Original subtitles

[ indistinct chatter ]

Excuse me. Are you done with the sports newspaper?

Go ahead. Thanks.

You're both under arrest.

Why? Stand up now.

But what did we do?

That's why. Your friends won't help you.

[ thuds, gun fires ]

[ tires screeching ]

[ opening theme music playing ]

The man you're picking up, Saed Labdouni,

is the Agency's highest-level asset in Libya.

He's got information about their government's involvement

in the Lockerbie plane crash.

I thought Libya was coming clean on that.

Yeah, maybe on alternate Tuesdays.

Well, let's just hope this mission

goes a little smoother than the last one.

You didn't enjoy your brief sojourn

in the Philippine jail?

[ chuckling ]

Harm, I'd like you to honcho this mission

since Beth did the last one.

No problem.

What are we flying-- a UX?

No, a C-130.

Why are we flying a plane that big to pick up one guy?

It's the only plane available on such short notice

with sufficient range.

And it can land on sand and gravel.

Now, soon as it gets dark,

Labdouni will be at the extraction point--

29'15" north,

18'21" east.

Used to be, uh,

expeditionary airfield in World War II.

The tower's long since gone.

All that's left is a gravel runway

in the middle of the desert.

How long?

2,000 feet.

Now, coming into Libyan air space,

there used to be some soft spots just west of Al 'Uqaylah.

Used to be?

Khaddafi bought some advanced radar

from the Russians, plus a bunch of MiG-21s.

So, in other words...

Fly low.

Real low.

We got backup?

What, like a squadron of F-14s?

Dream on.

You're in the Agency now.

Contingency plan?

Yeah.

Don't get caught.

[ dramatic music plays ]

TURNER: Lieutenant.

Where's page three?

Excuse me, Sir?

The 502 you just handed me on the Weston case.

There's no page three.

The Xerox must be acting up, Sir. I'll take care of...

Lieutenant... this is not

some simple Conduct Unbecoming case.

A seaman belonging to Al Qaeda

conspired to kill his fellow sailors.

I understand that, Sir.

Then you understand we can't afford mistakes.

The pretrial hearing is in 14 hours.

We better be ready.

Commander, may I put my cards on the table?

What, Lieutenant?

I'm aware that the only reason you asked me to second-chair

was because the Admiral requested it.

[ phone ringing ]

If you'd like me to step aside, I will, Sir.

I just don't want this case compromised in any way.

Sir, the testimony from Weston's Al Qaeda contact

is highly incriminating.

This case is a slam-dunk.

I'll copy page three, Sir.

WESTON: I joined the Navy to fight Al Qaeda.

Seaman, the problem is,

there's some pretty strong evidence against you.

Ma'am, I would never want to attack my fellow sailors.

They're my brothers.

So, you never belonged to an Al Qaeda sleeper cell?

Of course not, Ma'am.

The prosecution will point out

that you hid your conversion to Islam.

I didn't hide it, Ma'am.

I just didn't make a big deal out of it.

I mean, religion's a private thing.

Nothing's private in the Navy.

Ma'am, some of the guys can be funny about Muslims.

I just wanted to stay low-profile.

You know, I'll also have to explain this, uh, e-mail

that you sent to your cousin from the base in Bahrain

about how easy it would be

to kill sailors in the chow hall.

That was just an observation, Ma'am.

Our security in that chow hall was lousy.

I was afraid somebody could just walk in there

with an AK-47.

What about the Al Qaeda prisoner in Egypt

who says that he went to Bahrain to meet with you?

I don't know where they got that, Ma'am.

It's totally false. I swear.

[ sighs ]

I could get the death penalty.

I didn't do anything.

Weston, I'll see you at the hearing tomorrow.

You'll be transported from here at 1200.

Ma'am?

Do you believe me?

[ sighs ] I don't know what I believe, Seaman.

That's why I'm still working this case at midnight.

Guard.

[ alarm blaring ]

RABB: Coast-in point?

O'NEIL: Coast-in point in sight.

Two degrees left.

RABB: Roger that. Two degrees left.

