go into the a.P.C.
If I asked you to wait...
In the a.P.C.,
what would you do?
- I wouldn't go. I'm not the president.
- Excuse us a second.
You have to trust what I told you outside,
what Paul told me on his deathbed,
as fantastic as it sounded.
It was insane. He was a great
president until the end.
In the end, he was a hallucinating
fool hooked on painkillers.
Sir, Israeli db-12s
destroyed one of the icbms.
Yeah!
Yeah. All right.
Sir, stratcom is reporting less than five minutes
from Baghdad. Stay here. Be a fuckin' hero.
General, who's in the b-2?
Their names, you mean?
Yes, their names.
What are their names?
Jeter and meyers, commanders both.
Can you patch me through to them?
It won't be secure, sir.
I understand. Patch me through. Yes, sir.
Sir, stratcom is now
latched onto the b-2.
It is approximately
two minutes from position.
One of us will have one hell of an
"I told you so" when this is over,
Gentlemen, please give
your attention to the president.
Sir, these are commanders jeter and meyers.
Commanders.
Mr. president.
It's a privilege. You
fellas hanging in there?
Yes, sir, we are.
Hell of a job you got picked for.
A hell of a job.
More people have walked the moon
than have done what we must.
So, I guess that's why we get the big money.
Yeah, well,
you've...
You've got to know...
You're serving a greater cause for mankind.
- Right, sir.
- Eleven minutes and thirty seconds, sir.
All of the missiles appear one minute
to thirty seconds behind your e.T.A.
Sir, less than one minute from target.
- Where you men from?
- Kennebunk.
Meyers is from Hawaii. We were
classmates at the university of Maine.
- We played football together.
- Yeah. Year of the national championship?
A little late for that, actually.
Sir?
Yes.
Sir, meyers and I have thought, and,
we don't know how we're feeling about this.
You're going to be okay, son.
Eleven minutes to detonation
on your position, sir.
You just have to remember one thing.
You're not doing this, I am.
Yes, sir. It's an argument
I've heard before.
Eight seconds to Baghdad, sir.
Men don't go on this kind of mission,
and, well, meyers and I have talked, and we
figure we're just horses with broken legs.
You're good men. Good luck to you both.
Three, two...
- We've reached target, sir.
- Sir, the b-2 has arrived.
Sir, stratcom now confirms the detonation...
Of a 100-megaton
nuclear weapon...
Ten minutes e.T.A...
On your position, sir.
Ladies and gentlemen,
ibs satellites now confirm...
A gigantic explosion over Baghdad.
We cannot clarify
the nature of this explosion.
However, our earliest indications
seem to establish...
That, in fact, a nuclear
weapon has been dropped...
On that Iraqi capital.
This was just a few minutes ago.
Sir, it's incredible what's going on here.
Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, ibs
satellites are monitoring the activity...
Over the Iraqi capital.
We do have a partial image from Baghdad
that was cut off in mid-explosion.
Here it is.
Eagle leader, Secure.
Okay. Okay.
Ladies and gentlemen, ibs
satellites have now latched on.
Can we get the satellite images on the air?
Okay, as you can see, ladies and gentlemen,
these are, indeed, hostile warheads...
Iraqi warheads that are
in flight at this time.
These are warheads confirmed to have
originated from the locations...
Provided by the Iraqi spokesman, that
is, the Iraqi ambassador, Mr. Omari.
This fool is gonna create a
panic the world has never seen.
There's a lot to sort out,
and we're doing so in real time.
Our nuclear expert,
Daniel golan, is on the line...
Calling from our satellite
surveillance center.
- Daniel.
- Gerry, from our vantage point,
it's clear that at least
22 missiles are in flight.
Our trajectories indicate bombs
targeting New York City,
pensacola,
Washington, D.C.,
and NORAD in Colorado.
There are several European
cities targeted as well.
Australia is also projected.
Do you have any estimate on the arrival
of any of these weapons, Daniel?
Well, they've all been in flight for a while.
Many of the weapons are tomahawks.
The one headed to NORAD
appears to be a Lancelot.
We should, of course,
point out that NORAD...
Is within 40 Miles of the
president's current position.
Okay, Gerry, we've just gotten word.
A warhead has landed in Athens.
It's landed on a small building, and
there are not yet any casualty reports,
but Gerry, we can report no detonation.
Of course, there will be casualties
associated with the impact.
Gerry, we now see there is no detonation
of the bombs landing in Djibouti.
Well, this is remarkable.
Daniel, give me a second while we go
to Sylvia Charles in Tokyo. Sylvia.
Gerald, the bombs presumably headed for
Tokyo have landed in the sea of Japan.
