JAG (1995–2005): Season 4, Episode 8 - Mr. Rabb Goes to Washington - full transcript
A TV-news network airs a report alleging that during Desert Storm a US Marine team has used sarin gas to assassinate three renegade US civilians working at an Iraqi facility in Kuwait producing chemical WMDs for Saddam Hussein. The three engineers died, as did four Marines, along with a fifth one who committed suicide three months later. Rep. Bobbi Latham requests the services of Harm as an adviser to a House subcommittee investigating the accusation; the admiral agrees. LCdr. Mic Brumby, RAN, both a lawyer and a submariner, arrives at the JAG headquarters for duty as an exchange officer. Mac's long-estranged husband suddenly shows up with complications. Differences come up between Harm and Bobbi, but they work it out -- after they catch the reporter in several lies. [To be continued.]
Tonight, on J.A.G.:
Good evening, I'm
Norman Delaporte.
The report you are about to see
contains graphic
descriptions of war and death.
It involves a breaking
story about war crimes
committed by American Marines
during operation Desert Storm
here in Kuwait at the
El Bakkar compound.
The accusations are serious;
the repercussions great.
The footage you are watching
was shot by a Marine force
recon team sent behind
enemy lines the day before
the ground-war phase
of Desert Storm began.
The team was led by
Sergeant Clyde Morrison.
Its mission: to eliminate
three Americans.
The war crime was discovered
by then-second-Lieutenant
Franco Cefalu.
Two days ago I
interviewed Franco Cefalu
now a Marine Captain, at
his home in northern Virginia.
My unit overran El Bakkar two
days after the force recon raid.
And what did you
find in building five?
Three dead Americans...
Chemical engineers
working with Saddam Hussein
on his program to develop
weapons of mass destruction.
How did these three men die?
From the effects of sarin gas.
Video footage shot that night
shows the force recon team
surrounding building five.
Encountering fierce resistance,
the Marines fired canisters
of what later proved to be
sarin gas into the building.
That's when the taping stopped
at Sergeant Morrison's order.
Stop it! Get out of here!
Classified intelligence
documents indicate
that the American military
knew of the presence
of these engineers at El Bakkar.
A source high up in the
Pentagon confirmed that these men
posed a serious
threat to our war effort.
The Marines suffered
four casualties.
The survivors were
airlifted out by helicopter.
Sergeant Richard Ford
was crew chief and gunner.
Sergeant, did the
Marines you evacuated
from El Bakkar carry sarin gas?
Yes, sir, Sergeant
Morrison did, sir.
How do you know that?
He had it in his bandolier, sir.
We'll be back in a minute
with reaction from the Pentagon.
The charges are serious...
Americans using chemical
weapons to kill other Americans.
Well, I'll consider an
administrative discharge.
Three's the best you're
going to get today.
Months?
Years.
You've got to be kidding.
Harm, Petty Officer
Ellsworth stole
a bulldozer from
a secured facility
and destroyed the
campaign headquarters
of his local congressman.
That's one way of looking at it.
I don't have time to argue.
I've got to go pick up that
Australian exchange officer
Lieutenant Commander Brumby.
Send Bud! I hear Brumby's cute.
Mac, Petty Officer Ellsworth
was making a
political statement.
Congress won't approve
pay raises for the military.
So his actions are
protected under free speech?
No, but I don't think justice
is served with brig time.
Think again.
Thanks for seeing me on
such short notice, Admiral.
I'd have been glad to come
to you, Congresswoman.
I wanted this off
the record, A.J.
The House National
Security Subcommittee
is holding hearings next week.
We intend to find out whether
a Marine team recon force
used chemical
weapons to assassinate
three renegade American
civilian engineers.
Working on Saddam's
weapons programs.
I saw Delaporte last night.
You don't actually
believe that story, do you?
I believe it's plausible.
One way or another, I need to
know if it can be substantiated.
Pentagon's looking into it.
That like sending the fox
in to count the chickens.
And that's why my
committee will hold meetings
and will forward a
report to Congress.
Well, in that case, ma'am,
what do you need from me?
I want Lieutenant Commander
Rabb assigned to my staff
on temporary duty.
Ma'am, I'd love to cooperate
but Commander Rabb's
caseload is full. I need him.
I need him, too, A.J.
This is a complex subject.
A lot of people
are going to lie.
I need to have someone
who'll recognize the truth.
Besides, I'll owe you one.
And I have every intention
of collecting, ma'am.
Announcing the arrival
of Flight 274 from Sydney
at gate 20-B.
At this time we'd
like to pre-board
flight number 676 to Barcelona.
You may board through Gate 11.
Hi! I'm Major Sarah
MacKenzie, JAG Corp.
Sorry?
Excuse me.
No, excuse me. I'm
talking to someone.
I was asked to meet you here.
Really?
Major...
Look, I don't care
what kind of wager
you made with your pals
over there. Leave me alone.
Wager?
I can take you
anywhere you want to go.
Now, that's an
interesting offer.
It's a real pleasure to meet
you, Commander Brumby.
Brumby?
The pleasure's all mine, Major.
I ran into some
mates on the flight.
We were gas-bagging it.
I'm not Commander Brumby
but I will be in
town for a few days.
You can reach me at the Hilton.
Well, you made
yourself a friend.
I'm so sorry. Um,
Sarah MacKenzie.
No worries, honest mistake.
Mic Brumby.
Well, where would
you like to go...
Um, office or hotel?
Hotel, then the office.
Might as well get
straight down to the cases.
I like a man with
a hard work ethic.
When I was a kid
I never dreamed I'd be
anywhere near this place.
When I was a kid, it
was all I dreamt about.
So where do we start?
Norman Delaporte.
You really think that's smart
considering we don't
have all the facts?
That's exactly why
we're talking to him.
I don't usually get my
facts from a reporter.
Harm, Norman's
not just a reporter.
He's an institution.
Besides, they don't give
you a Peabody and a Pulitzer
for being wrong.
Anyway, I know him.
Maybe that's what worries me.
Who put you on to this
story, Mr. Delaporte?
Someone who refused
to cover up a war crime...
Someone who wanted me
to find out who was responsible
for what happened that night
and to make sure that
it never happened again.
Someone was busy.
So how did you get access
to classified
intelligence reports?
I'm afraid I'm not
at liberty to disclose
my sources.
Sergeant Clyde Morrison
led the force recon team
at El Bakkar that night.
Why didn't you interview
him for your report?
Oh, I did talk to him
but I couldn't get
anything out of him.
He was all over the place.
Morrison's a hopeless alcoholic.
He's been in and
out of V.A. hospitals.
What happened on
the ground at El Bakkar
haunted the men who
were there that night.
We don't know for sure
what happened that night.
We know this, Commander...
The dead bore witness.
Four Marines came
home in body bags
and a fifth... Cary Dugan...
Blew his brains out
three months ago.
Dugan was the Marine corporal
who videotaped the raid.
The videotape of
the El Bakkar raid
is missing from the
Naval historical archives.
Where'd you get your copy, sir?
Just what's your
part in all this?
He's my "truth detector."
You haven't answered
my question, Mr. Delaporte.
Where'd you get your copy, sir?
Well, that's privileged.
Nu Lai was up north.
It was about 20 klicks
from the border, right?
That's right, sir.
Picture this... one dark night,
me Uncle Jack gets separated
from his unit on recon
and he finds himself
sitting five feet off
the Ho Chi Minh trail.
And all night long
these little bastards
are going back and forth
carrying sacks of rice
to the troops in the south.
He was so close, you
could hear 'em break wind.
Luckily enough,
when daylight came
he managed to crawl the
mile back to his own lines.
Did Uncle Jack make
it back to Australia?
Jacko did two tours
in Vietnam, Major.
A lot of the mates
he fought with
never made it
home, but he did...
And in one piece.
But he carked it in
a car just last year.
"Carked it in a car"?
Died in an auto accident.
How did you know that, sir?
Met a lot of Aussies
in Vietnam, Major.
You know the really
funny thing, Admiral?
I'll be darned if the
driver of the other car
wasn't a Vietnamese.
A lot of them came
down under after the war.
Major MacKenzie will be showing
you the ropes, Commander.
In the short term,
you'll be assisting her
with Commander Rabb's caseload.
Welcome aboard.
Thank you, sir.
It'll be good to have some
help with case research.
I can do more than
look things up, Major.
You see, my mother's American
so I have dual citizenship.
