24 (TV Series)
Day 2: 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (2003)
Dennis Haysbert: President David Palmer
Quotes
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President David Palmer : [During a press conference with Mike Novick standing nearby] you've been told by a well respected member of the press: Mr. Ron Wieland that there is an imminent terrorist threat leveled at this country. That is true as far as that goes. The fact is we get a dozen such threats each day. Do I know more than I publicly reveal? Of course. What is released to the public is a matter of judgment and you have elected me to exercise that judgment in the best interests of this country. That's what I've done when I took office. That's what I'm doing today and I assure you that we have the situation well in control and there is no cause for alarm. Thank you
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President David Palmer : [to Sherry] tell Mike what you told me
Sherry Palmer : There's a back channel communications network that the CIA used to call OP-COM: it's been shut down for over twenty years. Last month NSA was given orders to resurrect it. It was an "eyes only" order issued by Roger Stanton
Mike Novick : [Referring to the amount evidence to arrest Roger] I'm not sure if that's enough
President David Palmer : By itself, it's not. Unless Roger used call OP-COM to contact Colonel Samuels in the last few hours
Mike Novick : [to David] my source is checking on that now
President David Palmer : [to mike] call the Attorney General. Start working on this from the legal side. If we find this connection, we'll move on it, and have Stanton arrested
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President David Palmer : [after hanging up the phone] Jack ok?
Mike Novick : [Referring to apprehending Nina Meyers] yes, they got to Nina before she could shoot
President David Palmer : What about her?
Mike Novick : Just as you requested: she wasn't seriously hurt. Sir, their awaiting your orders. Do you want her taken back to prison?
President David Palmer : No, we'll honor our original deal. I'll pardon her for the charges of the murder and treason as soon as we can confirm her information
Mike Novick : In the meantime, where do you want her?
President David Palmer : Los Angeles. Let her share the fate of everyone she's endangered
Mike Novick : [Before leaving] yes Sir
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Jack Bauer : [Over the phone] the soldiers that attacked us at the crash site: they were American. At least American trained
President David Palmer : What?
Jack Bauer : One of the soldiers that were killed had a tattoo of a coral snake on his arm. That's a signature of a group out of Fort Benning
President David Palmer : What sort of group?
Jack Bauer : A deep cover special Ops unit. The only reason I know about the group, Sir is because earlier in my career they tried to recruit me. Their commander is Colonel Samuels
President David Palmer : I've never heard of this unit
Jack Bauer : No Sir, you wouldn't have. That's the point, they've be buried pretty deep in NSA's budget
President David Palmer : NSA? OK, even if NSA originally trained them isn't possible his freelancing now? Mercenaries?
Jack Bauer : If it was just the tattoo Sir, I'd agree with you but the men that attacked us had access to our flight plan. The only way they could've gotten that information was from the inside. Mr. President, I know it sounds very farfetched but we got attacked by Americans, and that tattoo is very distinctive and very specific
President David Palmer : I appreciate the information. Where are you now?
Jack Bauer : We're in a chopper. We're on our way to the address Nina Meyers provided for us. We should be touching down soon Sir. Our ETA is fifteen minutes
President David Palmer : Keep me posted
Jack Bauer : Yes Mr. President
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President David Palmer : Tell me everything you know about Colonel Ron Samuels from Fort Benning?
Roger Stanton : I don't know anything about Colonel Samuels
President David Palmer : What about a special Ops unit from down there called Coral Snake?
Roger Stanton : No Sir: nothing
President David Palmer : How could NSA be funding a paramilitary group and you not know about?
Roger Stanton : Well, without knowing specifics, I really can't say for sure. My guess is that the Department of Defense has used some of their "discretionary" resources, attached our name for budgetary reasons. It happens all the time
President David Palmer : That's absurd. NSA is information gathering only. They have no military mandate
Roger Stanton : I assume that this Coral Snake group, like many others we see falls under somebody's "pet project". It's funded on the side
President David Palmer : How would you know that? A minute ago you told me you've never heard of them
Roger Stanton : I'm just conjecturing from past experience. I have no concrete information. Let me look into it
President David Palmer : You do that
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President David Palmer : Jack Bauer's plane was shot down by an American military unit: Jack told me himself. I won't go into details except to say I believe him
Mike Novick : American military? Why?
President David Palmer : I just spoke to Roger Stanton. I think his hiding something from me, I'm going to arrest him
Sherry Palmer : Arrest the head of NSA?
President David Palmer : Bauer said the unit that attacked his plane was connected to a Colonel Samuels out of Fort Benning. Samuels is funded by NSA
Sherry Palmer : With all due respect, that's pretty thin
President David Palmer : By itself, yes. But the Ambassador's chopper crash, the evacuation of military personnel out of LA, Ron Wieland's escape from custody. Those things happened after Stanton arrived
Sherry Palmer : Firing Stanton will cause chaos. All the agencies report through him. His running the search for the bomb for crying out loud
Mike Novick : If the President's right, his not running the search, his "impeding" it
Sherry Palmer : Why would he do such a thing?
Mike Novick : I don't know but if he is, you have a better chance of finding the bomb if we get rid of him
Sherry Palmer : [to David] you can't do this on a hunch. if Stanton turns out to be innocent and that bomb goes off, you'll be blamed for the deaths of a million people
Mike Novick : [to Sherry] if you do nothing and if he is guilty of something he'll be blamed anyway
Sherry Palmer : [to David] no at the very least we need to get kind of proof. Some evidence, you cannot just arrest the head of NSA
President David Palmer : [to Mike] she's right we need proof, find me a connection to Stanton and this Colonel Samuels and find it quickly
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President David Palmer : [Over the phone] yeah those three dates and anything the following week: hold on
Sherry Palmer : Ok good. Let me know if you find something out
Mike Novick : Sir,
President David Palmer : What've you got?
Mike Novick : I found a way to get into the OP-COM channels
President David Palmer : Good
Mike Novick : The problem is the files are password protected. We're going to need someone internal to open them. It'll take time
Sherry Palmer : No, it's not. I just got the name of a Deputy Director who's retired but his code is still active. We could use that
Mike Novick : I'll head over to the OC to check it out
President David Palmer : Good
President David Palmer : I'm collecting the dates Colonel Samuels' office logged on OP-COM. if Mike can trace Stanton access, we can look for a match
President David Palmer : Great
Sherry Palmer : If we have that, you'll have all the proof you need
Mike Novick : Wait a minute, Stanton has a dozen staff that shares his code. How are we going to pin it on him?
Sherry Palmer : There's a four digit sub-code that only belongs to him. That's the one that'll nail him
President David Palmer : You're doing an incredible job here today
Sherry Palmer : Thank you
President David Palmer : I had forgotten how talented you are with all this stuff
Sherry Palmer : I've worked with you for over twenty-five years. It had to rub off me somehow
President David Palmer : [while rubbing her shoulder] I'm glad you're here
Sherry Palmer : I've always been here, you remember that?
President David Palmer : [Before walking away] yeah
