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September 11, 2011
Former Senator Bob Graham Urges Obama to Reopen Investigation into Saudi Role in 9/11 Attacks
September 15, 2011
link to article at Democracy Now
Former September 11 probe chair calls for reopening inquiry
September 12, 2011
link to article at Reuters.com
Anniversary of 9/11 raises questions of state’s disaster response readiness
September 11, 2011
link to article at Gainsville.com
Sarasota link to 9/11 terrorists prompts call for investigation
September 9, 2011
link to article at Herald Tribune
Fundamentally Freund: Hold the Saudis to account for 9/11
September 7, 2011
link to article at The Jerusalem Post
Saudis and 911
http://www.capitaldatelineonline.com/
Bob Graham Explores Saudi 9/11 Role in New Book
Saturday, 30 Jul 2011 03:52 PM
By Matthew Belvedere and Ashley Martella
read complete article and view video
Senator Graham’s appearance on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC:
View recent video at MSNBC MorningJoe
Fiction Review: Keys to the Kingdom
By JAY STRAFFORD | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: July 10, 2011
Cover-ups are hardly unknown in government, but was a particularly treacherous one at work after 9/11?
That’s the intriguing — and frightening — prospect that former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham raises in “Keys to the Kingdom,” a riveting and smart thriller that, not surprisingly, draws on Graham’s experience as a two-term governor of Florida, a three-term senator from the state, a former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee — and a man respected on both sides of the political divide.
ABC ActionNews Video: July, 2011
Posted at 10:00 a.m., 06/15/2011
Washington Post
Bob Graham’s new spy thriller about 9/11: Fiction, says the former senator, with “some slightly closeted real information”
Former Senator Bob Graham, his wife Adele, and Senator Jay Rockefeller at a party honoring Graham’s spy thriller, “Keys to the Kingdom.” (Roxanne Roberts/ the Washington Post)
Everyone’s always asking journalists when they’re going to write a novel, but it’s the politicians who really crank them out: Newt Gingrich, Barbara Boxer, Bill Weld, William Cohen and now former Senator Bob Graham, who just released his first spy thriller, “Keys to the Kingdom.”
posted at 7:23 a.m., 06/08/2011 By PATRICK GAVIN
Politico
Bob Graham pens political thriller
Bob Graham is an old hand when it comes to writing policy tomes such as “Intelligence Matters: The CIA, the FBI, Saudi Arabia and the Failure of America’s War on Terror” and “America, The Owner’s Manual: Making Government Work for You.” But the latest effort by the former Florida senator and governor presents a different challenge — it’s fiction.
The Palm Beach Post
Schultz: Before Pakistan, bin Laden escaped notice here
By Randy Schultz, Editor of the Editorial Page
Posted: 7:25 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2011
There’s a very short list of people who can claim to have been right on terrorism when the United States faced its biggest decision after 9/11. Bob Graham is on that list.
The man who served two terms as Florida’s governor and three terms in the Senate before retiring in 2004 went on the Intelligence Committee in the mid-1990s. In 1999, Mr. Graham recalled last week, then-CIA Director George Tenet “had become very focused” on Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. Mr. Tenet delivered a speech about bin Laden at CIA headquarters. Mr. Graham said the speech was “powerful but unheard within the intelligence community.”
A year later, Al-Qaeda operatives killed 17 American sailors by bombing the USS Cole. Another year later came 9/11. A year after that came the congressional vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq, of all places.
Nine years later, the decision still makes no sense.
read more
Randy Schultz is the editor of editorial page of The Palm Beach Post. His e-mail address is schultz@pbpost.com
Miami Herald
Gulf oil spill panel offers recommendations for offshore drilling in Arctic
By JULIE MIANECKI
Tribune Washington Bureau
Posted on March 16, 2011
WASHINGTON — Members of a presidential commission charged with investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill used a hearing on the hill Wednesday to make recommendations for regulating oil drilling in the far different but equally challenging environment off the coast of Alaska.
“The Arctic poses a different set of risks. It’s shallow water, but has its own threats of terrible fog, very severe hurricane-type forces, darkness over much of the year, ice … those are all going to need special attention,” William Reilly, co-chair of the commission, said.
Reilly told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works that the commission recommended against a moratorium on Arctic drilling, but added that it was one of the most divisive issues the panel considered.