I got my degree at Georgetown
and passed the D.C.
bar ten years ago.
No reason I shouldn't
try a case or two, is there?
Ensign Sims, Commander Brumby.
He's going to be assisting
with the Ellsworth case.
Very nice to meet you, sir.
G'day.
Ma'am, there's
someone in your office.
I'm sorry. I didn't
get his name.
Oh, thank you.
The ensign will show
you around, Commander.
I've pretty much seen
all I need to, Ensign.
Hello, Sarah.
Aren't you even going to
say hello to your husband?
Colonel Cobb, you were
the officer in command
of Operation Sirocco?
Yes, ma'am, that's correct.
What was your mission?
Two days prior to the start
of the ground-war phase
of Operation Desert Storm
I inserted a six-man force
recon team into Kuwait
to gather intel
on shore batteries
in the area of Safwan.
Their orders were
to identify and report on
silkworm missile batteries
in the area of El Bakkar.
That was the extent
of your orders?
Yes, ma'am.
While on this mission
did your men employ
chemical or biological weapons?
No, ma'am. Absolutely not.
Then, why were they dressed
in nuclear-biological-
chemical suits with gas masks?
Standard procedure, given
an imminent threat, ma'am.
We knew that Saddam
had used chemical weapons
in the past, and we fully
expected him to do so again.
Were your men given orders
to assassinate three
American engineers working
at El Bakkar?
No, ma'am.
We had no indication
that Americans were there.
If we had, we'd have
brought them back for intel.
Can you be absolutely sure
that your force recon team
didn't kill the Americans?
I wasn't there,
sir...
but I trust my Marines...
and that's not
what they reported.
Colonel Cobb...
you said you had no knowledge
of Americans being
held in this compound.
Yet, in my hand, I have
a recently declassified
document prepared by the CIA
two months prior to
Operation Sirocco.
This intel report indicates
that there were three
American engineers
working at El Bakkar.
Have you ever seen
that document before?
No, ma'am.
The report indicates that
the American engineers
posed a clear and present
danger to our national interest.
Colonel...
did anyone give you an order
to eliminate that danger?
No, ma'am.
What would have happened
if you had been
shown the intel report?
That calls for speculation, sir.
What's the problem
with that, Colonel?
I deal in facts, ma'am.
The fact is...
three Americans
died at El Bakkar.
The fact is...
my Marines did not kill them.
Were you always this beautiful?
Last time you saw
me was 12 years ago.
Uh-huh.
My hair was a foot longer,
my skirt a foot shorter
and I was still using Clearasil.
You're as handsome
as ever, Chris
and as unpredictable.
It was you that walked away
from our wedding vows, not me.
You changed a lot
in 12 years, Sarah.
You've made yourself a
Marine major and a lawyer.
What makes you think
that I haven't changed, too?
You show up after
all these years.
There must be a reason.
Being a lawyer's
made you suspicious.
No, being an adult has
made me suspicious.
Maybe I want a second chance.
Gave you that years ago.
Well, let's go for three.
You deserted me, Sarah.
That still hurts.
I didn't desert you.
You were doing three-to-five
for armed robbery.
I was trying to stay sober.
Why wait until now?
This isn't the first time
I came looking for you.
When I got out of prison, I
went all the way to Okinawa
except I didn't have
the nerve to face you.
So I spent the next eight years
of my life living with the loss
until I just couldn't
handle it anymore.
What I don't know
is why you left.
I spent a lot of nights
trying to figure that out.
Look, Chris, I was drunk
the day we got married
and on the honeymoon
and up until the day
they put you in prison.
You married me
because you loved me.
You never filed for divorce
because you could never
find anyone better than me.
I just never got around
to the paperwork.
There have been
others along the way.
Hey.
The guy in Okinawa?
Major Farrow?
Everything all right, Major?
Everything's fine, Commander.
The judge wants to
see us in chambers.
Thank you.
I'll be right there.
I'll call you.
During Desert Storm, I commanded
a light-armored infantry platoon
in support of the
third tank battalion.
We overran the El
Bakkar compound
at 1543 zulu on "G" plus one.
What happened then?
We went through the compound
and we found maybe
30 dead Iraqi soldiers.
We discovered the
bodies in building five.
Three Americans?
Yes, ma'am.
And how did those men die?
From exposure to sarin gas.
At ease, Major.
How's everything with
the Ellsworth case?
Fine, sir.
Commander Brumby's a real asset.
Everything else all right?
Nothing I can't handle, sir.
You sure?
You seem a bit distracted.
Sir, ma'am, I think
there's something
you should see on channel three.
My squadron received
a medevac frag
from Sergeant Morrison at 0400.
I was the crew chief
slash door gunner
aboard the huey that flew
to the El Bakkar
compound in response.
When we arrived,
Sergeant Morrison
and Corporal Dugan
extracted the casualties.
Then we all got out of there.
Did you notice anything
out of the ordinary?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
When we landed on the beach
a few miles southeast of Safwan
I got a good look at
sergeant Morrison's bandolier.
He had two or
three canisters left.
Can you describe
those canisters?
Yes, ma'am.
They were about this big
with writing on the outside...
Uh, Gulf Bravo, "G.B."
Those are the
initials for sarin gas.
Ask him what time it was
that his bird
landed near Safwan.
Sergeant Ford
what time was it when your
helo landed near Safwan?
Around... 0500, ma'am.
That's predawn.
Was the interior lit?
Sergeant Ford, 0500 is predawn.
Was the interior
of the helo lit?
No, ma'am, of course not.
So it was dark when
you saw the contents
of Sergeant
Morrison's bandolier?
Yes, ma'am.
Thank you, Sergeant.
Bobbi, we need to talk.
I've got meetings until 6:00.
Come to my house;
I'll cook you dinner.
Good.
Bobbi, this whole story is based
on speculation, innuendo,
hearsay and anonymous sources.
Are you talking to me as a
lawyer or as a military officer?
Is that a congresswoman
talking or a senator?
Who told you I was going
to run for the senate?
You did.
When?
Just now.
You're sneaky.
Yeah, well... you got
to use what you got.
Yeah, you figure
this hearing's going
to put you on the map.
That's not why we're
holding them, Harm.
I believe the story.
No, Bobbi, I think you've
been seduced by the story.
You think I'm that easy?
No one's ever accused
you of being easy...
but this story's made
for the evening news...
War crimes, chemical
weapons, bad soldiers.
The military's been dealing
with this sort of
thing since Vietnam.
You sorry you
agreed to work for me?
No, so long as you
let me do my job
but I will not roll over for
you or for anybody, Bobbi.
Really?
Too bad.
Oh, those are just
so cute, Commander.
Uh-huh...
Ensign Sims knitted
them for me for christmas.
Mmm...
Don't you wish you had a pair?
Oh.
You want to get that?
Mac.
Come on in.
Yeah, there's plenty
of food to go around.
Um, I'm-I'm not hungry, ma'am.
I, uh... I need to talk
but this isn't a good time.
Just... call me tomorrow.
Sure.
Aren't you going
to go after her?
She told me to
call her tomorrow.
I never understood why
you two didn't get together.
Mac?
We fight all the time.
So do you and I.
Well, that's different.
Really?
Yeah. How?
Well, for starters, we
don't work together.
We do now.
She's beautiful.
So are you.
Oh, good evening, Major.
How did you know where I lived?
Lieutenant Roberts was
kind enough to tell me.
Listen, I didn't mean to intrude
but as we're in
court first thing
I thought you might need these.
Well, thank you.
Um, would you care for some tea?
Tea? I'm not a pommie, Mac.
A pommie? English.
Yeah, they go for tea.
Wouldn't mind a beer.
I don't drink.
Doesn't mean your
company has to be sober.
You know...
It's late.
Yeah.
Maybe another time, huh?
Yeah.
There's something
we need to talk about.
Oh, yeah?
Today, in the hearing room
I thought you were pushing
me to ask certain questions.
I was.
That's why you hired me.
I know.
You made me look bad.
Bobbi, you were asking
the wrong questions
and there's a reason for that.
You're rushing.
I think you should
recess the hearings
for a couple of days...
Give me a chance to
find this missing Marine
get a line on the videotape.
I see why you're so
good at what you do.
You don't give an inch.
Well, I'm not good
with compromise.
Sometimes you have to
meet a person halfway...
Give a little, get a little.
Sometimes halfway
isn't close enough.
Good to see you, Ragle.
I wasn't sure you'd show up.
