Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world
Belfer Center Students and Fellows Session with Senator Bob Graham
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs will host a Students and Fellows Session with Senator Bob Graham on Tuesday, December 9th in the Belfer Center Library (L369).
Senator Graham will speak about "World At Risk," the newly released report of The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, a bipartisan blue-ribbon effort that he co-chaired. The Commission was eestablished by House Resolution 1 to implement a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, and charged with assessing current activities, initiatives, and programs of the United States to prevent weapons of mass destruction proliferation and terrorism.
Senator Graham described the Commission's bottom-line assessment: "Ours remains a world at risk and our margin of safety is shrinking, not growing. The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is likely that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013."
Senator Bob Graham is the former two-term governor of Florida and served for 18 years in the United States Senate. This is combined with 12 years in the Florida legislature for a total of 38 years of public service. Bob Graham retired from public service in January 2005, following his Presidential campaign in 2004. Senator Graham is recognized for his leadership on issues ranging from healthcare and environmental preservation to his ten years of service on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence -- including eighteen months as chairman in 2001-2002. Following the release of the Joint Inquiry's final report in July 2003, Senator Graham steadfastly advocated reform of the intelligence community and sponsored legislation to bring about needed changes. In the fall of 2004 Senator Graham authored "Intelligence Matters" based upon his experiences gleaned during the joint inquiry and his analysis of the run up to the Iraq war.
After retiring from public life, Senator Graham served for a year as a senior fellow at the Belfer Center and the Institute of Politics from 2005-2006 where he lectured to undergraduate, graduate and executive management students. His primary focus was on civic education and intelligence. These issues continue to be of great importance to Senator Graham. He is currently researching and writing a book about civic participation, tentatively entitled "What Citizens Need to Know to Make Democracy Respond;" "Intelligence Matters" will be published as a paperback with updating in the fall of 2008.
Senator Graham has also been a regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, a frequent guest on CNN, Fox and MSNBC, and has written opinion editorials for newspapers. Since retirement, his commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Charlotte Observer, Washington Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, St. Petersburg Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Gainesville Sun, Palm Beach Post, Tallahassee Democrat and the Tampa Tribune.