Mastico's 72 Tons of Weapons and Explosives

The Qumari cargo ship Mastico carries 72 tons of weapons and high explosives in its holds, bound for Bahji militants in Lebanon. Fitzwallace details the cargo—including a Multiple Launch Rocket System—during a Situation Room briefing. Bartlet orders the Sixth Fleet to halt the ship without firing. Leo erupts in anger at Qumar's deception, later channeling private fury over the intercepted shipment in the Mural Room amid debate preparations with Carrie, Bobby, Johnathan, Charlie, and Jordan.

5 appearances

Purpose

Arm Bahji militants in Lebanon in exchange for Qumar's access to the U.S. High Altitude Area Defense program

Significance

Exposes Qumar's duplicity through intelligence like the MLRS GPS, justifies naval interdiction, and fuels Leo's outrage as a high-stakes threat amid presidential debate tensions.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

S4E5 · Debate Camp

Mastico Revealed: Weapons Bound for the Bahji

The aggregate '72 tons of weapons and explosives' is named to convey the scale and lethality of the cargo, elevating the political stakes and justifying an immediate, force-controlled naval response rather than deferment.

Before: Packed in the Mastico's holds intended for delivery to Bahji training camps in Lebanon.

After: Remains onboard but is now the explicit justification for interdiction and a central issue in forthcoming diplomatic and political debates.

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S4E5 · Debate Camp

Stop the Mastico — Intercept, Don't Fire

The package of 72 tons of weapons and explosives is the contraband whose discovery changes the political calculus: it turns a diplomatic dispute into an actionable military interdiction and a political liability the administration must manage.

Before: Concealed in Mastico's cargo holds, en route to Lebanon and Bahji militants.

After: Identified and exposed by U.S. intelligence; becomes the justification for immediate naval interception and political pressure on Qumar.

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S4E6 · Game On

The Lucky Tie and Leo's Send‑Off

The Mastico's 72 tons of weapons and explosives are invoked as hard evidence of provocation and immediate danger, justifying the Navy's interdiction and raising the stakes for diplomatic response.

Before: Hidden in the Mastico's holds and in transit to Bahji militants.

After: Discovered and accounted for by naval intelligence and used as the factual basis for White House escalation planning.

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S4E6 · Game On

Containment by Conversation — The Mastico Quiet Diplomacy

The Mastico's 72 tons of weapons and explosives are cited explicitly as the alarming payload that raises the stakes: their existence and destination (the Bahji) justify urgent action while also triggering legal and moral constraints that Jordan articulates.

Before: Concealed in the Mastico's holds, en route to militants.

After: Discovered by intelligence and intercepted; now evidence in a sensitive international incident.

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S4E6 · Game On

Ten-Word Drill and the Mastico Confrontation

The Mastico's 72 tons of weapons and explosives are invoked concretely in Leo's briefing to raise the stakes—evidence that the interception is not a paper policy dispute but a major seizure with real escalation risk.

Before: Loaded in Mastico's holds and in transit toward Lebanon/Bahji recipients.

After: Seized/implicated by the interception; now a bargaining and legal fulcrum in crisis deliberations.

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