You're smarter than I thought.
You remember Bryer.
Yeah.
Did you have a nice conversation
with your wife?
Work with me on this, Benny.
You're a loser, Ragle.
You got nothing to offer.
You got to give me more time.
I can make us both well.
I don't got to give you nothing.
I choose to give
you another 24 hours.
Now, if you don't
come up with the 15 bills
you know how it works.
I pay Bryer by the bone...
so much for a hairline fracture
a little more for a clean break
and a bonus...
for breaking the same
bone in more than one place.
Now, do yourself
a favor...
Talk to the missus
again.
Lieutenant Roberts, Ensign Sims.
Good morning, sir.
You two busy? I
could use some help.
Uh, Commander Brumby
has us researching
the Ellsworth case.
He's a really great
guy, Commander.
Really?
Well... glad to hear it.
How's Miss Latham?
Quite a handful.
I need you two to
do something for me.
Well, is it a priority, sir?
For the sarin gas hearing?
Yeah, if you can tear
yourself away from Ellsworth.
I'd like you to help me find
Sergeant Clyde Morrison
the sole-surviving member
of the force recon team
that entered the El
Bakkar compound.
He's the only one who
knows what really happened.
Last known address, sir?
Cardboard box in the
Baltimore tenderloin.
He went missing
about three weeks ago
and no one's seen or
heard from him since.
Check with the
FBI, police, N.C.I.S.
Use your imagination.
We'll find him for you, sir.
Oh, and see if
you can get a line
on the El Bakkar video
missing from the
Naval historical archives.
Aye, aye, sir.
Mrs. Dugan.
Hi. I'm Lieutenant
Commander Rabb
with the JAG Corps.
I wonder if I could ask
you a few questions.
Guys, go on.
Why don't you go get in the car.
Hurry up. I'll be
there in a minute.
Is this about Cary?
Yes, it is, ma'am.
You know, I've
had to re-experience
my husband's suicide three
times already, Commander.
I don't think I can do it again.
Well, Mrs. Dugan, I understand
how difficult this
must be for you
but it's not about your
husband's suicide.
It's on another matter.
Look, I don't want
to get back into this.
Your husband was a
member of a force recon team
that raided the El Bakkar
compound in Kuwait in 1991.
Yes. It killed him.
Ma'am?
Cary was never the
same after the war.
What he saw and
what he did there
changed him. Did your husband
tell you what happened
that night, Mrs. Dugan?
No.
Your husband videotaped
part of the operation, ma'am.
I don't know
anything about that.
Well, Norman Delaporte,
the television reporter
has a copy of that tape, and
we have reason to believe
he didn't get it from the
Navy historical archives.
What does that
have to do with me?
Did you sell the tape to
Norman Delaporte, Mrs. Dugan?
I want you to leave.
Mrs. Dugan, I need a
copy of that tape, ma'am.
I need to know if there's more
than Delaporte has shown us.
Sit still and put on your belt.
Look, my husband is dead.
So whatever happened
doesn't matter, not anymore.
There are more important things.
Saw you at the hearing,
didn't I, Commander?
Yes, sir. I'm Ms.
Latham's liaison.
So whose side are you on?
Well, sir, I don't take sides.
Why did you send
force recon team
to El Bakkar, sir?
Well, just before the
start of the ground war
the Navy pounded the
shoreline with 16-inch guns.
The Iraqis were expecting
an amphibious landing
so they held several divisions
of Republican
Guards in the area.
We just went in to make sure
that their shore batteries
couldn't hit our battle group
with their silkworm missiles.
Hand me that distributor
cap, will you, please?
Well, sir, how is it
that you didn't see
the classified intel report?
Nobody showed it to me.
Colonel, is it possible
that someone above you
in the chain of command
knew the American engineers
were housed at El Bbakkar?
Those engineers went to
work for the Iraqis for money.
Now, I can't say I
mourn their deaths
but I did not order them killed
and I don't know
anybody who did.
On the night of the raid, sir
Sergeant Morrison ordered
the videotaping of the operation
to be terminated
outside building five.
Why?
You'd have to ask him.
Well, Colonel, I'd like to.
Seems he's dropped off the face
of the earth.
Listen. I lost four
good men that night
and to a man, they died bravely
fighting for their country.
Now some jackass wants
to blacken their memories?
That gets under my
skin, Commander
and it damn sure ought
to be bothering you.
Where have you been, Harm?
I expected you hours ago.
Look, I had to talk
to some people.
No. What you had to do,
Commander, is stay in touch.
Bobbi, we need to
delay these hearings.
What? Are you out of your mind?
There's no way we're
backing off of this.
We don't have all the facts.
This could come
back and bite you.
Oh, Commander.
I'd like to get you
in this shot as well.
Tell me something,
Mr. Delaporte.
What the hell happened to you?
I haven't changed, Commander;
the world has changed.
Now you got breaking
news 24 hours a day
and all that matters
is who gets there first
and you bought into it
even if it does
violence to the truth.
I've adapted, Commander.
It's what a good
journalist does.
I go with my hunches.
It's what I've always done.
Now, could you just
stand here to the left?
No, sir, that's your
place, Mr. Delaporte.
Call me when you need
me for something important.
Science correspondent Rob Geeve
reports live from
Williamsburg, Virginia.
Thank you, Lois.
Record high temperatures
in New York City and
the eastern seaboard
and record low temperatures
in Los Angeles and
on the west coast.
I called you.
You never called me back.
What do you want, Chris?
I want you to remember.
Oh, you're a hard man to forget.
The good times, Sarah...
Come on, before
things got strange.
They were always
a little strange.
Yeah, but we sure had
a good time, didn't we?
Like the time we rode the Harley
from Flagstaff to
Gallup in the rain
and you lost your
shirt in Winslow.
Remember?
It was Joseph City,
and I never could seem
to keep it buttoned
when you were around.
The truth, Chris.
The truth.
I came here six months
ago looking for you.
I didn't have anything to offer
so I borrowed 15 grand.
Looking for the big score?
What was it? The
track? The fights? NFL?
All of it, and now I owe
Benny Turpin the 15.
Who the hell is Benny Turpin?
Don't ask.
I got the courage
to come to you.
I... I was looking for
money, plain and simple.
Only now I don't care
about the money, Sarah.
I don't even mind
if I get my leg broke
as long as I have a chance
to get you back into my life.
I'm leaving tomorrow.
You think it over.
I don't know what
to believe, Chris.
Believe this.
Some things you can't fake.
Commander, as long
as this hearing is going on
I have to be able to
count on you to be there.
This is a mistake, Bobbi.
I'm going back to JAG.
Not acceptable. I need you.
What? To stand behind
you next to the flag?
Is this about hurt pride?
My only loyalty,
Bobbi, is to the truth.
I'm resigning.
I never figured
you for a quitter.
Rabb.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Harm, I don't like
fighting with you.
Sure, you do.
You just don't like losing.
This is Norman Delaporte.
I'm here at the Capitol after
the second day of hearings
on the war crimes at El Bakkar.
With me is Congresswoman
Bobbi Latham
of Detroit, Michigan
chair of the House National
Security Subcommittee's...
I'm looking for Clyde Morrison.
Congresswoman?
Our task is to
examine allegations
that a reinforced recon
team assassinated
three American engineers
for developing weapons
of mass destruction...
Whatever he drinks,
give me two of them.
An exclusive ZNN report.
What happens now, Congresswoman?
Pending the outcome
of the hearings, Norman
I'm introducing legislation...
Sergeant Morrison?
It's on me.
I'm Lieutenant Commander
Rabb with the JAG Corps.
Watch much TV?
Got better things to do.
Now tell me, what happens when
the evidence is all in? You see this?
If the charges
come out to be true
I'm calling for the prosecution
of all the men involved
with the killing at El Bakkar.
She's talking about how
you killed three Americans
at El Bakkar compound
with chemical weapons.
Congresswoman,
would you tell us...
I know what happened, Sergeant.
I'm not a sergeant
anymore, Commander.
You want to call me
something, you call me Clyde.
You followed orders.
You lost four men to a
superior fighting force.
You carried out your
dead, and that's all you did.
You really believe that?
Yeah...
but I can't prove it.
I didn't have...
chemical weapons.
We fired tear gas in there.
That's all we did.
Why would Sergeant
Ford tell Norman Delaporte
that you had G.B. canisters?
Delaporte can get you to say
anything he wants you to say
if you talk to him long enough.
You set him straight?
