24 (TV Series)

Day 2: 11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. (2003)

Dennis Haysbert: President David Palmer

Quotes 

• Mike Novick : CTU managed to detonate the bomb within a few meters of the designated coordinates

  President David Palmer : I'm going over the field report now: I'm not seeing any casualty estimates

  Mike Novick : We expect zero direct casualties or close to it

  President David Palmer : I'm going to give Jack Bauer's daughter my personal condolences

  Mike Novick : You won't have to Sir

  Mike Novick : Bauer wasn't on the plane the time the bomb was detonated

  President David Palmer : [Confused]  do we know how this happened?

  Mike Novick : Apparently another man ended up piloting the plane. We're still getting the details

  Lynne Kresge : [after entering his office]  Sir, we just got word from CTU, they finished their analysis on the Cyprus audio. It's real and we have proof that Syed Ali, the man behind the bomb, was given direct support from the Ministers from the three different countries. Here's the transcript of their analysis, including margins of error

  President David Palmer : Do we have any reason to doubt the veracity of this recording?

  Lynne Kresge : Ali's denying it but I suppose that's to be expected

  President David Palmer : Are the Joint Chiefs ready?

  Lynne Kresge : General Bowden has them standing by

  President David Palmer : Given the evidence we do not have option of not responding. I don't see any way around this, do you? I want to issue a statement that there was a nuclear weapon but there were no causalities

  Lynne Kresge : I will alert the network Sir

• President David Palmer : [to Lynn, with Mike Novick present]  contact the Hill: let them know I'll be calling for an emergency session of Congress. During which I'll be asking for a formal declaration of war

• President David Palmer : My understanding is it will take between eight and ten weeks to call up reserve troops and redeploy forces for a full scale ground assault in the region

  General Bowden : Yes Sir, we have the resources in place to initiate a "rolling start" immediately

  President David Palmer : "Rolling start"?

  General Bowden : Surgical strikes, against early warning radar, and anti aircraft installation followed immediately by precision bombing of targets that will severely degrade their military and telecommunications capabilities

  President David Palmer : And theses first strikes will be underway by the time I address the nation this morning?

  General Bowden : When are you scheduled to go on the air Sir?

  President David Palmer : Six hours from now

  General Bowden : We'll be ready Sir

• Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : [Over the phone]  thank for taking my call Mr. President, the Prime Minister wants to express his outrage and horror for what has occurred

  President David Palmer : Thank you

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : That you found the bomb in time is truly a miracle

  President David Palmer : I'm not sure I believe in "miracles" Sir. My people are very good at what they do

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : Yes indeed they are

  President David Palmer : I'm sure you're aware that we've arrested one of your citizens with connection to the bomb: Syed Ali

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : An outlaw, his eluded us for years. Expect our full cooperation for his prosecution and punishment

  President David Palmer : I'd expect nothing less

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : I realize that we've had our differences and today have been an especially trying day but we are both fighting the same battle. My government remains dedicated to the destruction of Second Wave as well as any other terrorist organization that "may" have been responsible for this atrocity

  President David Palmer : That's good to know

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : Mr. President, I understand you will be under a great deal of political pressure to respond to what has happened. I am confident that you'll have the strength to resist that pressure

  President David Palmer : If you're concerned about a "rush to judgment", you needn't be. We're merely gathering evidence

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : I appreciate your candor Mr. President

  President David Palmer : And I appreciate your solidarity Deputy Prime Minister

  Deputy Prime Minister Barghouti : Of course

  President David Palmer : You'll hear from me soon

• General Bowden : Casualty estimates in the initial air campaign are minimal: a dozen at the most

  Lynne Kresge : What about the ground campaign?

  General Bowden : There are numerous scenarios, depending on obviously how long the campaign lasts, if chemical or biological weapons are deployed against our troops which frankly I think they will be

  President David Palmer : Ok taking all that into account, and then give me a number General

  General Bowden : Simultaneous ground assault against the three countries which lasts five weeks which will result in ten to thirty thousand American casualties

  President David Palmer : [after rubbing his head]  and if China and Russia enters the conflict against us?

  General Bowden : There's no "outer limit" to that Mr. President but it's an unlikely scenario. They'll want to insinuate themselves to control the oil fields

• President David Palmer : [Over the phone]  it's good to hear your voice but I'm in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs right now

  Jack Bauer : I'm sorry Sir but I felt this was important enough to interrupt you: Syed Ali has just been assassinated. CTU was just transferring him to Guantanamo when it happened

  President David Palmer : What're you talking about? By whom?

  Jack Bauer : We don't know yet Sir but I think it has to do with the conversation that was recorded in Cyprus. Mr. President I don't believe its genuine

  President David Palmer : That recording was authenticated

  Jack Bauer : Sir, authentication is never one hundred percent

  President David Palmer : Do you have any evidence to the contrary?

  Jack Bauer : Syed Ali said he was in Berlin when the conversation took place. He said the entire recording was fabricated

  President David Palmer : I'm aware of his denials

  Jack Bauer : Mr. President, I'm just worried someone is trying to manipulate you into taking the kind of military action I assume you're about to take

  President David Palmer : Look, the fact that Syed Ali was killed does not prove that the recording was fabricated

  Jack Bauer : No Sir. I know that. I know it doesn't but I just feel there's a responsibility to tell you that he was assassinated because he was in fact telling the truth

  President David Palmer : Do you have hard evidence? Listen to me. I don't want to initiate a military action based on erroneous information but I can't stop it based on conjuncture

  President David Palmer : I understand Sir, I do. Mr. President, if I were to get you some proof, how much time would I have?

  President David Palmer : Our military response is only hours away. You better do it soon

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir. Thank you Mr. President

• Mike Novick : [after entering the room and closing the door behind him]  the Joints Chiefs are revising their material estimate between ten and twenty percent: this is good news Sir

  President David Palmer : None of this is good news

  Mike Novick : General Bowden is ready to walk you through the strategy stemming

  President David Palmer : I need a few more minutes

  Mike Novick : How long should I tell him?

  President David Palmer : When I'm ready

  Mike Novick : What is it Mr. President?

  President David Palmer : The telephone conversation I had with Jack Bauer keeps playing inside my head. I'm worried we may be moving too fast

  Mike Novick : Mr. President, your ability to analyze situations is your strongest asset. But it's also your greatest liability

  President David Palmer : I don't want to make a mistake that our children and their children will have to pay for

  Mike Novick : Sir, we have evidence that has been confirmed by every military and intelligence on the payroll

  President David Palmer : Everyone except Jack Bauer

  Mike Novick : It's natural for you to be having doubts right now. I'd be worried if you weren't having doubts but when the public learns what happens, they'll want a decisive response. They'll demand it

  President David Palmer : We're not responding to anybody's blood lust

  Mike Novick : No Sir. We're not. We're responding because three countries colluded with a terrorist group to explode a bomb on our soil and we have proof

  President David Palmer : And what if the proof is a lie?

  Mike Novick : It isn't

  President David Palmer : Are you sure?