JAG (1995–2005): Season 9, Episode 2 - Shifting Sands - full transcript

(wind whistling)

(gasps)

(crying)

This one thought your equipment
locker was a drugstore.

Doxycycline.

Who are you?

I think I can
answer that one.

Petty Officer Allison La Porte.

Navy corpsman.

MIA since February 20,

1991.



I never liked that photo.

CHEGWIDDEN:
Lieutenant, how's your memory
of the Gulf War?

Foggy, sir, uh,
given all that's happened

in the region since.

You recall a missing
Petty Officer

by the name of, uh,
Allison La Porte?

No, sir.

Fell out of a medevac
helo over southern Iraq.

Was 22 at the time.

A hot LZ, couldn't find her
until yesterday,

when she was
caught attempting
to steal antibiotics

from a corpsman in the village
of, uh, Al-Muntassir.

That's remarkable, sir.

Did she explain
how she was able to survive



for 12 years?
As a Bedouin.

Joined the nomadic tribe
and married its sheik.

Willingly, sir?

Well, that's for you
to find out.

I'm authorizing a
JAGMAN investigation

to Camp Babylon
in southern Iraq.

You're sending me, sir?

You got a problem with that?

Uh, no, sir, I...

It's just that I'm
used to senior staff

riding point on international
investigations, sir.

Have-have you noticed
much senior staff

in your recent travels around
the office, Lieutenant?

Commander Turner, sir...

and isn't Colonel MacKenzie
expected back?

Turner's plate's full.

Mac needs time to catch up.

What's Commander Rabb's status,
sir?

Are you up for this,
Lieutenant?

Yes, sir.
What the hell's

the problem?

No problem, sir.
Good,

(sighs):
'cause I'm giving you one.

Petty Officer La Porte's father

is Rear Admiral
Richard La Porte,

Deputy Director
of Naval Intelligence.

(applause)

Thanks.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Would have been nicer if you'd
met us at the airport, but...

(laughing)
Hey, sir, ma'am!

Welcome back.

HARRIET:
What happened down there, sir?
The rumors were intense.

Oh, it's classified,
Lieutenant--

at least until we show up
the movie rights.

So, what's the occasion?

It is Tiner's last day.

He's checking out.

Say it isn't so, Tiner.

I was accepted at Officer
Candidate School, sir.

Oh, will you be coming back?

Naval Justice School
directly after, ma'am.

We'll miss you, Tiner.

Thank you, ma'am.
Mm.

Well, congratulations.
Thank you, Commander.

Who's your replacement?

I am, sir.
The admiral's
appointed Coates

his new admin
assistant, sir.

Whew. How long have we
been gone, anyway?

You know, the Earth
doesn't stop spinning

just because you've
left the room.

ROBERTS:
That's not what
he tells me.

Good to see you back.

MacKENZIE:
Likewise, Lieutenant.

Uh, although now
I'm leaving.

You are?

The admiral has
assigned me unassisted

on a JAGMAN
investigation

in Iraq.
HARM:
Good for you, Bud.

MacKENZIE:
Yeah, way to go, Bud.

Good luck, Lieutenant.

So, Commander...

what's the deal
with your military status?

Well, that'll be
up to the admiral to decide.

(knocking)

Enter.

Mac, you all right?

Yes, sir.

Good. Glad to have you back.

Permission to return
to my duties?

Granted.

May I be granted
the same, sir?

Rabb, you, uh, you resigned
your commission.

Well, I submitted
the paperwork...

And I shot it up

through the chain of command
to the CNP the next morning.

You've been a, um, civilian
for the last...

72 hours.

What, you thought
I was going to sit on it?

That's what you did
when I left, sir.

Admiral...

I'm not your Admiral; I'm your
former Commanding Officer.

Sir, he saved my life.

Well, put him
on your payroll.

Mac...

I am glad to see you,

but I am equally fed up

with this man's lack
of dependability.

You know, Rabb...

you're not a team player.

You never consider
the big picture,

and you are completely...

controlled by your emotions.

Can't argue
with that, sir.

Good.