Nah. He already
made up his mind about me.
He condemned me
before he even met me.
I need you to testify, Sergeant.
Look... come on.
Commander, take a...
take a good look at me, huh?
Look-Look close.
Would you? I mean...
I can't even...
keep my hand steady
long enough to have a drink.
You're all I got, Sergeant.
Well, if I'm all you
got, you ain't got squat.
Buddy, where have
you been hiding?
Milly. I had no idea
you were still working...
Sure, I'm not married,
Buddy... Well, not yet anyway.
So how are you?
Well, actually, you remember
the last time that I was here?
Yeah, you were with that
squirrelly little blonde thing.
Mm, that squirrelly
little blonde thing
is now his loving wife.
Oh. Nice to see you again.
Oh, pleasure, I'm sure.
So what can I do for you?
We're looking for a videotape
and it was cataloged
with the written statements
on an after-action report
for Operation Sirocco.
I found the documents,
but I can't find the videotape.
That Delaporte guy from ZNN...
He asked me the same thing.
Milly, could you
just help us out?
It's really important.
Well, these are
waiting to be filed.
Um... uh, here, here.
What is it?
It's footage from
task force Sandhawk
on the Kuwaiti border.
It's been sitting here a while
but we've been waiting
for a new case from processing.
Maybe your tape got put
got put in the Sandhawk
box by mistake.
Code number 0.D.S. 9-1-0-4.
Come on...
But Sirocco came
before Sandhawk, Milly.
Shh.
There it is, Operation
Sirocco, February 23, 1991.
Must have gotten
switched around.
All right, let me
make you a VHS copy.
Interesting filing
system you have here.
Well, it works one
way or the other.
Bobbi.
I didn't expect to see you here.
Unedited.
Am I going to like it?
No.
Harm, I've taken
a position on this.
Cut your losses, Bobbi.
You're on the wrong
side of the truth.
My name is Clyde Morrison
sergeant, United States
Marine Corps, inactive reserve.
Please be seated.
Sergeant Morrison, the
night of the raid at El Bakkar
what did you and your men
fire into the buildings?
Tear gas, ma'am.
Were you aware
that there were three
American engineers
working for Saddam
Hussein at El Bakkar?
No, ma'am.
You didn't see the
CIA intel report?
No, ma'am, I did not.
There is
incontrovertible evidence
that the people on the ground
died of sarin gas poisoning.
How do you explain that?
Well, aren't you asking
the wrong person, sir?
Who should I be asking?
Saddam Hussein.
He used it on the Iranians;
he used it on the Kurds.
Hell, that was
one of the reasons
we fought the damn war.
You'll excuse my...
language, ma'am.
I've heard worse, Sergeant.
My guess is that he
had them eliminated.
Why would he kill the
very men he needed
to work his weapons programs?
Well, dead men
tell no tales, sir.
That's quite a story.
You have any proof
that's what happened?
No, sir.
So all we have
is your word for it.
Yes, sir.
Sergeant Morrison,
have you spent time
in VA hospitals for
acute alcoholism?
Yes, sir.
Are you delusional?
Only to think that I would get
a fair hearing
in this room, sir.
Thank you, Sergeant Morrison.
Please remain here in
case I need to recall you.
Yes, ma'am.
Sergeant Ford
it was your statement
before this committee
that Sergeant Morrison
carried sarin gas.
Yes, sir.
You told us that you saw
canisters labeled G.B.?
Yes, sir.
In the television report,
you made the same claim.
Why'd you do that, Sergeant?
I was answering
a question, ma'am.
Do you remember
the exact questions
Mr. Delaporte asked you?
Pretty much, ma'am.
Did it have something to do
with officials
high up in the CIA
who told them the Americans
had died from nerve gas?
Did he mention
that your guys were the
ones who used that gas?
Yes, ma'am.
Did he tell you he needed
someone to back it up?
He might have.
I don't recall all his
questions, ma'am.
Did Mr. Delaporte lead
you into your testimony?
Suggest what you
might have seen?
No, ma'am...
At least, I don't
remember it that way.
The letters for
tear gas are C.S.
Those canisters were
labeled G.B., ma'am.
Sergeant Ford,
isn't it a reporter's job
to ask questions?
Yes, sir.
So Mr. Delaporte
was just doing his job.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, Sergeant Ford.
Yes, ma'am.
My next witness...
is Norman Delaporte.
Please be seated.
Mr. Delaporte,
in the preparation
for your report did
you ever attempt
to interview Sergeant Morrison?
I did. His story didn't track
and he had every good
reason to cover up what he did.
At what point
during the interview
with sergeant Ford
did he confirm that
Sergeant Morrison
carried sarin gas canisters?
I don't recall.
But you do have
the full transcript
of your interview
with Sergeant Ford.
Yes.
Would you be willing to
make those transcripts
available to the committee?
Well, I'd have to give
that some thought, ma'am.
I promised Sergeant
Ford confidentiality.
Where did you get your
tape of the raid on El Bakkar?
I'm not at liberty
to say, ma'am.
Did you pay for that tape?
No. It was given freely
by someone who wanted
to see the truth come out.
Thank you, Mr. Delaporte;
that's all I wanted to know.
Oh, just one more thing.
The tape is 18 minutes long.
Yes.
And it ends when Sergeant
Morrison cuts taping
just after he fires the
canister into building five?
Yes.
Mrs. Dugan, did your
husband keep a bootleg copy
of the videotape he made
on the night of the raid on
the El Bakkar compound?
He had lots of tapes.
Yes or no?
I remind you you're under oath.
Yes.
Did you sell that
tape to Mr. Delaporte?
Yes.
Mr. Delaporte claims
that his tape was
18 minutes long.
How long was the tape
you sold Mr. Delaporte?
22 minutes.
Why did you sell him that tape?
I needed the money.
Thank you, Mrs.
Dugan; you're dismissed.
My next witness is
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb.
Please take your place
at the table, Commander.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth
so help you God?
I do.
State your name.
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb.
Your duty station.
I'm assigned to the headquarters
of the Navy's Judge Advocate
General Corps, ma'am.
Did you recently
work on my staff?
That was my
privilege, ma'am, yes.
Why did you quit
and return to JAG?
I had outlived my
usefulness, ma'am.
Let me rephrase my
question, Commander.
Did you resign because you
and I had a difference of opinion
on the accuracy of Norman
Delaporte's reporting
on Operation Sirocco?
Yes, ma'am, that is
exactly the reason.
Did you recently
come into possession
of a 22-minute copy
of the El Bakkar videotape
from the Naval archives?
I did.
How did you locate it?
It had been misfiled, ma'am.
Do you have that tape with you?
I do.
Clear the area! Let's go! Clear!
Norman Delaporte claims
that Sergeant Morrison
had the videotaping stopped
to cover up a war crime
when, in fact, Sergeant Morrison
was ordering his
men to take cover.
Stop it. Stop it! Stop
it and get out of here!
The videotaping
resumed moments later.
There are four
additional minutes of tape.
Get down. Get down!
Murray, Carson, left flank.
Corporal Dugan filmed the action
while the force recon
team fought for their lives.
At one point, Corporal Dugan
put the video camera down
long enough to help
a mortally wounded comrade.
Clear!
Angel one-five, this
is Pony Boy Four.
Medevac four. Urgent.
Airborne med assist required
grid eight-five-four,
three-four-two.
L.Z. is hot. Over.
I repeat, L.Z. is hot.
Medivac helicopter
arrived minutes later.
Dugan and Morrison
helped load the dead.
Once aboard the helicopter
Corporal Dugan
resumed videotaping.
Sergeant Ford is the
crew chief/door gunner.
Sergeant Morrison's
wearing the bandolier belt.
That's a canister,
and it's labeled C.S.
That's C.S. for tear gas.
You knew the
truth, Mr. Delaporte.
You altered it
to fit your story.
You deliberately
left things out.
No, I chose what to put in.
That's what a reporter does.
You rejected the things
that didn't fit your thesis, sir.
You reported rumor.
I made a judgment call.
You lied to this committee
on several counts,
Mr. Delaporte.
You testified that you
did not buy the tape.
You did.
You testified that the
tape was 18 minutes long.
It was 22 minutes.
Mr. Rabb, address your
remarks to this committee.
Let him talk.
I'm interested in
what he has to say.
Tell me something,
Congressman Martin.
Why is it people are so ready
to believe the
worst of the military?
These men put
their lives on the line.
