> Sir Humphrey: I gather there's an airborne battalion in the air. > Jim Hacker: Sounds like the right place for it. With the best shit-eating grin ever. I

> Sir Humphrey: I gather there's an airborne battalion in the air. > Jim Hacker: Sounds like the right place for it. With the best shit-eating grin ever. I love Yes Prime Minister with all my heart. And the event leading up to it: > James Hacker : Hello? Yes, Ronnie. I want the president of St George's Island to extend an invitation to Britain to send an airborne battalion on a goodwill visit. No, just a friendly gesture. Goodwill. Yes, at once, please. Thank you. > [hangs up] > James Hacker : He seemed to think that 800 fully armed paratroopers was an awful lot to send on a goodwill visit. > Israeli Ambassador : No, it's just an awful lot of goodwill. > James Hacker : [phone rings] Oh, yes, Paul. You know you have an airborne battalion on standby in Germany? Never mind how I know. Well, since it's not being used, I want them to fly straight off to St George's Island. [Pause] Sort of between Africa and India. A goodwill visit. Just showing the flag. They have been invited. Yes. Leave in... six hours. Yes, an *instant* goodwill visit. Tell your press office to announce it at once. No, no, leave me out of it. A *routine* visit. All right - a routine *surprise* visit. Well, say they were invited earlier, but the NATO exercise got in the way. Now they're not needed, they're going anyway. All right. Nobody knows it's not true. Press statements aren't delivered under oath.