New heading, one-seven-nine.

Roger. Shutting down all avionics gear.

Check. Except passive systems and radar altimeter.

Better shut that down, too.

We're flying too low for that.

We can't give the Libyans anything.

We're at 200 feet.

There are hills that go up to 1,000.

I can see them. Kill it.

Wilco.

RABB: A little moonlight,

a little night vision action...

What more could you ask for?

You really want a list?

Hello, Libya.

[ speaking Arabic ]

...James Weston...

[ Arabic continues ]

[ translating Arabic ] : I met James Weston three times

on a street corner outside the American base, at night.

[ Arabic continues on tape ]

We talked about how to kill sailors.

Weston wanted me to bring him sarin nerve gas

so he could release it in the chow hall.

[ continues in Arabic ]

Weston said evening chow on Friday was best.

We could kill 100 sailors

if we were lucky.

[ Arabic continues ]

What's that?

What, Ma'am? Pause it.

In the officer's hand.

[ intriguing music plays ]

Get me the Egyptian Security Officer

on the phone immediately.

We go before the judge in one hour.

Aye, aye, Ma'am.

[ tense music playing ]

RABB: So, where the hell is this airstrip?

It's supposed to be right here.

Uh-oh.

RABB: What?

The GPS.

"Slightly less accurate

due to the loss of one of the satellites."

All right, better make

a 180-degree left turn and do another flyover.

Well, let's just send out flares

and make sure the Libyan Air Force spots us.

RABB:Look.

O'NEIL: Dot-dash-dot-- that's the signal.

Gear down, Commander.

Let's get our man and get out.

[ buzzing ]

ABU KAMEL: Greetings, my friends.

I can see you like you were right here beside me.

Hello, Inspector Kamel.

I'm Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie.

To my left is Commander Turner,

and on my right, Lieutenant Roberts.

Nice video system you have there, sir.

It should be.

You Americans paid for it. [ chuckling ]

So, how is your court-martial advancing?

I trust that the information

I obtained from our prisoner will prove useful.

Very useful. Thank you, sir.

You're welcome.

We're all fighting terrorism together, eh?

Inspector Kamel, I do have one question for you.

Fire away.

That's how you say it, right-- fire away?

Yes. Uh, Mr. Kamel, I noticed on the tape

of Mister Sabet's confession,

that you had a small object in your hand

that looked sort of like a remote control device.

May I ask what that was?

Bingo. It was a remote control device.

For what? One moment, please.

This is the remote.

And here is the belt that goes with it.

Uh-huh. Is that a stun belt?

We bought these last year from a French company.

They work beautifully.

Provide 50,000 volts for eight seconds.

You used that on Mr. Sabet? Uh-huh.

And any other cases where the prisoner

poses a threat to our national security.

Mr. Kamel, that's torture.

Believe me, this is much better than our older methods.

With this, the prisoner suffers no permanent damage,

and the interrogator doesn't need

to use knives and so forth.

It's still torture.

You are electrocuting these people.

Forgive me, Colonel MacKenzie, but, uh, we in the Middle East

have been dealing with terrorists

a lot longer than you Americans.

We have learned that in this war,

one can't afford to, uh, be soft,

fighting with one hand tied behind the back.

But I have no doubt, after a few

more years of this,

you will come around to our ways.

Excuse me, Mr. Kamel, may I put you on hold for a moment?

Please. Thank you.

You can't use Sabet's testimony.

His testimony is our strongest evidence against Weston.

Sturgis, they fried the man.

It is pretty disturbing, Sir.

Whether you're disturbed is irrelevant, Lieutenant.

Our courts grant additional leeway

when interrogations are conducted outside the US.

But if we start allowing torture, Sir, where do we--

Not your concern, Lieutenant.

Interrogation by electric shock violates due process;

it's cruel and unusual punishment;

it breaks several international treaties and conventions;

and bottom line: it is utterly immoral.

It would be more immoral if we let a terrorist

who plotted to murder 100 sailors go free, Mac.

