While the Senator and the journalist represent the establishment and a media that loves what a war does to its ratings, the other end of the debate is held up by a political science teacher, Professor Malley (Redford), trying to convince a student that not all fights are worthless. There is a direct connection in this to the war, for two of Malley's brightest students enlisted for the army — convinced to some extent by his words — believing this was one fight worth the cause.

What Malley and the student don't know is that while they talk, those two students — a Black and a Mexican — are being sent into Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan as part of a “new plan”. Not surprisingly, it's hardly new or much of a plan.

If the territory of Lions for Lambs is the corridors of Washington DC and the tricky heights of Afghanistan, The Kingdom deals with that steadfast ally of America that is bin Laden's true spiritual home but which hardly figures in the war on terror: Saudi Arabia.

After a grisly bombing kills tens of American workers in a secure compound inside Riyadh, including more importantly some FBI men, the US hands-off policy towards the Saudis, in deference to their oil wealth, is called into question.

As Washington indicates that it would rather not do anything to upset its only remaining ally in West Asia, FBI agent Fleury (Foxx) decides to take matters into his own hands. Using some personal blackmail with the Saudi Ambassador, he gets five days for his team of four to get inside Riyadh, investigate the crime and catch the culprits. You can understand how the rest of the script follows.

... contd.