Counter Terrorist Unit

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cbocli Image:CTU.jpgThe Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) is a fictional U.S. government agency in the television action series 24. Its headquarters are in Washington, but most of the series focuses on the Los Angeles branch. The nomenclature of the unit is somewhat confusing, as during the show it is referred to as both "Counter Terrorism Unit" and "Counter Terrorist Unit." The logo, however, clearly states the latter.

It is stated in Season 1 that the CTU operates under the Central Intelligence Agency. (This would not be in accordance with current US law—the CIA cannot operate within US borders, although CIA Director Porter Goss has displayed interest in giving the CIA domestic powers.) In Season 4, the Secretary of Defense assumes the highest authority, leading some to speculate that CTU falls under the Department of Defense jurisdiction, but the most likely explanation is that the Secretary of Defense is a high-ranking cabinet member, and as he was captured in the season, more consideration would be given to what he said. Another explanation for the argument against CTU being under the jurisdiction of the DoD is that in several episodes, key characters in 24 complain about taking orders from the Secretary of Defense, and even the former Director of CTU Los Angeles, Erin Driscoll states that she should not have to take orders from the SECDEF as CTU is not the "property of the DoD."

Connection to the CIA?

While it has been debated by the fans as to whether or not CTU is officially a branch of the CIA and there is the fact that the Agency is not allowed to operate within the United States, in published fiction CTU has confirmed to be a division of the CIA. However, it is unknown whether or not this is considered canon by the writers and producers of 24. It is possible that in the universe of 24, the law and the CIA's charter were changed at some point to allow them to operate domestically.

In the book, 24: The House Special Subcommittee's Findings at CTU the agency is repeatedly said to be a branch of the CIA. In fact the book gives a small description of CTU that reads in full:

Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU)-Elite branch of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Counter Terrorist Unit operates domestic counterterrorism divisional headquarters in major U.S. metropolitan areas. The purview of the CTU is to investigate the activities of domestic or foreign terrorists inside America's borders and to prevent terrorist attacks. CTU divisions are made up of investigative agents, intelligence agents, undercover operatives, crack tactical squads for major raids, and special agents to oversee unit activities. CTU is specifically set up to coordinate activities with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Justice Department, and the Secret Service as well as local authorities. As a branch of the CIA, CTU operations are overseen by both Congress and the Executive Branch of the federal government.

And in various "24: Declassified" novels, there is a note preceding the story that reads in full:

After the 1993 World Trade Center attack, a Division of the Central Intelligence Agency established a domestic unit tasked with protecting America from the threat of terrorism. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Counter-Terrorist Unit established field offices in several American cities. From its inception, CTU faced hostility and skepticism from other Federal law enforcement agencies. Despite bureaucratic resistance, within a few years CTU had become a major force. After the war against terror began, a number of early CTU missions were declassified. The following is one of them...

Overview

In Season One, the L.A. branch of CTU was headed by Jack Bauer who later left due to bereavement after his wife's death, which happened largely because of his job. George Mason took over and was the Special Agent in Charge until he was forced to leave due to the fact he was dying of radiation poisoning. Tony Almeida took charge of CTU for the rest of the season as the Special Agent in Charge and for almost all of Day 3, until he was forced to aid the escape of a terrorist, former MI6 agent Stephen Saunders, who was holding his wife Michelle Dessler hostage and later breaking Saunder's daughter out. Jack Bauer then assumed command as acting Special Agent in Charge until Brad Hammond took control. Three months later, a District official named Erin Driscoll became head of CTU Los Angeles and fired Jack Bauer for a heroin addiction acquired in the line of duty.

The government agency is under the control of the CTU Division Command headquarters, simply called Division throughout the show. It was until Season Three, headed by Regional Director Ryan Chappelle. Ryan Chappelle was killed by Jack Bauer after President David Palmer reluctantly authorized his execution following a request from former MI6 agent-turned-terrorist Steven Saunders. As a government agency, CTU is also under direct control of the President of the United States.

Throughout the series, CTU aids its field agents in various operations from sending S.W.A.T. &/or Special Ops support from tracing calls to identifying suspects. It has a number of data analysts, including Kim Bauer (daughter of Jack Bauer) in season three, who primarily work on the computer. On more than one occasion, CTU agents have been revealed to be moles working against the agency. Moles include Nina Myers (season 1), Jamey Farrell (season 1), and Marianne Taylor (season 4). The agency has also been bombed once during an attack by terrorists in an attempt to slow down or halt their operations.

Numerous times, the agents at CTU have run into problems with their superiors from other offices, who attempted to shut them down even though they were actually attempting to help the investigation. Superiors included District Director George Mason (seasons 1–2), Division Director Ryan Chappelle (Seasons 1–3), District Director Alberta Green (Season 1), and Deputy Division Director Brad Hammond (Seasons 2–3).

The CTU complex includes an outdoor parking lot, a much-used holding facility composed of multiple cells, all the latest in 'interrogation aids' to make suspected terrorists more 'cooperative', a fully-equipped hospital facility, and all the latest state-of-the-art technology. The building features top-of-the-line security, including keypad number combination locks, instead of card-key access or key locks, a lockdown that can be enabled by pressing one button, and panic buttons in some areas.

The basic CTU structure is as follows: there are the Domestic Units, those that are assigned to work with specific cities (i.e. CTU Los Angeles, CTU San Francisco, CTU New York, etc.). Above them is Division Command, which oversees all Domestic Units in the area. Next comes District Command, which is responsible for all the Districts in a large area, presumably per state or large sections of the state.

CTU has basic powers of arrest, but it seems from there, they have a lot more leeway in how they arrest and question their subjects. It can also be assumed that anti-terrorist efforts from other federal agencies have been greatly reduced and given to CTU.

Other References

In addition to 24, CTU was the name of a government agency referenced in the 2004 film adaptation of The Punisher. Frank Castle, The Punisher, was said to be a former CTU operative.

A CTU was also mentioned in The West Wing's Season 4 episode, "Debate Camp". President Josiah Bartlet was told that CTU would be put on high alert after a possible confrontation between Israel and the fictional country of Qumar.

CTU is also an abbreviation for Czech Technical University.sv:Counter Terrorist Unit