Commander, it may be that James Weston is no angel,

but if we condone torture,

then we're stooping down to the terrorists' level.

You can argue that in court in less than one hour.

[ pensive music playing ]

MacKENZIE: 50,000 volts for eight seconds.

The electric current enters here

and travels through the entire body.

The shock and pain knock the victim to the ground,

where he twitches uncontrollably

for 10 to 15 minutes

as he defecates and urinates on himself.

That's what they did to this man, sir.

He was sitting in his own feces

when they taped his confession.

Well... yeah, that is sickening.

As we all know, this type of interrogation

is illegal in the United States,

but you still haven't answered my question.

Given that this, uh, torture, took place in Egypt,

is Mr. Sabet's testimony on that videotape legally admissible?

Absolutely not, sir.

I would argue it's a gray area, Admiral.

I was there in Paraguay

when they attached Webb to a car battery.

I can still hear him scream.

Torture is not a gray area, Commander.

TURNER: Eight years ago the Filipinos tortured

a terrorist named Abdul Hakim Murad.

He revealed a plot to crash 11 US airliners

into the Pacific Ocean and a 12th into Langley.

This information obtained by torture

probably saved the lives of literally thousands.

So you tell me, Colonel--

was torturing Abdul Hakim Murad wrong?

There are other ways to get information out of people.

Oh, that's true, sir.

We've foiled a number of terrorist plots

just by offering the suspects a reduced sentence.

I, myself, have gotten information

out of suspects by exchanging Star Trektrivia.

May I remind you you're on

the prosecution side here, Lieutenant?

Yes, sir. I'm just expressing my concerns.

I'm concerned your moral qualms may prevent you...

When Commander Rabb left,

I thought we were done with this bickering.

I'm confident the lieutenant can get past his qualms.

I can assure you I will, sir.

Now, with a major last-minute issue like this,

you should get a continuance.

I'm afraid not, sir. The judge won't allow delays.

And there's a problem with witness availability, sir.

The Egyptian government flew their prisoner here yesterday

so he can testify at Weston's court-martial,

but they only agreed to let us have him for two weeks.

I will argue at the Article 39-A

that he shouldn't be allowed to testify.

When's the 39-A?

20 minutes, sir.

The media's not allowed in, sir, but...

They'll be all over me afterwards.

That'll be all. Yes, sir.

By the way, I'm bringing Commander Imes back

from her post in Europe.

Why, sir?

Replace Commander Rabb.

[ tense music playing ]

Nice job.

Thousand feet to spare.

I owe it all to my copilot.

Yeah, well, you were a little low, but...

Keep the home fires burning. Be right back.

You got it, boss.

Mr. Labdouni?

Mr. Rabb.

Who are these people?

May I introduce my wife, Aziza,

my mother-in-law, Ismitta,

my cousin Fadil and his family.

What's going on here, Mr. Labdouni?

They're coming with us. No, they're not.

My orders are to bring you alone.

I am CIA. If I escape to your country, they'll be killed!

I'm sorry. I'm authorized to bring you only. Harm.

Over there.

[ vehicles approaching ]

What is this, more family?

No.

[ tense music playing ]

All right, everybody in. [ Labdouni shouting ]

O'NEIL: Get them in. I'll cover you.

[ indistinct shouting ]

[ brakes squealing ]

[ gunshots ]

Beth, come on.

We got it.

Thanks for the cover fire back there.

Thanks for waiting for me.

Well, my mom always taught me,

leave the dance with the girl you came with.

Funny, my mom taught me the same thing.

MacKENZIE: Your Honor, Mr. Sabet's testimony

should not be allowed into evidence.

In Rochin versus California,

the Supreme Court ruled that it violates the Fifth Amendment

to procure evidence by means that "shock the conscience."

Now can there be any doubt that shocking the body,

shocks the conscience?

Rochin applies only to evidence obtained

by governmental entities within the United States, Your Honor.

US v. Murphy and US v. French

make clear that evidence obtained by foreign governments

is held to a different and far more lenient standard.

That standard does not permit methods

that run counter to the decencies of civilized conduct.

