[Peace] Richard A. Clarke, author of "Against All Enemies" to speak at UIUC on March 8, 2005

[Rachael Dietkus]

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY!!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2005

Contact: Rachael Dietkus
Richard Clarke Event Organizer
(312)720-7004 – cell
rachael.dietkus at gmail.com

Richard A. Clarke, Nation's Foremost Terrorism Expert and Author of
New York Times Best Seller "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War
on Terror" to Speak on University of Illinois Campus on Tuesday, March
8, 2005

Champaign-Urbana, IL (March 1, 2005) – On Tuesday, March 8, 2005, the
YWCA of the University of Illinois and Student American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) will host Richard A. Clarke, author of "Against
All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror." Mr. Clarke will speak on
the University of Illinois campus at 8:00 p.m. in 141 Loomis Lab (1110
W. Green Street, at the corner of Green and Goodwin in Urbana).
Tickets are not required, however space is limited.

Clarke is the nation's foremost terrorism expert with more than thirty
years of experience serving under the last three presidents. In his
book, Clarke describes gripping scenes of his experience as the
nation's crisis manager during 9/11, running the Situation Room – a
scene described for the first time – and Clarke's dismay at what
followed. Richard Clarke was also the first government official to
issue a public apology to the families of 9/11 victims. At the podium,
Clarke draws from his numerous years in the intelligence community to
provide a fascinating and unique look at the current administration
and a powerful history of America's decades-long confrontation with
terrorism.

The importance of September 11th cannot be overstated – it has
catalyzed a major shift in U.S. domestic policy (with significant
attention and resources now devoted to "Homeland Security") and a huge
change in U.S. foreign policy (with policies such as "pre-emptive
strikes" and "regime change" representing a completely different
direction from past practices). Equally important, September 11th
brought about a tremendous re-shuffling of international strategic
relationships—the disintegration of traditional alliances and the
United States calling into question the legitimacy of international
organizations, such as the United Nations, have literally impacted all
of the world's nations.

Few individuals in the world are better positioned to talk about
September 11th and subsequent developments than Richard Clarke. He
served the last three presidents as a senior White House advisor. He
was named counter-terrorism czar for both Bill Clinton and George W.
Bush. In total, he has worked for seven presidents and devoted three
decades of his professional life to combating the terrorist threat to
America. Clarke was perhaps the central figure in providing testimony
to the 9/11 Commission. His testimony, as well as his New York Times
best seller Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror,
charged that George W. Bush's administration took the threat of al
Qaeda lightly prior to September 11th despite steady and repeated
warnings. Clarke calls into question the Bush administration's focus
on Iraq after September 11th. The story that Richard Clarke tells is
powerful, hard-hitting, and provocative.

Richard Clarke has a lifetime of experience working on these issues at
the highest level and has agreed to share his unique and insightful
perspective on Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at 8:00 p.m. in 141 Loomis. For
more information, please contact the event organizer, Rachael Dietkus,
at rachael.dietkus at gmail.com or 312-720-7004.

Co-sponsored by: YWCA at the University of Illinois (main event host
and sponsor), Student American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at UIUC
(main event host and sponsor), Arms Control, Disarmament and
International Security (ACDIS), Illinois Homeland Security Research
Center, Center for International Business Education and Research
(CIBER), University YMCA, Center for Global Studies, Office of the
Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and
SORF.

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-- 
Rachael E. Dietkus
rachael.dietkus at gmail.com
312-720-7004 - cell