Jack Bauer: 'The United States Does Not Negotiate With Terrorists

On this Monday's episode, Jack Bauer delivered a stern reminder to fictional President Heller that "as a matter of national policy, the United States does not negotiate with terrorists."

The reprimand came after Heller informed Jack that he was considering turning himself over to terrorist leader Margot Al-Harazi, in order to prevent the deaths of more innocent people. 

Al-Harazi had given the president an ultimatum: either he turn himself over to her on her terms so that she could execute him for causing the death of her husband, or she would continue to launch drone strikes against the people of London. As the series begins, the U.S. president was visiting London in order to convince Parliament to join with the U.S. on a drone program designed to limit the amount of troops that the United States and Great Britain would have to deploy in foreign conflicts. However, Al-Harazi and her people hijack the drones with the help of a computer hacker, and turn them on London in order to make a point.

— Mike Ciandella is Research Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Mike Ciandella on Twitter.