Your Honor, in these trying times,

we cannot lose sight of our nation's most cherished values

and legal traditions.

The United States Government has signed several binding

international treaties that prohibit torture

under any circumstances.

Your Honor, during wartime

the United States, like other countries,

has historically resorted to occasionally brutal tactics

to gather intelligence. This is no different.

When our enemies begin targeting US citizens,

the rules change. Our country is at war now.

JUDGE: Yes, we are, Commander,

and in my judgment, which is shared by our President,

we'll be at war for a very long time.

Are you suggesting we should have new regulations

regarding torture from here on in?

That larger question is not before the Court today.

With our limited preparation time...

If I... if I may, sir?

Uh, Your Honor, in general

the purpose of suppressing coerced evidence

is to discourage our police

from coercing people in the future, but in this case,

suppressing the evidence would do nothing

to discourage the Egyptian police

for whom coercion is common practice.

Furthermore, the US Government was not party to the torture.

So if the Court disallowed this evidence,

would it not be penalizing the United States

for something that it didn't do?

But how can we be sure this testimony from Mr. Sabet

is even accurate?

Won't people who are being tortured just say anything?

Mr. Sabet is right down the hall, Your Honor.

You can judge for yourself.

MacKENZIE: No matter what testimony

Mr. Sabet gives today,

it will still be hopelessly tainted

by the methods used to obtain it originally.

Let's hear what the man has to say.

[ melancholy music playing ]

As'salamu'alaikum.

Walaikum as salaam.

How you doing back here?

Glad to be alive, sir.

Good.

RABB: Cute kids.

Thank you, sir.

Sorry about the seating.

The aircraft was configured for one passenger only.

No problem.

How is everything up front?

Good. We should be touching down in Malta

in about an hour and a half. [ low thud ]

Mr. Rabb!

Your wing's on fire!

[ engine whining ]

[ tense music playing ]

[ beeping ]

We got a fire in number one. I know.

Gotta blow the bottle. No, no, no, no, hold off.

Let's just shut down engine one.

We may need it later.

[ engine roaring ]

Got lucky that time, Commander.

BLAISDELL [ over radio]: Operation Tweezer,

this is B-D-Y.

You have company.

Copy that, B-D-Y.

He must've picked this up with night vision.

[ console beeping ]

I've got some MiGs. They're dead.

[ suspenseful music playing ]

O'NEIL: 600 knots,

12 miles and closing.

RABB: Let's run for it.

He's coming too fast.

Maybe we'll lose him in the ground clutter.

Incoming missiles.

Pickle the flares. O'NEIL: Done.

He's at 4:00, closing at gun range.

We're taking hits.

Let him get a little closer.

And on my cue,

salvo all the flares and the chaff.

That's not going to do anything against cannon fire, Harm.

Do it now!

[ rapid beeping] But...

Now! All of 'em!

[ screams]

Yes! Yes! Huh?

[ laughs]

Adios, amigo.

Adios, Libya.

We are Feet Wet.

[ beeping]

We're losing oil pressure on number two.

Bullet must have cut the line.

Let's try to restart number one.

Could go up in flames again.

Well, we can't fly this thing

with both of our port engines out.

All right, all right, you're right.

[ engine whining]

RABB: No flames.

[ sighs]

If the engine is damaged, we gotta power down.

I'm already at 55%.

Ah, it's not going to do us much good.

How much longer do you figure till number two seizes up?

30 minutes max.

That'll put us out in the middle of the Gulf of Sidra.

We've got to turn around.

We go back, the Libyans will be waiting for us.

Well, you want to crash into the Gulf?

Mr. Rabb, are we okay?

Yeah, yeah, we're fine.

You better sit down, though. Could be a rough ride.

Yes, sir.

We go back, the Libyans will kill him and his whole family.

And our options are?

Throttle back on number two to 50% power.

What? It'll buy us time

before she seizes up.

You think you can control the plane?

We'll find out.

All right.

Throttling back on number two.

[ plane engine roaring ]

We still don't have a hell of a lot of time.