They're the ones
who risk it all.
So why are people
like Sergeant Morrison
the last to be believed
and men like this the first?
This hearing is in recess.
My first witness tomorrow...
is Norman Delaporte.
Come with me, Mac.
Where?
Does it matter?
It's $3,000, Chris.
It's the best I can do.
All I want is you.
You had me, Chris.
This isn't the way I thought
things would turn out.
I don't want to see you again.
You're not good for me.
Good evening, I'm
Norman Delaporte.
The report you are about to see
contains graphic
descriptions of war and death.
It involves a breaking
story about war crimes
committed by American Marines
during operation Desert Storm
here in Kuwait at the
El Bakkar compound.
The accusations are serious;
the repercussions great.
The footage you are watching
was shot by a Marine force
recon team sent behind
enemy lines the day before
the ground-war phase
of Desert Storm began.
The team was led by
Sergeant Clyde Morrison.
Its mission: to eliminate
three Americans.
The war crime was discovered
by then-second-Lieutenant
Franco Cefalu.
Two days ago I
interviewed Franco Cefalu
now a Marine Captain, at
his home in northern Virginia.
My unit overran El Bakkar two
days after the force recon raid.
And what did you
find in building five?
Three dead Americans...
Chemical engineers
working with Saddam Hussein
on his program to develop
weapons of mass destruction.
How did these three men die?
From the effects of sarin gas.
Video footage shot that night
shows the force recon team
surrounding building five.
Encountering fierce resistance,
the Marines fired canisters
of what later proved to be
sarin gas into the building.
That's when the taping stopped
at Sergeant Morrison's order.
Stop it! Get out of here!
Classified intelligence
documents indicate
that the American military
knew of the presence
of these engineers at El Bakkar.
A source high up in the
Pentagon confirmed that these men
posed a serious
threat to our war effort.
The Marines suffered
four casualties.
The survivors were
airlifted out by helicopter.
Sergeant Richard Ford
was crew chief and gunner.
Sergeant, did the
Marines you evacuated
from El Bakkar carry sarin gas?
Yes, sir, Sergeant
Morrison did, sir.
How do you know that?
He had it in his bandolier, sir.
We'll be back in a minute
with reaction from the Pentagon.
The charges are serious...
Americans using chemical
weapons to kill other Americans.
Well, I'll consider an
administrative discharge.
Three's the best you're
going to get today.
Months?
Years.
You've got to be kidding.
Harm, Petty Officer
Ellsworth stole
a bulldozer from
a secured facility
and destroyed the
campaign headquarters
of his local congressman.
That's one way of looking at it.
I don't have time to argue.
I've got to go pick up that
Australian exchange officer
Lieutenant Commander Brumby.
Send Bud! I hear Brumby's cute.
Mac, Petty Officer Ellsworth
was making a
political statement.
Congress won't approve
pay raises for the military.
So his actions are
protected under free speech?
No, but I don't think justice
is served with brig time.
Think again.
Thanks for seeing me on
such short notice, Admiral.
I'd have been glad to come
to you, Congresswoman.
I wanted this off
the record, A.J.
The House National
Security Subcommittee
is holding hearings next week.
We intend to find out whether
a Marine team recon force
used chemical
weapons to assassinate
three renegade American
civilian engineers.
Working on Saddam's
weapons programs.
I saw Delaporte last night.
You don't actually
believe that story, do you?
I believe it's plausible.
One way or another, I need to
know if it can be substantiated.
Pentagon's looking into it.
That like sending the fox
in to count the chickens.
And that's why my
committee will hold meetings
and will forward a
report to Congress.
Well, in that case, ma'am,
what do you need from me?
I want Lieutenant Commander
Rabb assigned to my staff
on temporary duty.
Ma'am, I'd love to cooperate
but Commander Rabb's
caseload is full. I need him.
I need him, too, A.J.
This is a complex subject.
A lot of people
are going to lie.
I need to have someone
who'll recognize the truth.
Besides, I'll owe you one.
And I have every intention
of collecting, ma'am.
Announcing the arrival
of Flight 274 from Sydney
at gate 20-B.
At this time we'd
like to pre-board
flight number 676 to Barcelona.
You may board through Gate 11.
Hi! I'm Major Sarah
MacKenzie, JAG Corp.
Sorry?
Excuse me.
No, excuse me. I'm
talking to someone.
I was asked to meet you here.
Really?
Major...
Look, I don't care
what kind of wager
you made with your pals
over there. Leave me alone.
Wager?
I can take you
anywhere you want to go.
Now, that's an
interesting offer.
It's a real pleasure to meet
you, Commander Brumby.
Brumby?
The pleasure's all mine, Major.
I ran into some
mates on the flight.
We were gas-bagging it.
I'm not Commander Brumby
but I will be in
town for a few days.
You can reach me at the Hilton.
Well, you made
yourself a friend.
I'm so sorry. Um,
Sarah MacKenzie.
No worries, honest mistake.
Mic Brumby.
Well, where would
you like to go...
Um, office or hotel?
Hotel, then the office.
Might as well get
straight down to the cases.
I like a man with
a hard work ethic.
When I was a kid
I never dreamed I'd be
anywhere near this place.
When I was a kid, it
was all I dreamt about.
So where do we start?
Norman Delaporte.
You really think that's smart
considering we don't
have all the facts?
That's exactly why
we're talking to him.
I don't usually get my
facts from a reporter.
Harm, Norman's
not just a reporter.
He's an institution.
Besides, they don't give
you a Peabody and a Pulitzer
for being wrong.
Anyway, I know him.
Maybe that's what worries me.
Who put you on to this
story, Mr. Delaporte?
Someone who refused
to cover up a war crime...
Someone who wanted me
to find out who was responsible
for what happened that night
and to make sure that
it never happened again.
Someone was busy.
So how did you get access
to classified
intelligence reports?
I'm afraid I'm not
at liberty to disclose
my sources.
Sergeant Clyde Morrison
led the force recon team
at El Bakkar that night.
Why didn't you interview
him for your report?
Oh, I did talk to him
but I couldn't get
anything out of him.
He was all over the place.
Morrison's a hopeless alcoholic.
He's been in and
out of V.A. hospitals.
What happened on
the ground at El Bakkar
haunted the men who
were there that night.
We don't know for sure
what happened that night.
We know this, Commander...
The dead bore witness.
Four Marines came
home in body bags
and a fifth... Cary Dugan...
Blew his brains out
three months ago.
Dugan was the Marine corporal
who videotaped the raid.
The videotape of
the El Bakkar raid
is missing from the
Naval historical archives.
Where'd you get your copy, sir?
Just what's your
part in all this?
He's my "truth detector."
You haven't answered
my question, Mr. Delaporte.
Where'd you get your copy, sir?
Well, that's privileged.
Nu Lai was up north.
It was about 20 klicks
from the border, right?
That's right, sir.
Picture this... one dark night,
me Uncle Jack gets separated
from his unit on recon
and he finds himself
sitting five feet off
the Ho Chi Minh trail.
And all night long
these little bastards
are going back and forth
carrying sacks of rice
to the troops in the south.
He was so close, you
could hear 'em break wind.
Luckily enough,
when daylight came
he managed to crawl the
mile back to his own lines.
Did Uncle Jack make
it back to Australia?
Jacko did two tours
in Vietnam, Major.
A lot of the mates
he fought with
never made it
home, but he did...
And in one piece.
But he carked it in
a car just last year.
"Carked it in a car"?
Died in an auto accident.
How did you know that, sir?
Met a lot of Aussies
in Vietnam, Major.
You know the really
funny thing, Admiral?
I'll be darned if the
driver of the other car
wasn't a Vietnamese.
A lot of them came
down under after the war.
Major MacKenzie will be showing
you the ropes, Commander.
In the short term,
you'll be assisting her
with Commander Rabb's caseload.
Welcome aboard.
Thank you, sir.
It'll be good to have some
help with case research.
I can do more than
look things up, Major.
You see, my mother's American
so I have dual citizenship.
I got my degree at Georgetown
and passed the D.C.
bar ten years ago.
No reason I shouldn't
try a case or two, is there?
Ensign Sims, Commander Brumby.
He's going to be assisting
with the Ellsworth case.
Very nice to meet you, sir.
G'day.
Ma'am, there's
someone in your office.
I'm sorry. I didn't
get his name.
Oh, thank you.
The ensign will show
you around, Commander.
I've pretty much seen
all I need to, Ensign.
