Bartlet Demands Proof of Shareef's Golden Gate Terror Link
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Bartlet grants entry to Leo and Fitzwallace, who bring urgent news of the intercepted terrorist plot.
Fitzwallace reveals the Coast Guard's seizure of ammonium nitrate destined for an attack on Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bartlet demands answers about Abdul Shareef's involvement, connecting the plot to an impending diplomatic visit.
Russian intelligence confirms Shareef's connection through Chechen interrogations, forcing Fitzwallace into reluctant disclosure.
Bartlet sets an ultimatum for conclusive evidence before Shareef's visit, transforming counterterrorism into a countdown.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
N/A (referenced only)
Heavily referenced as Qumar's Defense Minister whose potential orders via Bahji operative in Grozny link him to the Golden Gate plot, heightening stakes with his visit in ten days.
- • N/A (off-screen)
- • N/A (off-screen)
- • N/A (off-screen)
- • N/A (off-screen)
Measured caution underscoring grave concern
Entering with Leo, Fitzwallace delivers precise briefing on Coast Guard seizure, cargo specifics, Fort Point's strategic value under the Golden Gate, Russian Chechen intel linking to Shareef via Bahji, cautiously withholding full confirmation until ready.
- • Inform President accurately without premature accusations
- • Validate intelligence chain from Russians to Shareef
- • Military intel requires verification before attribution
- • Shareef's involvement must be proven amid diplomatic sensitivities
Calm professionalism amid crisis urgency
Enters briefly to alert with 'Sir?', stands by as Bartlet authorizes entry, then exits silently after Leo and Fitzwallace arrive, facilitating the high-stakes briefing without further intrusion.
- • Smoothly coordinate advisor access to President
- • Maintain operational flow in Oval protocol
- • Personal aide role demands invisibility in crises
- • Timely announcements prevent command disruptions
Incredulous frustration building to resolute determination
Seated at his desk, Bartlet probes advisors with pointed questions on the boat's cargo, target, intelligence gaps, and Shareef's potential role, culminating in a commanding demand for conclusive evidence before the minister's visit.
- • Verify the plot's details and intelligence reliability
- • Secure irrefutable proof implicating Shareef to justify diplomatic action
- • U.S. intelligence must be airtight before confronting allies
- • Terror threats demand swift, evidence-based presidential response
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Central to the briefing, the 50-foot boat seized by Coast Guard off Oakland is detailed as the smuggling vessel boarded 200 yards from port, its interception foiling the plot and thrusting intercepted peril into Oval deliberations on Shareef's complicity.
Fitzwallace specifies the boat's cargo of 5000 keys of ammonium nitrate as the primary explosive, fusing with diesel to threaten Golden Gate destruction, galvanizing Bartlet's demand for proof in this intel pivot.
Identified alongside nitrate as the diesel fuel gallon accelerant forming ANFO bomb on the boat, its volatile combo explained to underscore plot's lethality, amplifying urgency for Shareef confirmation.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Oakland serves as the interception site where Coast Guard boarded the boat 200 yards off port, its gritty maritime proximity to San Francisco turning local waters into a national security flashpoint discussed in Oval tension.
Fort Point identified as the bomb's proximate target due to fronting Golden Gate anchorage and cable tie-downs, its decommissioned military status surprising yet consistent, sparking Bartlet's probe into overlooked threats.
Golden Gate Bridge revealed as true target via Fort Point positioning, absent from prior lists, its massive cables and arches embodying the plot's audacious scope that shocks Bartlet into demanding Shareef proof.
Grozny invoked as site where Chechen prisoner collaborated with Bahji operative reporting to Shareef, Russian interrogations there forging the intel chain that electrifies the briefing's diplomatic implications.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Qumar thrust into accusation spotlight via Shareef as defense minister potentially ordering the attack, their diplomatic ties and arms deals clashing with terror suspicions as his D.C. visit looms.
Bahji Cell emerges via Chechen's account of operative in Grozny linking to Shareef, positioning the Syrian terror network as plot executor, intensifying suspicion on Qumar amid U.S. military target patterns.
Coast Guard's maritime interdiction frames the briefing's opening, their boarding and seizure of the laden boat off Oakland preventing Golden Gate catastrophe, establishing credible threat action catalyzing Oval demands.
Russia's post-Helsinki intel cooperation spotlighted, their ongoing Grozny interrogations of the Chechen prisoner yielding the Bahji-Shareef connection, providing pivotal verification amid Bartlet's skepticism.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Bartlet's questioning of Shareef's intelligence directly leads to the revelation of his involvement through Russian interrogations."
"Bartlet's refusal to evacuate to the bunker demonstrates his consistent defiance in the face of threats, whether political or physical."
"The initial briefing on the terrorist threat naturally progresses to the Coast Guard's interception of the ammonium nitrate plot."
"The initial briefing on the terrorist threat naturally progresses to the Coast Guard's interception of the ammonium nitrate plot."
Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: "I'm going to ask this again. Where the hell was Shareef?""
"FITZWALLACE: "The prisoner says he worked with a Bahji operative in Grozny who reported..." BARTLET: "To who?" FITZWALLACE: "Abdul Shareef.""
"BARTLET: "Get ready to say." FITZWALLACE: "Yes sir.""