The West Wing, Season Six

Leo:
Sir, the Lincoln Battle Group will be in position sometime tonight; they're awaiting your order to strike Nassan and the Syrian camps in the morning.

Bartlet:
What?

Leo:
We can't wait for Farrad. The risk of losing Khaleel Nassan is too great. We have intel linking Iran to the martyrs, it's sketchy in spots, but overall it's a compelling case. I'm recommending you include Iran in the attack.

Bartlet:
General Alexander went ahead with plans for these bombings?

Leo:
At your request.

Bartlet:
I said I'd consider it when the time was appropriate! I did not ask-

Leo:
He was trying to anticipate your eventual need, sir. At my urging...Mr. President, please, Congress, the Joint Chiefs, the American public, your own staff, everyone disagrees with your assessment of the situation.

Bartlet:
Killing Palestinians isn't going to make us feel safer. They'll kill more of us, then we'll have to kill more of them. It's Russian Roulette with a fully-loaded gun!

Leo:
We can't allow terrorists to murder our citizens-

Bartlet:
Why would they do it? Why would Palestinians murder American government officials? They never have before. They're deliberately provoking us, Leo. They know that we have to retaliate. They've studied us; they want us to overreact-

Leo:
This isn't overreacting. It's the appropriate, balanced-

Bartlet:
Tell me how this ends, Leo! You want me to start something that may have serious repercussions on American foreign policy for decades, but you don't know how it ends!

Leo:
We don't always know how it ends!

Leo:
...The Lincoln will be in position in a few hours, and then you are going to have to give the go-ahead for the bombings.

Bartlet:
...Or what?