Tweezer, this is B-D-Y.

How did you get rid of that guy?

Never mind that, B-D-Y.

We're Feet Wet, and we have two port engines

about to die on us.

I copy.

Advise bailout with copilot and passengers

soon as you're outside territorial waters.

Can't do that, B-D-Y.

We'll have search-and-rescue there immediately...

We've got women and children aboard,

Labdouni's family. They'd never make it.

How the hell did they get on the plane?

I had no choice, Sir.

I am so glad that you are such a sweet guy,

because you really have no choices.

We have one more.

What are the coordinates of the USS Seahawk,sir?

Are you serious?

You can't land a C-130 on a carrier.

Get me the damn coordinates, sir!

I don't have time for this.

And could you call Washington

and have them help me out with the Seahawk'sCaptain?

[ sighs ]

You heard the man. Get him the coordinates.

Get me Washington!

Mr. Sabet, do you know this man?

His name is James Weston.

And how do you know him?

The amir of my Al Qaeda cell put us in contact.

I don't know where he met Weston.

He's dead now.

Did you and Weston make any plans together?

Weston wanted me to put sarin nerve gas

in a container that looked like a lunchbox.

He was going to puncture the box

and leave it on the floor of the mess hall at dinner,

to kill the maximum number of sailors.

"The maximum number."

Nothing further.

Mr. Sabet, why are you telling us this?

It's true.

Maybe, maybe not. But why are you telling us?

Asked and answered, Your Honor.

Were you tortured in Egypt?

I don't know.

Mr. Sabet, didn't your interrogator

give you at least ten electric shocks

at 50,000 volts apiece?

I don't remember.

You don't remember getting electrocuted

and soiling yourself?

Again, Your Honor, asked and answered.

Move on, Counselor.

Mr. Sabet, are you afraid that if you say the wrong thing,

that you'll get tortured again

when you go back home?

I am not afraid.

Then why do you keep giving the Egyptian

policemen frightened looks?

TURNER: Objection.

That's merely Counsel's interpretation.

And mine, Commander.

Your Honor, not only should

Mr. Sabet's videotaped testimony be excluded,

but he also shouldn't be allowed

to testify at the court-martial.

Anything he would say in this courtroom

would be evidence obtained by threat of torture...

which is just as illegal as torture itself.

Counsel is stretching, Your Honor.

Even if one were to grant Mr. Sabet was afraid,

mere fear does not preclude a witness from testifying.

Commander, is Mr. Sabet's testimony

absolutely necessary to your case?

Without it, Your Honor,

the Government will not have a case.

Mr. Weston will go free

and who knows how many people he'll kill then.

Your Honor... Thank you, Colonel and Commander.

We'll take a brief recess, after which I will render

my decision on whether

Mr. Sabet shall be allowed to testify.

[ bangs gavel]

CAPTAIN JOHNSON: Rabb, you must be doing something important.

I just got a flash message from the Joint Chiefs

to provide you "all feasible assistance."

Long story, Skipper. I'm in a shot-up C-130

about 23 minutes out,

and I need to land on your ship.

Do you read me, Cap?

I copy, Rabb, but in case you haven't noticed,

the C-130 doesn't have a tail hook.

It's an emergency, Sir.

It's also three times bigger than any aircraft

that's ever landed on my deck.

Why don't you just bail out?

I've got ten souls on board, sir,

women and children who are not jump-qualified.

Now, we're 25 minutes from crashing into the Gulf, sir.

I'm not sure the assistance you're requesting is feasible.

Captain, lives are at stake here.

I copy that, Rabb, but not just ten lives.

If your plane crashes on this deck, starts a fire,

we could lose 5,000.

Sorry to put you in that position, Captain.

Exactly what is your wingspan?

132 feet, sir.

I'd have to re-spot all my aircraft,

in less than 25 minutes.

I'm afraid so, Sir.

Lieutenant, notify the Air Boss

and announce emergency flight quarters.

Aye, aye, sir.

Stand by, Rabb.

No guarantees, but we'll give it a shot.