More importantly, another bomb has
landed in the park in Hiroshima.
There's no detonation. It's
absolutely incredible, Gerry.
- We'll get back to you soon with more...
- Thank you, Sylvia.
Information on this situation.
Folks, you've just heard what I heard,
which appears to be an odd pattern...
In that many of these bombs...
Did not detonate
after having hit their target.
We are now getting word that the
Lancelot missile fired from...
Noah, how we doin'? On in just a few, sir.
NORAD in Colorado Springs,
has landed in the rockies,
how are ya?
And like many of the other
bombs, without detonating.
What are you gonna say? I'm gonna
give it to them straight, I guess.
What do you think?
I like your tie... Is less than 50
Miles from the president's position.
Final look. President Emerson and
his entourage are apparently safe.
Standing by. Right here. The president
will now address the nation...
Exclusively here on ibs.
Do we have that picture now? Okay.
Ladies and gentlemen, the
President of the United States.
My fellow Americans.
President Roosevelt once said, "we
have nothing to fear but fear itself."
By God, that is true.
Fear is our nation's cancer.
It sucks the marrow out of our
economy and our national psyche,
and fear is the dragon
that every president must slay.
At 1:47 A.M.,
eastern seaboard time,
a b-2 spirit bomber,
on my launch code orders,
dropped a 100-megaton
nuclear device...
On the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Our aerial reports have confirmed...
A successful detonation and
the destruction of that city.
Nuclear weapons, 23 in total,
were launched by Iraq...
Simultaneous to our b-2
crossing their border.
Our antiballistic missiles successfully
destroyed 18 of those bombs.
Five, however, landed
on their targeted cities,
one of which, a Lancelot missile,
landed not too far
from where I'm standing now.
Not one of those five bombs detonated.
I would like to now tell you why.
Several decades ago, we began
a ban on nuclear testing.
In the early '90s, the United States...
Created the teraflop computer,
the most sophisticated simulator...
Of nuclear detonation known to man.
The efficiency of the teraflop,
which can literally perform one
trillion calculations per second,
became the envy of the world.
A few years ago,
we began to sell nuclear weapons to Iraq.
Our motivation was simple.
The only way to stop Hussein from
building a nuclear arsenal...
Was to supply him with one, and
we did through an emissary.
The French government supplied Iraq
with as many nuclear weapons...
As they would ever need and a teraflop
computer to verify their efficiency.
As some of you may have guessed,
we sold them a bill of goods.
Not one of the nuclear weapons we sold
Iraq through the French government...
Ever had the capacity to detonate, though
the teraflop computer they received...
Assured them that they would.
Throughout modern history, it was
believed that the nuclear era de facto...
Would last two days,
from Hiroshima to Nagasaki.
When the five member nations
of the security council...
Were confirmed to have nuclear arsenals,
it was assumed they would never be used.
The domino effect was
simply too overwhelming.
Deterrence was our global shield.
Today, the United States
sent a message to the world.
If our national security is threatened,
we have nuclear weapons,
and we will use them.
Tomorrow night at 9:00 P.M. eastern time,
I will make a significant
announcement from the white house.
Until then, I wish to express
my eternal sorrow...
For all the lives lost today.
God bless you, one and all,
and God bless the United States of America.
We know the news of this evening...
And we're out, sir.
Is coming in at a frustratingly rapid rate.
We'll sort everything out as soon as the
dust settles. Significant announcement?
What's this?
That's it. It's over.
What's over?
I'm withdrawing from the race.
What?
What...
What did jeter say?
"I'm a horse with a broken leg."
So, a-all this... every... nothing.
For nothing?
Come on. There's a big difference
between strategy and tactics.
When China backs down,
was it all for nothing?
Marsh...
I guess I'll leave the future
in your hands, Gayle.
Well, sir,
the future isn't what it used to be,
is it?
No, I guess not.
Sir, here's your jacket.
Katie, can I help you up?
Noah?
Yes, sir.
Come up with it, please. All right. Gotcha.
This will probably be the last time.
I'm on top of it, Marshall.
Agent Williams?
Yes, sir.
Take that down, please.
You bet, sir.
Mr. president?
We have a deal.
Well, why don't we...
Mr. woods.
You know what, give me a second.
Ma'am.
Thank you.
Mr. president, football is secure.
We're ready when you are, sir.
Thanks.
Taylor.
I'd lay down the king.
You're right, sir.
Let's go.
Eagle two to air force one at Peterson.
Reporting all systems...
I have seen war.
I have seen war on land and sea.
I have seen blood running from the wounded.
I have seen children starving.
I have seen the agony of mothers and wives.
I hate war!