So you need to go
find something

that allows you
that independence.

Drive a cab,
wrestle alligators.

Hell, I don't know.

He's been like this
for years, Admiral.

Why now?
Because the admiral

has finally accepted
the fact that I'm
unchangeable, Mac...

as you have.

I have, uh... a
few things left
to gather, sir.

I'll be out
within the hour.

(door opens)

(door closes)

That'll be all, Colonel.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me, Admiral.

I'm all checked out, sir,
so I was hoping,

if it's all
right with you...
No, no, no, no, Tiner.

You're not securing
early.

Yes, sir.

You're going
to have a seat.

Sit.

Yes, sir.

And I'm going
to talk to you

about your future
in the navy,

and tell you why you're going
to make a damn better lawyer

than a yeoman.

Yes, sir.

Hey, Tiner.

Sir?

For when you make commander.

Hope it'll bring you
a little better luck

than it brought me, huh?

MAN:
Halt!

MAN:
Proceed.

Settled in, Coates?

COATES:
Just about, sir.

Well, don't feel you have
to stay around for me.

Leave when you want.

I should probably
eat something, sir.

By all means.

Although, sir,
I haven't been
all that hungry

since Commander Rabb
announced he won't
be returning to JAG.

The commander's the
one most responsible

for turning me
around, sir.

I'm sure you had good reasons
for your actions, sir,

but I'm wondering
if it wasn't counterproductive,

given what he's
contributed to
this office.

Unsolicited opinions
are not part

of the job description,
Petty Officer.

Understood, sir.

I will from this point on
phrase my support

for the commander
in question form only.

And neither is insubordination.

Yes, sir. I apologize.

Good night, sir.

Good night, Tiner.

I'm not Tiner, sir.

No, you're not.

Half the tribe
contracted leptospirosis

from drinking
contaminated water.

As a former corpsman,
I knew how to help them.

I don't understand.

Why didn't you ask
for assistance

instead of trying
to steal the meds?

Distrust.

We reject the modern world.

It's never served us.

Since the black days,

some Bedouins have
taken to living close
to the cities.

They even rent trucks
to transport their animals.

Not our tribe.

Our roots go
back too far.

What are the black days?

Ten years ago, Saddam began
a wave of oppression

against the Bedouin.

First, he banned us from
wandering into Kuwait,

which cut us off
from our relatives.

Then he conscripted our teenage
sons into the army,

and those who deserted
were caught and executed.

The worst, though, was
when he diverted the rivers

to keep water from resistance
forces in the south.

Water is our source of life.

So, how did you come to live
with the tribe?

I had been stuck in a ravine
for three days,

watching the rescue helos
pass overhead.

PETTY OFFICER LA PORTE:
The Al-Hadi tribe found me,

pulled me out, brought me back
to their camp.

Now, I knew my pelvis
was fractured,

but I did not speak Arabic,

so I could not tell them
what was wrong.

It took me months to heal.

During that time,
the son of the tribe's sheik

took an interest in me.

I liked his name...
Jamal Bin Fahad.

We communicated solely
by playing shesh-besh--

backgammon--

which he had never done
with a woman before.

It's a good way to learn
about someone.

By the end of that year,
I had fallen in love with him.

I embraced the Muslim faith,
and I took the name "Hiba,"

which means gift.

We married...

but were never able
to have children...

probably because of my injury.

Two years ago,
my husband's father

passed the leadership
of the tribe on to him.

I am now a sheik's wife.

So... you see yourself
as a Bedouin?

Correct.

Can I assume that's why

you're not using
military courtesy

in my presence?

Do you feel
disrespected,
Lieutenant?

Let's move on.

Why did you choose
to stay with them?

Because they
are good-hearted,
nonjudgmental people.

Well... but you didn't try,

at any point, to contact
Coalition Forces

to let them know

that you were alive?

No. The sanctions
began soon after.

I never saw another
Western face

until the invasion
in April.

What, you didn't wander
into any villages

or cities in your travels

where you could've
sent a letter

explaining to your family?

My family lives in Iraq.