Copy that.

Captain, we're going to need at least an hour.

Boss, you we have 20 minutes.

Sir, with all due respect...

Don't give me your "due respect."

Just move the planes.

Aye, aye, sir.

All hands on the flight deck.

Emergency pull-forward. We need all aircraft

aft of the island,

with tails extended off the starboard side.

Any airplanes we got ready to launch,

we got to kick 'em out of here.

We've got 20 minutes, people.

[ klaxon blaring]

This is not an easy decision.

The Court shares Colonel MacKenzie's concern

that a nation that sanctions torture

is in danger of losing its soul.

But I agree with Commander Turner

that when torture can save lives, it has moral value.

If we had a suspect in custody

who had the code to stop a nuclear bomb,

I think we'd all be in favor of torturing him.

The Court believes that Mr. Sabet is testifying

under threat of torture.

However, it is not torture by a government entity

within the United States,

and there is nothing in the case law,

or in the Military Rules of Evidence

indicating it's illegal per se

to use evidence obtained by torture,

against a party other than the accused himself.

Therefore the Court rules that

this witness, Mr. Sabet, will be allowed

to testify at court-martial.

We'll allow the members to decide for themselves

whether they believe Mr. Sabet's testimony is truthful.

This hearing is adjourned. [ gavel bangs]

So you'll let other countries

do your torturing for you?

And you're going to try and kill a brother.

You're pathetic.

We both know better than that.

You okay?

Shouldn't I be?

So I guess I'm stuck defending that guy at court-martial.

Nice job, Lieutenant.

Thank you, Colonel.

Thought I had you guys there for a minute.

You had my back this time, Lieutenant.

Thank you, sir.

Unlike last time.

JOHNSON: Commander, Blue Moon.

We're going as fast as we can here.

Now what setting do you want on the lens?

Uh, Blue Moon, uh...

Stand by.

You're the C-130 expert.

Well, uh, a Vigilante is the biggest plane

that ever lands on a carrier, and that's a 4.25.

So maybe... Ah, uh, ah, four.

Give or take.

Blue Moon, we have determined

the ideal lens angle to be 4.0.

You sure about that, Rabb?

Absolutely.

All right, if you say so.

[ suspenseful music playing ]

Here... put these on the kids.

Tell them that if we land in the water,

they should pull down on the handle.

Hard. This doesn't sound good.

We're just being careful.

The rest of you, when we start down,

put your backs against the wall,

and brace yourselves.

Do you have any more of these?

No. Just these three.

You're risking your lives for us?

That's just part of the job.

MAC: You're not dead yet.

I will be,

when Sabet testifies at the court-martial.

The fact is, testimony obtained by torture

is notoriously unreliable.

I'll bring in expert witnesses

to show Sabet's testimony can't be trusted.

I never should've trusted him.

No, I guess not.

Your expert witnesses won't do any good.

Everybody's so scared of terrorism,

they'll convict me no matter what.

Well, given that you just indicated you're guilty,

I don't see where you can really complain.

My only complaint...

ma'am...

is I couldn't do anything useful

before I got caught. Useful?

You know, Colonel, what's going on in the world today,

it's nothing new.

It's the same struggle our ancestors went through,

when you brought us here in chains.

It's the same struggle

our Prophet fought for over 1,000 years ago.

Well, if that's all...

If I plead guilty...

can I escape the death penalty?

If that's what you want, I'll give it a shot.

I don't want to die.

I can still do our Prophet's work in prison.

And I do want to be alive to see it

when the Great American Empire is destroyed.

Seaman Weston...

whoever taught you to hate like that...

they should be in prison, too.

[ somber music playing ]

Guards!

Paddles, setting the lens for 4.0.

Roger, 4.0.

JOHNSON: Paddles, how's that number grab you?

Hey, when it comes to landing C-130s,

I'm still a virgin.

Well, tonight could be your big night.

Okay, everybody. Clear out!

Landing flaps. Check.

Rudder boost. Check.

Brakes.

[ alarm sounds]

Harm, we have a partial

hydraulic failure.