Hello, Sarah.
Aren't you even going to
say hello to your husband?
Colonel Cobb, you were
the officer in command
of Operation Sirocco?
Yes, ma'am, that's correct.
What was your mission?
Two days prior to the start
of the ground-war phase
of Operation Desert Storm
I inserted a six-man force
recon team into Kuwait
to gather intel
on shore batteries
in the area of Safwan.
Their orders were
to identify and report on
silkworm missile batteries
in the area of El Bakkar.
That was the extent
of your orders?
Yes, ma'am.
While on this mission
did your men employ
chemical or biological weapons?
No, ma'am. Absolutely not.
Then, why were they dressed
in nuclear-biological-
chemical suits with gas masks?
Standard procedure, given
an imminent threat, ma'am.
We knew that Saddam
had used chemical weapons
in the past, and we fully
expected him to do so again.
Were your men given orders
to assassinate three
American engineers working
at El Bakkar?
No, ma'am.
We had no indication
that Americans were there.
If we had, we'd have
brought them back for intel.
Can you be absolutely sure
that your force recon team
didn't kill the Americans?
I wasn't there,
sir...
but I trust my Marines...
and that's not
what they reported.
Colonel Cobb...
you said you had no knowledge
of Americans being
held in this compound.
Yet, in my hand, I have
a recently declassified
document prepared by the CIA
two months prior to
Operation Sirocco.
This intel report indicates
that there were three
American engineers
working at El Bakkar.
Have you ever seen
that document before?
No, ma'am.
The report indicates that
the American engineers
posed a clear and present
danger to our national interest.
Colonel...
did anyone give you an order
to eliminate that danger?
No, ma'am.
What would have happened
if you had been
shown the intel report?
That calls for speculation, sir.
What's the problem
with that, Colonel?
I deal in facts, ma'am.
The fact is...
three Americans
died at El Bakkar.
The fact is...
my Marines did not kill them.
Were you always this beautiful?
Last time you saw
me was 12 years ago.
Uh-huh.
My hair was a foot longer,
my skirt a foot shorter
and I was still using Clearasil.
You're as handsome
as ever, Chris
and as unpredictable.
It was you that walked away
from our wedding vows, not me.
You changed a lot
in 12 years, Sarah.
You've made yourself a
Marine major and a lawyer.
What makes you think
that I haven't changed, too?
You show up after
all these years.
There must be a reason.
Being a lawyer's
made you suspicious.
No, being an adult has
made me suspicious.
Maybe I want a second chance.
Gave you that years ago.
Well, let's go for three.
You deserted me, Sarah.
That still hurts.
I didn't desert you.
You were doing three-to-five
for armed robbery.
I was trying to stay sober.
Why wait until now?
This isn't the first time
I came looking for you.
When I got out of prison, I
went all the way to Okinawa
except I didn't have
the nerve to face you.
So I spent the next eight years
of my life living with the loss
until I just couldn't
handle it anymore.
What I don't know
is why you left.
I spent a lot of nights
trying to figure that out.
Look, Chris, I was drunk
the day we got married
and on the honeymoon
and up until the day
they put you in prison.
You married me
because you loved me.
You never filed for divorce
because you could never
find anyone better than me.
I just never got around
to the paperwork.
There have been
others along the way.
Hey.
The guy in Okinawa?
Major Farrow?
Everything all right, Major?
Everything's fine, Commander.
The judge wants to
see us in chambers.
Thank you.
I'll be right there.
I'll call you.
During Desert Storm, I commanded
a light-armored infantry platoon
in support of the
third tank battalion.
We overran the El
Bakkar compound
at 1543 zulu on "G" plus one.
What happened then?
We went through the compound
and we found maybe
30 dead Iraqi soldiers.
We discovered the
bodies in building five.
Three Americans?
Yes, ma'am.
And how did those men die?
From exposure to sarin gas.
At ease, Major.
How's everything with
the Ellsworth case?
Fine, sir.
Commander Brumby's a real asset.
Everything else all right?
Nothing I can't handle, sir.
You sure?
You seem a bit distracted.
Sir, ma'am, I think
there's something
you should see on channel three.
My squadron received
a medevac frag
from Sergeant Morrison at 0400.
I was the crew chief
slash door gunner
aboard the huey that flew
to the El Bakkar
compound in response.
When we arrived,
Sergeant Morrison
and Corporal Dugan
extracted the casualties.
Then we all got out of there.
Did you notice anything
out of the ordinary?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
When we landed on the beach
a few miles southeast of Safwan
I got a good look at
sergeant Morrison's bandolier.
He had two or
three canisters left.
Can you describe
those canisters?
Yes, ma'am.
They were about this big
with writing on the outside...
Uh, Gulf Bravo, "G.B."
Those are the
initials for sarin gas.
Ask him what time it was
that his bird
landed near Safwan.
Sergeant Ford
what time was it when your
helo landed near Safwan?
Around... 0500, ma'am.
That's predawn.
Was the interior lit?
Sergeant Ford, 0500 is predawn.
Was the interior
of the helo lit?
No, ma'am, of course not.
So it was dark when
you saw the contents
of Sergeant
Morrison's bandolier?
Yes, ma'am.
Thank you, Sergeant.
Bobbi, we need to talk.
I've got meetings until 6:00.
Come to my house;
I'll cook you dinner.
Good.
Bobbi, this whole story is based
on speculation, innuendo,
hearsay and anonymous sources.
Are you talking to me as a
lawyer or as a military officer?
Is that a congresswoman
talking or a senator?
Who told you I was going
to run for the senate?
You did.
When?
Just now.
You're sneaky.
Yeah, well... you got
to use what you got.
Yeah, you figure
this hearing's going
to put you on the map.
That's not why we're
holding them, Harm.
I believe the story.
No, Bobbi, I think you've
been seduced by the story.
You think I'm that easy?
No one's ever accused
you of being easy...
but this story's made
for the evening news...
War crimes, chemical
weapons, bad soldiers.
The military's been dealing
with this sort of
thing since Vietnam.
You sorry you
agreed to work for me?
No, so long as you
let me do my job
but I will not roll over for
you or for anybody, Bobbi.
Really?
Too bad.
Oh, those are just
so cute, Commander.
Uh-huh...
Ensign Sims knitted
them for me for christmas.
Mmm...
Don't you wish you had a pair?
Oh.
You want to get that?
Mac.
Come on in.
Yeah, there's plenty
of food to go around.
Um, I'm-I'm not hungry, ma'am.
I, uh... I need to talk
but this isn't a good time.
Just... call me tomorrow.
Sure.
Aren't you going
to go after her?
She told me to
call her tomorrow.
I never understood why
you two didn't get together.
Mac?
We fight all the time.
So do you and I.
Well, that's different.
Really?
Yeah. How?
Well, for starters, we
don't work together.
We do now.
She's beautiful.
So are you.
Oh, good evening, Major.
How did you know where I lived?
Lieutenant Roberts was
kind enough to tell me.
Listen, I didn't mean to intrude
but as we're in
court first thing
I thought you might need these.
Well, thank you.
Um, would you care for some tea?
Tea? I'm not a pommie, Mac.
A pommie? English.
Yeah, they go for tea.
Wouldn't mind a beer.
I don't drink.
Doesn't mean your
company has to be sober.
You know...
It's late.
Yeah.
Maybe another time, huh?
Yeah.
There's something
we need to talk about.
Oh, yeah?
Today, in the hearing room
I thought you were pushing
me to ask certain questions.
I was.
That's why you hired me.
I know.
You made me look bad.
Bobbi, you were asking
the wrong questions
and there's a reason for that.
You're rushing.
I think you should
recess the hearings
for a couple of days...
Give me a chance to
find this missing Marine
get a line on the videotape.
I see why you're so
good at what you do.
You don't give an inch.
Well, I'm not good
with compromise.
Sometimes you have to
meet a person halfway...
Give a little, get a little.
Sometimes halfway
isn't close enough.
Good to see you, Ragle.
I wasn't sure you'd show up.
You're smarter than I thought.
You remember Bryer.
Yeah.
Did you have a nice conversation
with your wife?
Work with me on this, Benny.
You're a loser, Ragle.
You got nothing to offer.
You got to give me more time.
I can make us both well.
I don't got to give you nothing.
I choose to give
you another 24 hours.
Now, if you don't
come up with the 15 bills
you know how it works.