ADMIRAL LA PORTE:
I'm an analyst by nature,

used to sorting out
complex events,

but A.J., this one's
got me spinning.

I was in Planning and Operations
when she disappeared,

made three trips
to Kuwait,

marshaled whatever resources
were at my disposal.

We, uh... we just
couldn't find her.

Does she have an issue
with me?

To be honest, sir,

your name didn't come up.

I asked you here because
the convening authority

has reached a decision based
on Lieutenant's findings.

He's authorized
an Article 32, sir.

The charge is Desertion.

We're transporting
her here

to Washington, and I've assigned
the lieutenant to prosecute.

Well, I appreciate
the briefing, Admiral.

Well, I promise
you this:

I'll do everything I can
to ensure a fair process.

As far as I'm concerned,
you can lock her up right now.

(knocking)

Hi.

Ah, you didn't tell me

you were bringing
him with you.

Just pretend that I'm not here.

I'll play with the bed.

Gee, I wonder
if he folds.

Not when being tortured.

Did I ever thank you for that?

Not in the way I prefer.

So we, uh...

spoke to your neurologist.

He says you have
nerve damage.

Yes, so they tell me.

Did he also tell you
it would go away in time?

In time for what?

Will you stop
asking them to release you?

They need to see

some improvement in
your motor skills first.

So have you
reported back yet?

Already been assigned
the defense in a Desertion case.

Rabb's?

Funny.

Petty Officer,
MIA since the Gulf War.

Right.
Allison La Porte.

So what about you?

Did you have to beg
your way back in,

or did the Admiral
just pin another medal

to your chest?

I'm out.

Wow.

Um, so...

do you need anything?

Um...

yeah...

(bed folding)

(whispering):
What I need...

(giggling)

(sighs)

MacKENZIE:
Well, the good news

at least in terms of the charge

is that the UCMJ is on our side.

"The accused's intent
to remain away permanently,

"not the time spent UA,

"is the key factor
in determining

whether a service member
is guilty of an Article 85."

If hearing goes
to court-martial,

and you're convicted,

the length of your absence
may be a determining factor

in the extent of your penalty.

You lost me at UCMJ.

I'm sorry,
Petty Officer.

It's been 12 years for you,
hasn't it?

Do you recall any
of your military training?

Very little.

And I would prefer that you
address me as Hiba Al-Hadi.

At the time
you fell out of that helo,

you were 19 months into
a four-year enlistment.

According to military
criminal law,

you are still under
the navy's jurisdiction,

which means
Petty Officer La Porte

is your official designation.
Fine.

If it can make
this process go faster.
As your attorney,

I would advise against allying
too closely with the tribe.

But they're my people.

The point we have to make
is that they became your people

as a consequence of survival,

and that you had
no other choice.

What happens if we succeed?

I can make an argument
for discharge.

All right.

To that end, I expect you

to treat officers
with full military courtesy.

You can exclude me.

And if I don't?

You will lose.

As you were.

My God, your skin.

Your hair.

Why did you want me
to think that you were dead?

Ask a better question.

I don't understand you.
What do you mean?

You are assuming
something

that's untrue.
Are you making this

my problem?
Admiral,

Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie,
I'll be representing

Petty Officer La Porte
during her Article 32.

MacKenzie.

Are her actions defensible?

Sir, could I ask you
to step outside?

MacKENZIE:
Please.

(door opens)

Sir, there's
a better time for this.

(sighs)
Colonel...

what do you know
about my daughter's character?

We've only been talking
for ten minutes, sir.

She is naive.

In spite
of an Ivy League education,

she still believes
that love

is an antidote
to world conflict.

I was hoping that the navy
would wise her up,

but I couldn't convince her
to become an officer.

She wanted to be closer

to "the little guy."

I'm sorry, sir. Your point?

This is all a reaction
to my wife's leaving

when Allison
was three years old.

She considers herself
a nurturer.

She goes wherever she
thinks she's needed.

An indigent,

nomadic tribe
would be a draw for her.

Admiral, are you arguing
your daughter's guilt?