In their written statement, Reilly and his co-chairman, Bob Graham, a former Democratic senator from Florida, offered several suggestions to avoid a new disaster.
Anne Mason said
I enjoyed My America’s Conversation with Senator Graham last night in Ybor City, Florida. It was a small venue, allowing for an upfront and personal experience. Thank you, Senator, for answering the questions so candidly and for giving us vivid insight into current events. It was a rare opportunity to hear views backed by such a depth of knowledge (and intelligence). Your time was greatly appreciated. Anne Mason, Mason Law.
Stephanie Barback said
Dear Senator Graham,
Thank you for taking the time to come to our local Barnes & Noble, (Gretna, Louisiana). My husband and I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet and speak with you. Your book is quite interesting reading. As to my reading speed, I’m up to page 79 having read from about 8:00 p.m. (give or take) until about 10:30 p.m.
Please convey my thanks to the young lady who accompanied you at the store for her book suggestion; I did pick it up. She might enjoy Kipling’s Kim or The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (the unabridged version). As to our discussion of liking real paper and real books, yours is certainly one I’m glad to be able to page backward through.
Again, thank you for your graciousness in allowing regular folks to meet and greet with you while you were in town for the ALA Conference.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Barback
Bill Boyd said
Dear Bob: I have just finished your terrific thriller Keys to the Kingdom and Tommie is waiting impatiently to begin it. I enjoyed getting to sit at the table with you and family at a Nova event a year ago. Tommie made sure I got to sit at your table. Your book references to Pakistan stirred memories. In the 1960s I was very familiar with Quetta, Lahore, Rawalpindi and the resort town of Murree which is quite near Abbottabad of recent news.
Bill Boyd
Jack M. Karako said
Senator,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Keys to the Kingdom. Reading it reminded me the folly that our nation undertook in the sacrifice of U.S. servicemen, money and resources to fight a simultaneous second war in Iraq – one that did not directly threaten the U.S. or our national interest – and greatly divided the American public opinion immediately after 9/11 forecasting the economic disaster and federal debt our nation would face as a result. Many of the depictions in your book also brought to mind the single-purposed determination of the previous Administration to divert much needed resources to Iraq while taking our eyes off Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thank you for your years of public service to our state of Florida and to our nation. You are sorely missed,
Jack M. Karako
John Riedel said
Hello, Senator. I am halfway through KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, and as anticipated, I’m loving every word of this enlightening novel.
See if you remember this. About thirty (30) years ago a group of law enforcement officers ran from Pensacola across and down the state in support of the Florida Special Olympics. I was in private practice as a public accountant at the time, and when I learned that they would be coming through Tallahassee, I organized some friends of mine from the Gulf Winds Track Club and we escorted you from the west end of the City of Seven Hills to the east end, chatting all the way. A few days later we drove down the west coast of Florida and intercepted the caravan just south of Ft. Myers. One of us then ran with the lead pack through the night all the way to the stadium in Tampa. It was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.
I think you may know my sister-in-law, Anna Johnson, formerly with Channel 6 WCTV in Tallahassee. She is married to my brother, Bob Riedel.
Like you, after several decades as a professional, I was bitten by the writing bug. My first book, a 463-page historical novel titled REQUIEM IN RED: DEATH OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE, was published and distributed by Columbia University Press in 2000. My second effort was a thriller titled ONCE A WARRIOR, which dared to present the specter of a terrorist attack at the final game of the Little League World Series. I wrote it while living in Williamsport during a three-year sojourn there.
More recently I wrote and self-published another thriller titled THE PRODIGAL SON, the antagonist in which was Uday Saddam Hussein, the sadistic son of the Butcher of Baghdad. Please provide me with a mailing address and I’ll send you a copy of THE PRODIGAL SON.
I had the pleasure and the privilege of voting for you several times, first as governor and later as our U.S. Senator. I’m a lifetime Democrat and very concerned about the obstructionists currently residing on the other side of the aisle in Congress.
Best personal regards,
John Riedel
Clearwater
Deanna J. Bennett said
I’m organizing a multi-author sign and sell event at East Lake Community Library in Palm Harbor, 10 a.m – 4 p.m. on the 12th of November. It would be fabulous if you are or can plan to be in the area and would be our key/kick-off speaker at 11 a.m. that day — as well as sign and sell your books for an hour or so. Any possibility of you doing this?