Review S02E03- Decision By Committee

[michaellevenson]

Burnside is in deputy Peele's office having his annual report read out to him. Not pleasant reading. Peele has recommend Burnside is promoted "in normal course", which as Burnside says is the kiss of death. Other contemporary officers have early promotion recommendations. Peele explains it's because of Neil's tendency to run a one man band, treating the other directors and his masters as irritants and fools.
Peele " these days it's decision by committee. Proper consultation upwards. Change your ways and I'll change my report. You can't carry on being deceitful to your masters"
Burnside " I'd accept that, but there's a fine line between that and showing initiative"
Meanwhile in Sri Lanka, Colombo, Willie Caine is boarding a plane after a mission along with CIA operative Karen Milner who is based in London as number 2 to Geoff Ross.
The plane takes off and is hijacked by Iraqi terrorists getting back at Britain for imprisoning Iraqi colleagues of theirs. On board is CDS and CGS, two important civil servants , The chief of the defence staff and the general staff. CGS will be executed at 1800, CDS at 2000, Turkish time, which is where the plane was ordered to fly to, Istanbul. At midnight the terrorists have said they'll blow up the plane.
The British Government is dead against deals with terrorists, as this will encourage other hijackings and the Turks will not allow SAS to mount an Entebbe style raid, they believe it's on their soil and they will deal with it. They don't want a foreign power to be seen to help them.
Will Caine die? Both C and Peele believe the government will stand firm, no rescue. Even Wellingham at the F.O. sees no hope despite Burnside pleading to be allowed to send the SAS , approval could be given by Wellingham over the head of C.
W: " I'm sorry Neil, can't approve any double dealing on this. I notice you're arguing for the life of Caine and Karen Milner, but not CDS or CGS"
Burnside: " I don't know them"
W: "exactly, and the Prime Minister doesn't know Caine"

Previous Episode
https://www.imdforums.com/threads/s02e02-enough-of-ghosts.4947/
NEXT EPISODE
https://www.imdforums.com/threads/s02e04-a-question-of-loyalty.4952/

 

[michaellevenson]

Burnside has a crazy plan to use the SPT, special projects team as a force to raid the plane. He discusses this with Mike Wallace Sandbagger #2.
B" you've done the SAS course Mike, how many men do you need to mount a raid on a 747?"
Mike;" 30 sir"
B:" 30!!?"
M:" Yes sir , two waves of attackers , drivers to ferry passengers away quickly, two men on each mobile stairs at each of the three entrances to the plane. Are we using SAS sir?"

B; " I'm trying, but if not I'll send in the SPT"
M: " But they're not trained for this Sir"
B: " the SPT are mine, the SAS aren't. It takes four hours to get from here to Istanbul, so you have four hours to train them!"
Colonel Ben Gaynes head of the SPT is in Burnside 's office.
B: " get your team to RAF Northolt, I'm sending you in "
Gaynes: " to do what?"
B: " a raid"
G : " send us to Moscow blow up a few bridges, or start a riot, or sink a Russian ship in harbour, no problem. But we can't attack a plane , we're not the SAS. I'm responsible for the lives of my men, we can't do it"

Decision by Committee
B: " what you're saying is that you're good at the exercises buy not the real thing?"
G: " that's unfair Neil"
B: " it's unfair that CDS and CGS will be executed and the whole plane will be blown up at midnight. Now mobilise your team"
Gaynes storms out , and straight up to Peele's office. Burnside orders Diane, his secretary to follow him to the lift to see where he goes.
Diane " he went up to the sixth" That's management suite.
Burnside " I should blame him , but I can't" In Peel's office.
G " sir, please give me the order not to mobilise my team without your express permission. I can admire Neil Burnside, I really do, but my responsibility is my team"
Peele (sighing) "what's he up to?"
G " he's trying to rescue his man, and I don't blame him"
Gaynes spills the beans, so that plan comes to nought, and time is running out...

 

[michaellevenson]

On the plane the terrorists have the passengers in silence. There's three of them, two blokes and a woman, fully armed. Karen and Willie are in nearby seats to each other. They have made eye contact.
Back at the foreign office Burnside makes a final plea to Wellingham.
W: " whatever the government does in a hijacking it can be accused of doing the wrong thing, so safest is to do nothing and hope it all blows over"
B: " because the Turks won't let in the SAS"
W: " No, the Turks have got nowhere in negotiations with these Iraqis. Mainly because they won't talk"
B " are you saying the Turks would let in the SAS!?"
W: " Yes, but the government won't back a raid in case it goes wrong. It could be disastrous politically"
B: " so the argument turns on what's good for the government"
W: " does it ever turn on anything else?"
B: " with a loophole to blame the Turks"
On the plane it's 1800, one terrorist comes over to a seated passenger , it's CGS, Chief of the General staff,
" Sir Thomas Putney, Stand in the aisle, kneel down"

Karen Milner acts like a distressed hysterical woman running forward screaming. That's Willie's cue he stands and fires his gun, Karen swings round and takes another terrorist out, the third runs in , Willie fires. We end up with three dead terrorists and a grateful load of passengers.

Back at HQ Willie returns, Burnside lies to him, as he told Geoff Ross earlier,
" if Willie believed I wouldn't pull strings , put my job on the line to save him, as I believed of my Director when I was a Sandbagger, it would affect him in future missions, he'd never believe in me again"
Willie enters Burnside's office,
W; " what was the plan?"
B " if CGS had been executed at six the SAS would have been in the air two minutes later, you needn't have worried"
C " I wasn't worried, I knew you'd never let me down"
If only he knew. Peele comes in , congratulating Willie, afterwards Peele turns to Burnside.
P " I felt obliged to tell C of your attempted manipulation of the SPT"
B " Proves a point for me"
P " how!?"
B " decision by committee failed, the cabinet , the most powerful committee failed to come up with a solution, and two agents using their initiative won the day"
9/10