I'm offering you
some insight, Colonel.

Do you plan on providing
this insight

to the prosecution, sir?

Already have.

Am I to assume that you have
no interest in her welfare?

Colonel, you are to assume

that I have an interest

in her bearing responsibility
for her actions.

ROBERTS:
Commander Ferrante,
what was your assignment

during the Gulf War?

I was the flight surgeon

for Marine Medium
Helicopter Squadron 169.

We were stationed at Prince
Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

And did
Petty Officer La Porte

serve in that
squadron, ma'am?

She was assigned
to our search-and-rescue crew.

Was there anything about

Petty Officer's La Porte's
professional behavior

that gave you
cause for concern?

Petty Officer La Porte,
with the help

of the base chaplain,
began treating Arabs in Riyadh

while on liberty.

Was there anything wrong
with that, ma'am?

When the conflict began,

we found ourselves
short on supplies.

So, Petty Officer La Porte
was aiding the Arab community

at the expense
of her Unit members.

Objection. Leading
and calls for a conclusion.

Can the witness verify
the connection

between these two events?

Not for sure, Your Honor,

but the Petty Officer
was reducing the inventory.

Did the Petty Officer explain
why she was doing so, ma'am?

She claimed to
have an affinity

for Arab peoples and felt
compelled to help them.

Thank you.
Nothing further.

Commander, three questions.

Given that you were suspicious
of misappropriation,

did you take action
to stop it?

No, although I might have
if the war had lasted longer.

Did you oppose the idea
of aiding the Arab community?

Not on general terms, no.

Was that because
we were in the region

precisely because of our concern

for the welfare
of Arab peoples?

That was the stated agenda.
Yes.

Thank you.

Commander Ralston,

were you, as a navy
psychiatrist,

asked to evaluate
Petty Officer La Porte?

Yes.

Was she cooperative, sir?

She revealed what
had happened to her,

was forthcoming
about her past, yes.

Could you please tell us
what she related to you, sir?

She indicated
a lonely childhood, a sense

of abandonment,
and a resulting need

to help others.

ROBERTS: Is that why she
joined the navy, sir?

No, she joined
at the insistence of her father.

Was she happy, sir?

Only when attending
to the needs

of the local populace.

Otherwise, she regretted
the decision.

Thank you.
That will be all.

Commander, did Petty Officer
La Porte tell you

she was planning
on leaving the navy

prior to her disappearance?

She did not.

Did she explain how the
Al-Hadi Bedouins treated her?

She said they attended
to her needs, made her a part

of their world.

Would you disagree
with the notion

that she came to live with them

more as a process
of social evolution

rather than
an attempt to shirk

her service obligations?

No, but her priorities
did shift.

Yeah, but wouldn't that
be considered healthy,

given that she no longer
had access

to the Western world

and needed,
for reasons
of survival,

to accept her
circumstances?

RALSTON: Yes.

Yes, I believe that's accurate.

No more questions.

WEBB:
I've been welcomed back
to my old post

at headquarters.

They even dusted off my desk.

Are they going to let you
mount the heads

of the men you killed
over it?

I don't exactly remember you
sporting a carnation

from the muzzle of your weapon,

and would it be
too much to ask

for an unsullied reaction
to my good news?

I'm proud of you
for doing so well by the agency,

but it only serves
to remind me who you are.

As if that
changes anything.

It does now that
we're closer.

What if I just don't
talk about it?

You don't talk about it.
You're a spook.

All right.
What if I promise

never to lie to you?

Ah, now, how would I know
that you're not lying?

Trust?

Back to my original point.

You need an example.
You got one?

I do.

I kept this from you
on your previous visit,

but Allison La Porte's
Bedouin tribe

has been gathering
tactical information

on the Allied presence in Iraq

since last April.

They were spying for Saddam?

Part of the
intel on Sadik.

Prove it.

Classified.
Convenient.

But I was the original
classifying authority,

and I have the right
to declassify it

if I so choose.

Consider it done.

I'll arrange to have
a copy of the file

delivered to your office.

I appreciate this, Clay.