I pay Bryer by the bone...
so much for a hairline fracture
a little more for a clean break
and a bonus...
for breaking the same
bone in more than one place.
Now, do yourself
a favor...
Talk to the missus
again.
Lieutenant Roberts, Ensign Sims.
Good morning, sir.
You two busy? I
could use some help.
Uh, Commander Brumby
has us researching
the Ellsworth case.
He's a really great
guy, Commander.
Really?
Well... glad to hear it.
How's Miss Latham?
Quite a handful.
I need you two to
do something for me.
Well, is it a priority, sir?
For the sarin gas hearing?
Yeah, if you can tear
yourself away from Ellsworth.
I'd like you to help me find
Sergeant Clyde Morrison
the sole-surviving member
of the force recon team
that entered the El
Bakkar compound.
He's the only one who
knows what really happened.
Last known address, sir?
Cardboard box in the
Baltimore tenderloin.
He went missing
about three weeks ago
and no one's seen or
heard from him since.
Check with the
FBI, police, N.C.I.S.
Use your imagination.
We'll find him for you, sir.
Oh, and see if
you can get a line
on the El Bakkar video
missing from the
Naval historical archives.
Aye, aye, sir.
Mrs. Dugan.
Hi. I'm Lieutenant
Commander Rabb
with the JAG Corps.
I wonder if I could ask
you a few questions.
Guys, go on.
Why don't you go get in the car.
Hurry up. I'll be
there in a minute.
Is this about Cary?
Yes, it is, ma'am.
You know, I've
had to re-experience
my husband's suicide three
times already, Commander.
I don't think I can do it again.
Well, Mrs. Dugan, I understand
how difficult this
must be for you
but it's not about your
husband's suicide.
It's on another matter.
Look, I don't want
to get back into this.
Your husband was a
member of a force recon team
that raided the El Bakkar
compound in Kuwait in 1991.
Yes. It killed him.
Ma'am?
Cary was never the
same after the war.
What he saw and
what he did there
changed him. Did your husband
tell you what happened
that night, Mrs. Dugan?
No.
Your husband videotaped
part of the operation, ma'am.
I don't know
anything about that.
Well, Norman Delaporte,
the television reporter
has a copy of that tape, and
we have reason to believe
he didn't get it from the
Navy historical archives.
What does that
have to do with me?
Did you sell the tape to
Norman Delaporte, Mrs. Dugan?
I want you to leave.
Mrs. Dugan, I need a
copy of that tape, ma'am.
I need to know if there's more
than Delaporte has shown us.
Sit still and put on your belt.
Look, my husband is dead.
So whatever happened
doesn't matter, not anymore.
There are more important things.
Saw you at the hearing,
didn't I, Commander?
Yes, sir. I'm Ms.
Latham's liaison.
So whose side are you on?
Well, sir, I don't take sides.
Why did you send
force recon team
to El Bakkar, sir?
Well, just before the
start of the ground war
the Navy pounded the
shoreline with 16-inch guns.
The Iraqis were expecting
an amphibious landing
so they held several divisions
of Republican
Guards in the area.
We just went in to make sure
that their shore batteries
couldn't hit our battle group
with their silkworm missiles.
Hand me that distributor
cap, will you, please?
Well, sir, how is it
that you didn't see
the classified intel report?
Nobody showed it to me.
Colonel, is it possible
that someone above you
in the chain of command
knew the American engineers
were housed at El Bbakkar?
Those engineers went to
work for the Iraqis for money.
Now, I can't say I
mourn their deaths
but I did not order them killed
and I don't know
anybody who did.
On the night of the raid, sir
Sergeant Morrison ordered
the videotaping of the operation
to be terminated
outside building five.
Why?
You'd have to ask him.
Well, Colonel, I'd like to.
Seems he's dropped off the face
of the earth.
Listen. I lost four
good men that night
and to a man, they died bravely
fighting for their country.
Now some jackass wants
to blacken their memories?
That gets under my
skin, Commander
and it damn sure ought
to be bothering you.
Where have you been, Harm?
I expected you hours ago.
Look, I had to talk
to some people.
No. What you had to do,
Commander, is stay in touch.
Bobbi, we need to
delay these hearings.
What? Are you out of your mind?
There's no way we're
backing off of this.
We don't have all the facts.
This could come
back and bite you.
Oh, Commander.
I'd like to get you
in this shot as well.
Tell me something,
Mr. Delaporte.
What the hell happened to you?
I haven't changed, Commander;
the world has changed.
Now you got breaking
news 24 hours a day
and all that matters
is who gets there first
and you bought into it
even if it does
violence to the truth.
I've adapted, Commander.
It's what a good
journalist does.
I go with my hunches.
It's what I've always done.
Now, could you just
stand here to the left?
No, sir, that's your
place, Mr. Delaporte.
Call me when you need
me for something important.
Science correspondent Rob Geeve
reports live from
Williamsburg, Virginia.
Thank you, Lois.
Record high temperatures
in New York City and
the eastern seaboard
and record low temperatures
in Los Angeles and
on the west coast.
I called you.
You never called me back.
What do you want, Chris?
I want you to remember.
Oh, you're a hard man to forget.
The good times, Sarah...
Come on, before
things got strange.
They were always
a little strange.
Yeah, but we sure had
a good time, didn't we?
Like the time we rode the Harley
from Flagstaff to
Gallup in the rain
and you lost your
shirt in Winslow.
Remember?
It was Joseph City,
and I never could seem
to keep it buttoned
when you were around.
The truth, Chris.
The truth.
I came here six months
ago looking for you.
I didn't have anything to offer
so I borrowed 15 grand.
Looking for the big score?
What was it? The
track? The fights? NFL?
All of it, and now I owe
Benny Turpin the 15.
Who the hell is Benny Turpin?
Don't ask.
I got the courage
to come to you.
I... I was looking for
money, plain and simple.
Only now I don't care
about the money, Sarah.
I don't even mind
if I get my leg broke
as long as I have a chance
to get you back into my life.
I'm leaving tomorrow.
You think it over.
I don't know what
to believe, Chris.
Believe this.
Some things you can't fake.
Commander, as long
as this hearing is going on
I have to be able to
count on you to be there.
This is a mistake, Bobbi.
I'm going back to JAG.
Not acceptable. I need you.
What? To stand behind
you next to the flag?
Is this about hurt pride?
My only loyalty,
Bobbi, is to the truth.
I'm resigning.
I never figured
you for a quitter.
Rabb.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Harm, I don't like
fighting with you.
Sure, you do.
You just don't like losing.
This is Norman Delaporte.
I'm here at the Capitol after
the second day of hearings
on the war crimes at El Bakkar.
With me is Congresswoman
Bobbi Latham
of Detroit, Michigan
chair of the House National
Security Subcommittee's...
I'm looking for Clyde Morrison.
Congresswoman?
Our task is to
examine allegations
that a reinforced recon
team assassinated
three American engineers
for developing weapons
of mass destruction...
Whatever he drinks,
give me two of them.
An exclusive ZNN report.
What happens now, Congresswoman?
Pending the outcome
of the hearings, Norman
I'm introducing legislation...
Sergeant Morrison?
It's on me.
I'm Lieutenant Commander
Rabb with the JAG Corps.
Watch much TV?
Got better things to do.
Now tell me, what happens when
the evidence is all in? You see this?
If the charges
come out to be true
I'm calling for the prosecution
of all the men involved
with the killing at El Bakkar.
She's talking about how
you killed three Americans
at El Bakkar compound
with chemical weapons.
Congresswoman,
would you tell us...
I know what happened, Sergeant.
I'm not a sergeant
anymore, Commander.
You want to call me
something, you call me Clyde.
You followed orders.
You lost four men to a
superior fighting force.
You carried out your
dead, and that's all you did.
You really believe that?
Yeah...
but I can't prove it.
I didn't have...
chemical weapons.
We fired tear gas in there.
That's all we did.
Why would Sergeant
Ford tell Norman Delaporte
that you had G.B. canisters?
Delaporte can get you to say
anything he wants you to say
if you talk to him long enough.
You set him straight?
Nah. He already
made up his mind about me.
He condemned me
before he even met me.
I need you to testify, Sergeant.
Look... come on.
Commander, take a...
take a good look at me, huh?
Look-Look close.
Would you? I mean...
I can't even...
keep my hand steady
long enough to have a drink.
You're all I got, Sergeant.
Well, if I'm all you
got, you ain't got squat.
Buddy, where have
you been hiding?
