:23:03
there will be only one course
ofaction open.
:23:07
Total commitment.
:23:11
Mandrake, doyou recall what
Clemenceau once said about war?
:23:17
No, I don't think I do, sir. No.
:23:21
He said warwas too important
to be left to the generals.
:23:25
When he said that 50 years ago...
:23:30
he might have been right.
:23:32
But today...
:23:35
war is too important
to be left to politicians.
:23:38
They have neither the time,
the training...
:23:43
nor the inclination
for strategic thought.
:23:49
I can no longer sit back
and allow...
:23:53
Communist infiltration,
Communist indoctrination...
:23:58
Communist subversion...
:24:01
and the international
Communist conspiracy...
:24:05
to sap and impurify...
:24:08
all ofour precious
bodily fluids.
:24:18
Staines, is everybody here?
:24:19
Mr. President, the secretary ofstate
is in Vietnam.
:24:22
The secretary ofdefense is in Laos, and
the vice president is in Mexico City.
:24:26
We can establish contact with them at
anytime. The undersecretaries are here.
:24:31
Right. General Turgidson,
what's going on?
:24:36
Mr. President...
:24:38
about 35 minutes ago...
:24:42
GeneralJack Ripper,
the commanding general...
:24:46
of Burpelson Air Force Base...
:24:48
issued an order to the 34 B-52s
ofhis Wing...
:24:52
which were airborne at the time...
:24:54
as part ofa special exercise we were
holding called Operation Dropkick.
:24:58
It appears that the order
called for the planes...