You may retract that

when I tell you who else
has access to this information.

The deputy director
of Naval Intelligence...

your client's father.

MacKENZIE:
I believe I know why

you supported the charge
of Desertion, Admiral.

I assumed you were
forsaking your daughter,

but I now think that
you were actually

trying to keep her around.

An acquittal would likely mean

she would be allowed
to return to Iraq.

A conviction would mean
confinement to Charleston.

She would be close enough
to visit,

and you could work
on winning her back.

Call it the irrational behavior
of a, uh, concerned father.

Actually, sir, I prefer to call
it a very rational attempt

to save your daughter
from the death penalty.

Admiral,
do you have access to reports

that your daughter's
Bedouin tribe

was recently spying for Saddam?

What's the source
of your information, Colonel?

Don't you even pretend to do

a national security
dance with me.

The information's been
declassified, sir,

but I promise you it will go
no further than this room.

You bet it won't.

Otherwise, you can kiss
your marine-green ass good-bye.

Threats will do very little
to help your daughter, sir.

I assume
from your death penalty comment,

you realize that linking her
to this "activity"

could result
in a charge of treason.

That's why
we're talking.

She is not involved.

I need confirmation, Admiral.

I told you,
it's not in her nature.

She's apolitical.

She's driven
solely by altruism,

by humanitarian concerns.

You're asking me
to trust your intuition?

Trust her history, Colonel.

When she was a teenager,
she brought home strays.

She volunteered
for homeless organizations.

She worked in the ghetto
for seven months,

mugged twice,
almost raped.

She is completely guileless.

You're saying your daughter

wasn't aware
of her tribe's activities?

I don't believe she knew
anything about them.

Well, how do I prove that?

And why would you have
to prove it?

You're not obligated
to reveal any of this

to the prosecution.

I am aware
of that, sir.

Then what's the problem?

I won't know until I speak
with your daughter.

TURNER:
You wanted to see me, Admiral?

How are you handling
your caseload?

It's a bit of a juggling act,
but I'm on top of it, sir.

I would like
to see progress reports.

Have them on my desk by Friday.

You consider that necessary,
sir?

Yes.

Well, I'm just surprised.

This is the first time
you've ever asked me

to account for my efforts
in this way.

Well, don't take it personally.

I'm just getting more involved.

Would the ineffective counsel
appeal

have anything to do
with your involvement, sir?

Well, I've received some calls.

I see.

Just a few brush fires.

I'll take care of it.

Yes, sir.

And I'd like for you
to take Commander Rabb's office.

Well, I'm happy where I am, sir.

Commander, you're in
a former storage closet.

Well, considering that Harm
is one of my closest friends...

Commander, take the damn office!

Yes, sir.

Dismissed!

Aye, aye, sir.

And put up pictures!

Lots of them!

Commander, uh, I have
been avoiding this

because I've truly
felt bad about this,

but I am so very sorry
about the appeal argument.

You deserved
better from me.

Yes, I did, Lieutenant.

I have great respect
for you as an attorney,

and I hope that we can
get through this, sir.

Time heals all, Bud.

Well, I believe that
to be true, sir.

So, please stop following me

and allow me the time
to work it out.

Sorry.

PETTY OFFICER LA PORTE:
No, this is not true!

Saddam's government caused us
nothing but misery.

Why would we help them?

As a way of getting them
to back off?

It wouldn't have worked.
They were too treacherous.

CIA reports
have your husband and others

in negotiations
with top-ranking officials.

Yes, they were complaining
about the scarcity of water

in the southern regions.

It's a big problem for us.

We had to sell off
two thirds of our herd.

Sounds like a point
of negotiation.

They refused to listen.

Afterwards,
your tribe's movements

coincided
with that of US troops.

We were following
the water.

That's not how it looked
to intelligence officers.

Would these be the same
intelligence officers

who told the air force
where to bomb Saddam?

I'll grant you the point,

but in order
to effectively defend you,

I have to feel comfortable
with your story.

Why don't you?

Evidence would help.

You are looking at the evidence.

My tribe never
spied for Saddam.