Milly. I had no idea
you were still working...
Sure, I'm not married,
Buddy... Well, not yet anyway.
So how are you?
Well, actually, you remember
the last time that I was here?
Yeah, you were with that
squirrelly little blonde thing.
Mm, that squirrelly
little blonde thing
is now his loving wife.
Oh. Nice to see you again.
Oh, pleasure, I'm sure.
So what can I do for you?
We're looking for a videotape
and it was cataloged
with the written statements
on an after-action report
for Operation Sirocco.
I found the documents,
but I can't find the videotape.
That Delaporte guy from ZNN...
He asked me the same thing.
Milly, could you
just help us out?
It's really important.
Well, these are
waiting to be filed.
Um... uh, here, here.
What is it?
It's footage from
task force Sandhawk
on the Kuwaiti border.
It's been sitting here a while
but we've been waiting
for a new case from processing.
Maybe your tape got put
got put in the Sandhawk
box by mistake.
Code number 0.D.S. 9-1-0-4.
Come on...
But Sirocco came
before Sandhawk, Milly.
Shh.
There it is, Operation
Sirocco, February 23, 1991.
Must have gotten
switched around.
All right, let me
make you a VHS copy.
Interesting filing
system you have here.
Well, it works one
way or the other.
Bobbi.
I didn't expect to see you here.
Unedited.
Am I going to like it?
No.
Harm, I've taken
a position on this.
Cut your losses, Bobbi.
You're on the wrong
side of the truth.
My name is Clyde Morrison
sergeant, United States
Marine Corps, inactive reserve.
Please be seated.
Sergeant Morrison, the
night of the raid at El Bakkar
what did you and your men
fire into the buildings?
Tear gas, ma'am.
Were you aware
that there were three
American engineers
working for Saddam
Hussein at El Bakkar?
No, ma'am.
You didn't see the
CIA intel report?
No, ma'am, I did not.
There is
incontrovertible evidence
that the people on the ground
died of sarin gas poisoning.
How do you explain that?
Well, aren't you asking
the wrong person, sir?
Who should I be asking?
Saddam Hussein.
He used it on the Iranians;
he used it on the Kurds.
Hell, that was
one of the reasons
we fought the damn war.
You'll excuse my...
language, ma'am.
I've heard worse, Sergeant.
My guess is that he
had them eliminated.
Why would he kill the
very men he needed
to work his weapons programs?
Well, dead men
tell no tales, sir.
That's quite a story.
You have any proof
that's what happened?
No, sir.
So all we have
is your word for it.
Yes, sir.
Sergeant Morrison,
have you spent time
in VA hospitals for
acute alcoholism?
Yes, sir.
Are you delusional?
Only to think that I would get
a fair hearing
in this room, sir.
Thank you, Sergeant Morrison.
Please remain here in
case I need to recall you.
Yes, ma'am.
Sergeant Ford
it was your statement
before this committee
that Sergeant Morrison
carried sarin gas.
Yes, sir.
You told us that you saw
canisters labeled G.B.?
Yes, sir.
In the television report,
you made the same claim.
Why'd you do that, Sergeant?
I was answering
a question, ma'am.
Do you remember
the exact questions
Mr. Delaporte asked you?
Pretty much, ma'am.
Did it have something to do
with officials
high up in the CIA
who told them the Americans
had died from nerve gas?
Did he mention
that your guys were the
ones who used that gas?
Yes, ma'am.
Did he tell you he needed
someone to back it up?
He might have.
I don't recall all his
questions, ma'am.
Did Mr. Delaporte lead
you into your testimony?
Suggest what you
might have seen?
No, ma'am...
At least, I don't
remember it that way.
The letters for
tear gas are C.S.
Those canisters were
labeled G.B., ma'am.
Sergeant Ford,
isn't it a reporter's job
to ask questions?
Yes, sir.
So Mr. Delaporte
was just doing his job.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, Sergeant Ford.
Yes, ma'am.
My next witness...
is Norman Delaporte.
Please be seated.
Mr. Delaporte,
in the preparation
for your report did
you ever attempt
to interview Sergeant Morrison?
I did. His story didn't track
and he had every good
reason to cover up what he did.
At what point
during the interview
with sergeant Ford
did he confirm that
Sergeant Morrison
carried sarin gas canisters?
I don't recall.
But you do have
the full transcript
of your interview
with Sergeant Ford.
Yes.
Would you be willing to
make those transcripts
available to the committee?
Well, I'd have to give
that some thought, ma'am.
I promised Sergeant
Ford confidentiality.
Where did you get your
tape of the raid on El Bakkar?
I'm not at liberty
to say, ma'am.
Did you pay for that tape?
No. It was given freely
by someone who wanted
to see the truth come out.
Thank you, Mr. Delaporte;
that's all I wanted to know.
Oh, just one more thing.
The tape is 18 minutes long.
Yes.
And it ends when Sergeant
Morrison cuts taping
just after he fires the
canister into building five?
Yes.
Mrs. Dugan, did your
husband keep a bootleg copy
of the videotape he made
on the night of the raid on
the El Bakkar compound?
He had lots of tapes.
Yes or no?
I remind you you're under oath.
Yes.
Did you sell that
tape to Mr. Delaporte?
Yes.
Mr. Delaporte claims
that his tape was
18 minutes long.
How long was the tape
you sold Mr. Delaporte?
22 minutes.
Why did you sell him that tape?
I needed the money.
Thank you, Mrs.
Dugan; you're dismissed.
My next witness is
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb.
Please take your place
at the table, Commander.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth
so help you God?
I do.
State your name.
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb.
Your duty station.
I'm assigned to the headquarters
of the Navy's Judge Advocate
General Corps, ma'am.
Did you recently
work on my staff?
That was my
privilege, ma'am, yes.
Why did you quit
and return to JAG?
I had outlived my
usefulness, ma'am.
Let me rephrase my
question, Commander.
Did you resign because you
and I had a difference of opinion
on the accuracy of Norman
Delaporte's reporting
on Operation Sirocco?
Yes, ma'am, that is
exactly the reason.
Did you recently
come into possession
of a 22-minute copy
of the El Bakkar videotape
from the Naval archives?
I did.
How did you locate it?
It had been misfiled, ma'am.
Do you have that tape with you?
I do.
Clear the area! Let's go! Clear!
Norman Delaporte claims
that Sergeant Morrison
had the videotaping stopped
to cover up a war crime
when, in fact, Sergeant Morrison
was ordering his
men to take cover.
Stop it. Stop it! Stop
it and get out of here!
The videotaping
resumed moments later.
There are four
additional minutes of tape.
Get down. Get down!
Murray, Carson, left flank.
Corporal Dugan filmed the action
while the force recon
team fought for their lives.
At one point, Corporal Dugan
put the video camera down
long enough to help
a mortally wounded comrade.
Clear!
Angel one-five, this
is Pony Boy Four.
Medevac four. Urgent.
Airborne med assist required
grid eight-five-four,
three-four-two.
L.Z. is hot. Over.
I repeat, L.Z. is hot.
Medivac helicopter
arrived minutes later.
Dugan and Morrison
helped load the dead.
Once aboard the helicopter
Corporal Dugan
resumed videotaping.
Sergeant Ford is the
crew chief/door gunner.
Sergeant Morrison's
wearing the bandolier belt.
That's a canister,
and it's labeled C.S.
That's C.S. for tear gas.
You knew the
truth, Mr. Delaporte.
You altered it
to fit your story.
You deliberately
left things out.
No, I chose what to put in.
That's what a reporter does.
You rejected the things
that didn't fit your thesis, sir.
You reported rumor.
I made a judgment call.
You lied to this committee
on several counts,
Mr. Delaporte.
You testified that you
did not buy the tape.
You did.
You testified that the
tape was 18 minutes long.
It was 22 minutes.
Mr. Rabb, address your
remarks to this committee.
Let him talk.
I'm interested in
what he has to say.
Tell me something,
Congressman Martin.
Why is it people are so ready
to believe the
worst of the military?
These men put
their lives on the line.
They're the ones
who risk it all.
So why are people
like Sergeant Morrison
the last to be believed
and men like this the first?
This hearing is in recess.
My first witness tomorrow...
is Norman Delaporte.
Come with me, Mac.
Where?
Does it matter?
It's $3,000, Chris.
It's the best I can do.
All I want is you.
You had me, Chris.
This isn't the way I thought
things would turn out.
I don't want to see you again.
You're not good for me.