Oh, no!

We have no brakes.

[ suspenseful music plays ]

TURNER: I already declined, Colonel.

MacKENZIE: Come on, Commander.

Why not spare the Navy

the expense of a trial?

Seaman Weston is prepared

to accept life in prison.

Aiding the enemy, conspiring to murder 100 sailors.

That's the kind of crime

the death penalty was invented for.

He never even carried it out.

Through no fault of his own.

Look, he's a kid who fell in with the wrong people.

He's 21.

No prior record.

He went to some radical mosque

where he was brainwashed, indoctrinated...

Tell that to the men and women he tried to kill.

He's a traitor to his country in a time of war.

What the hell has gotten into you, Sturgis?

Last week you wanted to throw a guy in the brig

for refusing to kill a ten-year-old boy.

And now-now you're being hard-nosed

to the point of absurdity.

CHEGWIDDEN: Colonel?

See you both in my office.

BOTH: Yes, Sir.

Close the hatch.

MacKENZIE: I'm sorry, Sir.

I damn sure hope you conducted yourselves

in the courtroom with more decorum.

I believe we did, Sir.

I take it by your, uh, tone of voice

you lost your argument today, Colonel?

Yes, Sir, but that's not what we were discussing just now.

Commander Turner has declined any plea bargain.

[ church bells ring]

Well, evidently, he feels confident.

My client is prepared to accept

a sentencing recommendation of life in prison,

but Commander Turner finds that insufficient.

I do indeed, Sir.

Let me ask you something, Sturgis.

In today's hearing,

you essentially supported torture...

Not an accurate statement of my position.

Even though you would probably never want

to torture somebody yourself.

And now you want to send him to the electric chair,

even though you would probably never want

to flip the switch yourself.

There are many things I don't want to do.

Nevertheless, they have to be done.

I see no inconsistency in that.

I agree with you, Commander.

Colonel, I'd like to speak to the Commander a moment.

Yes, Sir.

Have a seat.

Thank you, Sir.

Congratulations on winning your argument today.

Thank you, Sir.

You know, uh, personally...

[ chuckles]

I would love to see this guy fry.

I think I'm hearing a "but" somewhere, Sir.

Now, I know you've been under a certain amount of stress

since, uh, your misconduct case.

I'm dealing with it, Sir.

Now, I think you might be trying

a little too hard to prove yourself all over again.

I don't think that's the case, Sir.

Well, I do, so I want you to know, Commander,

you don't have to prove yourself to me.

Thank you, Sir.

Now about this plea bargain case.

I assume you've considered the possibility

that if you go to court-martial,

Seaman Weston could,

by some unforeseen turn of events,

be found innocent.

And if this man were to be let out on the street,

it would be a disaster.

Are you saying you want me to agree

to this plea bargain, Sir?

No, Commander.

I'm saying, use your best judgment.

And don't worry about anything else.

That will be all.

Thank you, Admiral.

[ heavy sigh]

[ indistinct chatter ]

[ sentimental music playing ]

[ clears throat]

If you're still offering life in prison...

I accept.

[ tense music playing ]

We'll only have 600 feet to land in.

That'll have to be enough.

How do we stop this thing with no brakes and no tailhook?

Horsepower.

As soon as we cross the ramp,

you're going to slam all engines into full reverse thrust.

Our approach is 105.

If we go down to zero power all at once...

It'll be a hell of a bang.

We could decrease the approach speed by dumping fuel.

All right, we could jettison all but...

A thousand pounds?

A thousand pounds. Do it.

Commander, this is Blue Moon.

What's your optimum wind over the deck?

I want it all, Skipper.

Uh, the best the ship can give you is 42 knots.

Well, what about natural wind?

We're calm down here. Three knots at best.

We'll turn into it, Sir.

We need every knot we can get.

Is there something you're not telling me, Rabb?

Nothing we can't handle, Skipper.

Rabb, you're asking me to put my men in danger.

I need to know what the hell is going on.

We're having problems with our brakes, Sir.