On my word.

Excuse me, Colonel?

Bud says you have motions
and witness lists for him?

Follow me. I have
a personal question.
Yes, ma'am.

What's with Bud's teeth?

Oh, it's braces, ma'am.

His bite was thrown off
when his jaw was broken.

He's been avoiding it
for years.

Finally, I just
put my foot down with him.

Well, how long does
he have to wear them?
About a year.

Well, he seems to
be handling it well.

He's good at that
sort of thing, ma'am.

Thank you.

Bud.

Hey, honey.
Hi.

From the Defense.
Ah, for you.

Well, thank you.
Thank you.

(knocking)

Yeah?

Thank you
for the material, ma'am.

Oh, you're welcome.

I am curious, though.

Why are you allowing me to see
these intelligence reports?

I gave you those?

They were at the bottom
of the pile, ma'am.

I-I must have picked
them all up together.

D-Did you read them?

Yes.

You're not supposed to.

I understand, Colonel,

but these directly
impact the case.

Are you going to use it?

If you were in my position,
what would you do, ma'am?

(guitar playing bluesy tune)

(continues playing bluesy tune)

(continues playing bluesy tune)

(stops playing)

(playing resumes)

(continues playing bluesy tune)

(knocking)

It's open!
(stops playing guitar)

Hey.

Don't you usually
work late?

Don't you?

(sighs):
Well, you'd better talk
to the Admiral about that.

No, that's suicide.

He's heavy on your
case, brother.

Yeah, for rescuing Mac.

For resigning
your commission.

Well, I had to. He wouldn't
let me go any other way.

I think he took it
as a slap in the face.

He was offended that
your respect for his authority

had a ceiling.

It's a new day
at JAG, Harm.

He's bolting his
cannons to the deck.

Well, he tossed
this one overboard.

It puts Bud next in line
for senior responsibilities.

Oh.

At least somebody benefited
from my misfortune.

He's not ready.

You can't be objective,
Sturgis.

You're still angry
he smudged your reputation.

It's just proof
that he's not ready.

He had a confidence problem.

He's okay now.

I'd like to consider myself
a forgiving Christian,

but I'm having problems
with this one.

Well, if it's any consolation,

I forgive you
for having a job I still want.

(phone rings)

(clears throat)

(playing simple chords)

(phone rings)

Hello?

You're talking to him.

No, Friday morning's
a little...

All right, I-I'll be there.

A job offer?

CIA.

Deputy Director wants to see me.

What did you do?

You have something to put
on the record, Lieutenant?

Yes, Your Honor.

Based on new evidence,

the convening authority
has added

to the charge of Desertion,
Article 104, Aiding the Enemy.

Is the defense ready
to proceed based on
the additional charge?

No, Your Honor.

We need time to prepare

and request
a reasonable continuance.

JUDGE:
The Government's position?

ROBERTS:
No objection, Your Honor.

48 hours, Colonel.

This is a deliberate

and malicious leak
of information.

Well, why would
the Colonel do that?

It's prejudicial
against your own client.

Because she believes
Allison is guilty of the charge.

CHEGWIDDEN:
Are you suggesting

that she was aiding the
prosecution on purpose?

Well, not to put too fine
a point on it, Admiral,

yes, exactly
what I'm saying, yes.

It was a mistake, Admiral.

The material
was accidentally included

in a pile of motions
and witness lists.

Oh, well,
that really calms the waters,

doesn't it, Colonel?

Instead of being motivated

by the courage
of your convictions, you were

just being sloppy
and stupid.

(exhaling loudly)

Do you know what really
frosts me, is the fact that

she even had access
to that information.

The Colonel had a source.

Admiral, is it your

unwavering intention
to defend this incompetent

officer?
Admiral, is it yours

to storm around and yell?

Because I can damn sure
think of better ways

to spend this time.

(huffs)

Look,

the charge, in my opinion,
is a stretch.

The Government
has to prove, one--

that your daughter's tribesmen
were gathering intelligence

for Saddam's regime.

And two-- not only
did she know about it,

but she was aiding them.

