Eye in the Sky Page #5

a projected loss of life

of up to 80 men,

women and children

if the vests are

detonated in an urban area.

Now that's a guess, of course,

but we should assume they intend

to target a crowded location.

GEORGE:
A 65% assessment

requires us to

do whatever we can

to enable her to be

removed from the scene.

We have done what

we can for her

in the time

available to us.

COLONEL POWELL:

If we wait and they leave,

we will no longer have

control of the situation.

We must strike now.

There is no law covering a

situation quite like this.

It's one thing to release a missile

whilst the street is clear

in the hope that

it will remain so.

It's quite another thing

knowing that

this girl will,

at worst,

be fatally injured

and, at best,

severely injured.

So, I'm sorry, I disagree with the

assessment of your lawyer at Northwood.

Agreed.

I hope the fact that she's a sweet little

girl is not clouding your judgment.

Dozens of other

little girls' lives

are at stake if

these men leave.

I'm sorry, but we have a Miss Jillian

Goldman from the White House

asking to be patched in.

- Who?

- Jillian Goldman.

She's a Senior Legal Adviser at

the US National Security Council.

She's been briefed by

the Secretary of State.

Put her through.

Good afternoon and thank you

for allowing me to comment.

Yeah, thanks for joining us.

As the military members

of your committee know,

we have a point system that takes

into account collateral damage

to deduce what is and

what is not a legal strike.

And let me tell

you categorically

that the existence of

this new circumstance

does not push us beyond

a legitimate military action.

We are way off what we would

consider a dispute in this matter.

Miss Goldman, we have a

somewhat different approach

to the question of

collateral damage.

Sir, you must act now.

You have two men

about to embark on

a suicide mission.

You have number two,

four, and five

on the President's East Africa

kill list in your sights,

and you are putting

the whole mission at risk

because of one

collateral damage issue?

I realize that this

mission is your call,

but there would be

some mighty angry people

here at the White House and at the

Pentagon, and out there in the world

if you allow

these people to leave

and blow a shopping

mall to kingdom come.

I'm sorry. We have the Foreign

Secretary wanting to join.

Right. We appreciate your thoughts,

Miss Goldman.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

- (BEEPING)

Good afternoon, everybody.

Excuse my appearance.

It's night here, and I have

a bout of food poisoning.

Sorry to drag you

from your sick bed.

That's quite all right.

George, do I understand

this correctly?

There's a legal

argument for waiting

and giving this girl a

chance to sell her bread?

Yes, there is.

But, conversely,

it does not mean

that there is not also

a legal argument

for releasing the weapon now.

Forgive me,

I'm not sure that helps me.

Foreign Secretary, there is a

military necessity for acting now.

In our view, they'll be making a

move from that house at any moment.

Gentlemen, what action is being

legally recommended to me?

James, the legal argument

is that we could wait,

but we need not wait.

And the military argument

is that we should not wait.

- Right?

- Exactly.

It's my recommendation

that we should not delay

in proceeding

with this mission.

If we don't act now,

we risk losing

the lives of

up to 80 people.

You can only

assume those deaths.

What is certain is

that if we do act now,

this one girl

will suffer.

And you would save her and

risk killing 80 others?

Yes, I would save

her and take that risk.

That is what I would do.

Angela, is it you or me who will

be invited onto the Today program

to explain why we

knew of the attack

on a shopping center

that killed 80 people,

but chose to do

nothing to stop it?

You, James.

But frankly, politically,

I'd rather point to Al-Shabab

as murderers of

80 people shopping

than have to

defend a drone attack

by our forces that

kills an innocent child.

James, Angela makes

a compelling point.

If Al-Shabab kill 80 people,

we win the propaganda war.

If we kill one child,

they do.

So, we don't do it?

She's got a customer.

(BOTH SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGE)

I suggest you keep your eyes

on the other screen.

With respect,

Foreign Secretary,

are the lives of 80 people,

including innocent children,

really worth the price

of winning the propaganda war?

General, if we go ahead, might

footage of our attack be leaked?

Sir, the footage from the

Reaper is completely secure.

General, I would

feel uncomfortable

if we did not at least

wait a little longer.

If we go ahead and footage is

leaked and this girl is killed,

then, I think, the country

would be most disturbed.

Foreign Secretary,

it is our task

to make the right

military decision.

We cannot

engage in an argument

about possible future

postings on YouTube.

With respect, General, revolutions

are fueled by postings on YouTube.

I think

the consequences are such

that we need

clearance from the PM.

James! You have the authority

to make a decision!

No, I'm telling you.

You need to take it to him.

Sir, the PM is giving a speech

in Strasbourg this afternoon,

and may not be

easily interrupted.

I'll leave you to

sort that one out, Jack.

Yes, sir.

I'll track him down.

(SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGE)

(DOG BARKING)

(PHONE RINGING)

Yes?

Ma'am, what's

happening?

You're on standby,

Lieutenant.

Yes, ma'am.

Still on the chain.

(BOTH SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGE)

LIEUTENANT WATTS:

Two loaves left.

We gotta wait now.

Come on.

MOSES:
Ma'am,

the battery died.

Our man is down.

We can't replace it.

- (PHONE RINGING)

- Christ.

- GENERAL BENSON: What happened?

- Battery.

Oh, for God's sake!

Now we have no idea

what they're doing.

I might have a solution.

If my targeteer

can calculate us

coming in under 50% for

collateral damage on the girl,

do you think you can get

approval at your end?

Yes, I do.

Thanks.

Battery.

Sergeant Saddiq,

we're looking to present

the collateral damage

in the street, in this area right

here, as 45 to 50% fatality.

Do you think

that's possible?

I've calculated

a 65 to 75.

Yes, yes. Sure, sure,

but, you know, if we put

the payload here, or here,

or maybe here,

well, then we could guarantee

the target fatality,

but we could

reduce the collateral.

Or maybe we could target the

missile right here, look.

Yes, ma'am.

Will you just...

You just do whatever you can

to save this girl's life.

I'll leave it with you.

- Yes, ma'am.

- (SNIFFS)

- (EXHALES)

- (TYPING)

If we have to announce

to the people of Nairobi

that we knew

everything but did nothing...

We do not have to announce that

we knew anything, General.

The PM asks that we do what we

can to minimize casualties.

- Bloody coward!

- What do you think we're doing?

How do you interpret that,

George?

Minister, we cannot

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