Six years after 9/11: Are we safer now?: An interview with former senator Bob Graham

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:22:00 GMT

By Alexandra Kramer

Former United States Senator Bob Graham.

Bob Graham: modest, cautious, and loyal -- words often used to describe him during much of his political career. Graham served as chair of the senate intelligence committee for 10 years and presided as Co Chair of the House-Senate Joint Inquiry into the Intelligence Committee failures prior to 9/11. Many who know him well say that it was the time as Chair of the Intelligence committee that transformed him from cautious and low key, to one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush and the failures of the US Intelligence community. Six years after 9/11, I met Senator Graham to discuss a variety of issues ranging from the US Intelligence community’s failings and the state of our National security, to the war in Iraq and the 2008 presidential election. Graham, in his long-running political career has never lost a race. He is one of the most successful politicians in the state of Florida. “I believe in the principle if you do a good job, voters will give you a chance to continue,” said Graham. My accomplishments while I was in office were the improvements of education, economy, and environment in the state.” Senator Bob Graham was known as a middle of the road politician. As a result of his work in the Senate, Graham became convinced that September 11 and the Iraqi war could have been avoided. He was one of the few senators to vote against the war in Iraq. “I thought the greater enemy to the U.S was not Saddam Hussein but was Al Qaeda and other groups that had demonstrated the will and the presence inside the U.S to successfully attack. I though that the information presented by the president and administration was very unconvincing.” said Graham. Six years after 9/11, many question whether this war has really made America safer. Graham believes that “The war in Iraq has made America less safe; it has allowed our principal enemy to escape. We almost had Bin Ladin in late 2001 then we allowed him to escape.” The Bush administration’s war on terrorism has been the focus of his presidency, but has it addressed some of the most immediate dangers that this country faces today? Across the nation many have raised concerns about the safety of US ports and borders and whether they are adequately protected. “Our sea ports and borders are not secure. They have not become any more secure since 9/11. We have made our national security policy based out of the rearview mirror, which is where we see planes crashing into big buildings. The Bush administration needs to focus on what is most likely to happen instead of what has happened,” said Graham. “I visited Port Manatee in Florida and opened my eyes to the fact that millions of cargo containers are entering the United Stated uninstructed and unsecured upon arrival,” said Graham. As a result, he proposed a bill to secure American sea ports. This bill passed in December 2001 but has been left under-funded and ignored by the Bush administration. Bob Graham’s book, Intelligence Matters, examines our intelligence agencies’ failings and their ability to “connect the dots,” or adapt to the new threats presented by global terrorism. “Intelligence Matters was written to be a recitation of the events I experienced from the summer of 2001 to the summer of 2004, particularly 9/11 and the war in Iraq,” Graham writes on his website. “All of these issues still have not been resolved,” said the former senator. “The biggest problem is that we don’t have enough people that have the language and cultural background to work effectively in areas where threats are most likely to occur.” Both the FBI and the CIA are combating these threats, spending more than 1.5 million dollars in a campaign to recruit Arabic speaking agents. As the United States gets ready to elect its next president, the questions of the war with Iraq and terrorist threats are on the minds of every American. Many people question whether Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Party’s strongest candidate. “Hillary Clinton may well be the strongest competitor to win the democrats’ nomination. It’s hers to lose. I have not endorsed anyone yet. I may endorse somebody before the Florida primary,” said Graham. In the 2004 presidential elections John Kerry considered Senator Graham as his vice presidential running mate. Graham, with his extensive National security experience, has been mentioned as a possible member of the Cabinet in the Democratic Administration. “My feeling is if the candidate of your party asks you to run, you don’t really have the option to say no. I also believe that democrats will win the election in November unless we do something to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” After his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Graham founded two centers to train future political leaders one at the University of Miami and one at the University of Florida. He believes that the next generation can turn this country around and founded these centers in hope that they will train our next leaders because he believes that “Democracy is not a spectator’s sport. It’s not intended for people to just sit on the side lines and complain about things.”

The Harbinger

Six years after 9/11: Are we safer now?: An interview with former senator Bob Graham