And the hearing officer
will assume...

Nothing.

The burden of proof is
on the government's shoulders.

Well, they've asked me
to share that burden, Admiral.

When Lieutenant Roberts
visited me, apologized,

I said,
"What did you apologize for?"

He informed me
it was his intention

to call me in to testify...

against my own daughter!

(MacKenzie exhales,
door slams)

It was a mistake, sir.

Oh, you're damn right
it was.

A total...

Sir, I realize that
you are required

to initiate
a preliminary inquiry...

What the hell is going on
around here?

Sir?

Rabb dives off the deep end;
you do something

completely out
of character;

Turner sleepwalks
through a defense.

Is it me? Have I lost my grip
on this office?

No, sir. We all respect
your leadership.

I'm not buying it. Dismissed.

Aye, aye, sir.

You know, Colonel...

sometimes our mistakes
reflect the true nature

of our feelings.

ROBERTS:
Admiral, is it correct

that as Deputy Director
of Naval Intelligence,

you were fully briefed
in April of this year,

on the Al-Hadi Bedouins
and the nature

of their activities?

Yes.

Would you please specify
for the court?

They were spying
on a US military unit

deployed in the field.

And how was
this conclusion reached, sir?

Meetings between
tribal representatives

and the Al-Amn Al-Khas

the Special
Security Service,

had been occurring since
before the invasion.

However, because
our surveillance was

from a nearby rooftop,
positive identification

of these tribesmen
was not possible.

Sir, please confine your answers
to the questions asked.

Sure, Lieutenant.

Ask me another one.

ROBERTS:
How were you able to connect
these meetings to intelligence

activities, Admiral?

Once the invasion began,
the Al-Hadi located

and followed the unit
in question.

Were they charting
their movements, sir?

They were also listening in.

Over secured channels, sir?
That is correct.

At the time,
they were in possession

of sophisticated,
Syrian-made electronics.

And your daughter was a member

of the tribe at this time,
was she not, sir?

Yes, she was.

Given that
they had this equipment,

do you believe it possible
for her not to know

what it was
being used for, sir?

Objection.
Calls for a conclusion.

Sustained.
I'll rephrase, Your Honor.

Admiral, once you found out

that your daughter was
a member of the tribe,

weren't you at least suspicious
that she might be involved?

No.

Not even remotely?

Not even remotely.

Allison is not interested
in such activities.

You haven't seen your daughter
for 12 years, sir.

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained.

Move on, Lieutenant.

Admiral,

what language were these
transmissions received in?

I'm sorry?

US military personnel
communicate in English,

do they not, sir?

Of course.

And isn't it true, sir,

that your daughter was
the only member of her tribe

that spoke English?

That is my understanding.

So other than your daughter,
sir,

who else could have
been listening in?

Objection.

The Admiral is qualified

to answer the question, Colonel.

Overruled.

It never occurred to me.

ROBERTS:
I find that odd, Admiral,

given your position
as an intelligence analyst.

Yeah.

I can understand your confusion,
Lieutenant.

I'm embarrassed to admit it.

It never occurred to me.

Please.

(sighs)

So how many people did you
kill in Paraguay?

I couldn't say, sir.

From what I hear,
it was quite a few.

In fact,

you and Colonel Mackenzie
seemed to have left

with something of a reputation,

not unlike that
of the Lone Ranger and Tonto,

only taller.

I don't kill indiscriminately,
Mr. Kershaw.

Oh, good,

because that's what I've come
to expect from most citizens.

Sir, when I came to you
and told you I'd left the navy,

you directed me to Edward Hardy.

I assumed that meant it was okay
to go after Colonel MacKenzie.

Yes, I didn't say it was okay
to steal farmers' planes.

I didn't tell you
to give up your passport

and force us
to sneak you out of there.

Sir, if you feel I operated
outside of the boundaries...

No, Rabb.

I feel you operated
with no sense of the boundaries.

I'll admit there may have
been a little improvisation.

Robin Williams can
admit improvisation.

You were playing cowboy.

However, what's done is done.

