Bauer is some guy . . . tortured at length by the Chinese, shipped, handcuffed, back to the USA where, after a long flight, he's sold out, cleaned up, smacked bloody in the head (heals fast), beaten some more, stabbed in the shoulder, stabbed in the back . . . and then he bites a guy's neck, rescues a terrorist that's trying to reform, finds a suicide bomber, wins a fight with him, and kicks him through the door of a moving subway train . . . all in less than two hours! (Not to mention he has ZERO problem getting around LA instantaneously.)
Good to have him on your side.
Though I wonder how many men would continue to support the USA after being sold out - repeatedly! - by the powers-that-be. The script writers really, really seem to be saying our government is thoroughly, criminally corrupt at every level.
Little trivia bit: Notice that the reformed terrorist is Alexander Siddig, the guy who played the doctor on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?" He used to go by Siddig El Fadil, but about halfway through ST:DS9 he changed his name. (He's Sudanese, by the way.)