Omar Hassan (24 character)

Not to be confused with Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the president of Sudan.

President Omar Hassan
24 character
Portrayed by	Anil Kapoor
Appearances	8
Country of Origin	Kamistan (fictional)

Omar Hassan is a fictional character in the television series 24, played by actor Anil Kapoor.

Characterization

Hassan is the President of the Islamic Republic of Kamistan (IRK). He plays a significant role in Season 8; He appears to be the only chance for peace in the Middle East. Though his intentions are good, there are many people that do not wish for this peace agreement to occur, and there are plans to assassinate him.

Appearances

Season 8

In Day 8, Jack Bauer receives information about an assassination attempt on President Hassan, who is on a diplomatic visit to the United States. President Hassan is in the middle of negotiating a peace treaty with U.S. President Allison Taylor at the UN. He has had marital difficulties and has had an affair with journalist Meredith Reed.

After the attempt on his life is thwarted,(mostly due to the efforts of Chloe O'Brian for finding out that Meredith Reed was being framed and catching the real murderers) it is revealed that his brother played a major role in the attack. The peace treaty between the two countries is not going well since Hassan is arresting people within his own government that are both with him in the U.S. and are back in his homeland of the IRK, along with their families for "motivational purposes" (if the arrested people refuse to confess to the "crimes"- even if they are inncoent, their families will be tortured). This is exactly the type of behavior that President Taylor wants to rid the Middle East of when President Taylor threatens to take action against the IRK if a bomb is detonated in New York. Hassan's wife leaves him in light of his infidelity, but returns when their daughter is kidnapped by terrorists who threaten to kill her. In exchange for her life, the terrorists demand a file containing the U.S. security plans. Jack Bauer didn't allow for the file to be handed over to the terrorist, saying that they would figure out a way to stall them using a fake file, so that CTU had time to go in after Kayla. They were not successful, as the terrorists fully expected them not to give up the file. They have Tarin Faroush (the man who brought Kayla to the terrorists and has been working with them for an extensive period of time, and whom Kayla also believes loves her as she dies him)stage a fake escape in which Tarin runs out to a car with her, gives her a number telling her to call CTU, and when he gets out of the car in an "attempt" to stop the terrorists is "shot". Screaming "Tarin", Kayla drives away, calls CTU, and unknowingly drives the car rigged with an EMP (a bomb that is designed to "kill" all electronics in the vicinity) straight into CTU and lives. After a medical treatment, she is transported back to her parents, in a tear-ful reunion. She then must leave in order to identify the terrorists in a file for CTU.

President Hassan is then escorted along with his family to New Jersey, protected by Jack Bauer and Renee Walker along with other agents. They are ambushed by mercenaries. Jack, Renee and Hassan fend off the attack leaving only one mercenary alive. However, while Jack is escorting Hassan and the soldier back to the UN, Hassan makes his escape. Hassan, unwilling to sacrifice the lives of thousands for his own, surrenders to the remaining soldier. As promised, Mehran stops the radiological threat. He is subsequently taken to an apartment where he is tortured and viciously executed despite a rescue effort. A silent clock is displayed following his death.

References

• Jace (July 28, 2009). "Televisionary: War and Peace: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary-Lynn Rajskub, David Fury, Freddie Prinze Jr., Anil Kapoor Talk Day Eight in "24" Press Room". Televisionary. http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2009/07/war-and-peace-kiefer-sutherland-mary.html. Retrieved April 7, 2010. 
• Maybe some refs here