We're planning to stop using reverse thrust

and a stiff headwind.

You're kidding me.

We can do it, Sir.

You are a fire waiting to happen.

Look, Sir, we've jettisoned all

but a thousand pounds.

We can jettison more just before we land.

That would help. Out.

Boss, we going to get the planes out in time?

Hard to say, Sir.

JOHNSON: Better put up the barricade.

Can't do that, Sir.

Stop telling me what you can't do!

Sir, we checked the C-130's specs.

The steel cable at the top of the barricade could come

through the cockpit window

and pose a serious threat to the crew.

Right. Good thinking, Boss.

O'NEIL: Six degrees right.

Roger. Six degrees right.

[ engine pulsing loudly]

Sorry about that.

How much longer, Beth?

Six minutes. How you holding up?

I'm getting a bit of a workout.

I used all the rudder trim I have,

but this aircraft keeps wanting to yaw to port.

Let me back you on the controls.

[ beeping]

What now?

Landing gear.

Which one? Starboard main. Not locked.

Used the blowdownbottle. Roger.

Nothing.

I'll go get it down.

Labdouni?

Yes?

Come here. What?

I want you to do exactly

what I'm doing.

Here.

Like this.

Whatever happens, don't stop.

Come here, right now.

As fast as you can.

We don't want to have to land this thing

without wheels.

Faster, and when this red light

goes on,

go back and brace yourself.

Okay?

Okay.

[ panting ]

There she is.

Blue Moon,

I have you in sight.

Five miles astern.

600 feet.

Roger, keep it coming for now.

All engines ahead flank.

Engines ahead, flank high.

[ tense music playing ]

AIR BOATSWAIN: Captain Johnson.

We should strip the wires, Sir.

Why? Boats, we're running out of time.

Sir, the wires might snap off the C-130's nose gear.

JOHNSON: Okay, Boats, go for it.

Aye, aye, Sir.

Everybody, listen up!

[ suspenseful music playing ]

Still no wheels?

No wheels.

Okay... Flaps.

We have wheels. I've got three down and locked.

Nice.

[ buzzing]

Blue Moon...

Hercules

ball point-five.

Roger, ball.

Captain Johnson, are you ready for us?

Stand by, Commander.

Boats, are the wires stripped?

They will be, Sir.

Boss, how's the deck?

We have a 'ready deck,' Sir.

Paddles, how's it look?

I can't really tell, Sir.

I need a yes or no now.

Captain, I give it a...

...yes.

Keep it coming, Commander.

Roger, Sir.

Dump 200 pounds more.

No turning back now.

Throttle back a little on three and four.

We're headed down, leave one and two as is.

Roger that.

Stall warning. You're a little slow.

Glad it wasn't my hand.

AIR BOSS [ over the PA]: Repeat, all hands, clear the flight deck.

Everybody clear the decks.

[ Klaxon blaring]

Watch out. There's a little burble.

Got it, Paddles.

[ high-pitched beeping]

Harm, two is flaming out!

Hang on, everyone!

[ suspenseful music playing ]

Now, now, now!

[ wheels screeching ]

[ triumphant music playing ]

Yes!

[ applause]

Whoo!

Whoo!

B-D-Y.

We made it.

Yes, yes!

[ laughing]

[ laughing quietly]

[ applause]

Thank you, Miss. Thank you.

Thank you for flying with us.

We hope you enjoyed your flight.

I told you they could do it, Boats.

Respectfully, Captain, you said no such thing.

Oh, no.

What?

The TV crew.

ZNN REPORTER: We're reporting to you from aboard the USS Seahawk,

in the Gulf of Sidra.

This was the scene 20 minutes ago

when Harmon Rabb, Jr. and an unidentified copilot,

along with the crew of the Seahawk,

completed an incredible feat--

safely landing a huge C-130 transport

aboard this aircraft carrier.

We don't have any details yet on what Mr. Rabb,

formerly with the US Navy, was doing

or what prompted this landing,

but as soon as we have those details,

we'll pass them on to you.

[ triumphant music continues ]

[ closing theme music plays]