(sighs)

Now, let's see
what I plan to do about it.

Come work for us.

What?

You need some training.

I want you
to get some self-discipline.

But I think that in time,

you could make an outstanding
CIA officer.

What, suddenly you trust me?

I know what I need to know.

Sir, you know me
as unpredictable

and uncontrollable.

What makes you think
I can pull this off?

I mean, don't you
put your agents

through some kind
of character testing?

I've already done that.

Come in, Catherine.

Say hello to your sponsor.

ADMIRAL LA PORTE:
Why did you do this?

We needed the water.

Our lives as Bedouin
would have been over

if we hadn't made the deal.

We would have been forced
to settle near the cities

and give up what identified us.

What was the deal?

In exchange
for information,

they agreed
to reopen a closed tributary,

replenishing a portion
of former marshland

in the southeast.

Were you compelled by anyone
in your tribe to comply?

(sighs)

I was the one
who brokered it, Colonel.

I apologize for the lie,
but not for the intent.

So, you operated
the electronics?

Yes.

Did Saddam supply the water?

(sighs)

He did.

The irony is,
it was dammed up
for so long

that it had become brackish

and contaminated
with animal matter.

It is what made us sick,

and the reason I tried
to steal those antibiotics.

When did you learn
to be like this?

You think I changed
when I started wearing robes?

You were
always capable

of betraying
your country?

The alternative would have been
to betray my family.

The colonel informs me
you've been trying to help.

This tells me
you can relate to the instinct.

I completely ruled
out your involvement.

It wasn't even a
possibility in my mind.

My favorite tribal fable

is about a man

who wakes up every morning
in a different place.

Then after years
of trying to adjust

to this difficult
challenge,

he gives up and dies.

In heaven, he asks God,

"Why did you curse me
with such a fate?"

And God tells him

that in reality,

he had spent his entire life
in the same location.

That all Allah did

was create the wind

that moved the sand
from one place to another.

I'm no different
than I've always been.

You just never noticed.

If this goes to trial,

and they find you guilty...

(sighs)

you could be executed.

Yes.

Do you miss your husband?

The, uh...

The tribe has been exiled
to, uh, Jordan.

I'll, uh...

I'll track him down
and get in touch with him.

Tell him I'm looking out
for you.

RABB:
Look, your world
is too fluid for me.

The role-playing,
the secrecy.

I'm used to working

in a morally consistent
environment.

CATHERINE:
Harm,

you gave that up
to chase Colonel MacKenzie

around the Chaco Boreal?

I didn't go
to Paraguay to
shoot people.

I went on a mission.

I did what needed
to be done

to achieve
my objective.

KERSHAW:
Yeah, and that

is a perfect description

of an agent's field duties.

Sir, I appreciate
your confidence in me.

I'm going to stick
with what I know.

Make the rounds
of the law firms,

maybe knock on the
public defender's door.

Now, if there were
a position open

in your department...

Two attorneys were just
laid off.

Maybe you could use him
in another capacity?

I don't know
what that would be,

but I'm open to suggestion.

You tell us.

What else do you do?

JUDGE BLAKELY:
For a time,

I balanced the notion

of the accused's intent
to remain away permanently

with that of a forced
social circumstance,

but in light of evidence
that suggests she had

recently engaged
in treasonous activities,

I find no other choice

but to recommend
that both the charge

of Desertion and Aiding
the Enemy be referred

to general court-martial.

This hearing is adjourned.

(bangs gavel)

WEBB:
What would you be flying?

RABB:
Anything that takes off.

WEBB:
You're really going
to be a CIA pilot?

Works for me.

Do I have to talk to you
at company picnics?

I don't have to answer
to him, do I?

WEBB:
It could happen.

RABB:
I'm not sure that's worth
the medical benefits.

CATHERINE:
No, I think it's great.

The two of you are going
to set the agency on fire.

WEBB:
Literally.

Try not to land
on the building.

(all laughing)

RABB:
You're a funny guy, Clay.

WEBB:
What can I say, Harm?

Welcome to the brotherhood.

Thanks.