Lecture: Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson on ‘Speaking Truth to Power and the Consequences’ Nov. 14
October 14, 2005
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the high level of response, reservations for the lecture portion of the following event are now CLOSED.
You can still be admitted to the lecture as an attendee of the ticketed reception for Ambassador Wilson; tickets are $50 each. Please reply to the contact information near the bottom of this announcement if you are interested in purchasing a ticket for the 6 p.m. reception in the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center.
Joseph Wilson, former United States ambassador to Iraq before the first Gulf War in 1991, a career diplomat who served under five presidents and now a noted critic of the second Bush administration—especially in the wake of the “outing” of his wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA agent—will discuss “Speaking Truth to Power and the Consequences” on Monday, Nov. 14. Wilson is the featured speaker for the second annual Citizenship Forum, presented by the University of Baltimore’s School of Public Affairs. This event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Langsdale Library Auditorium, 1420 Maryland Ave.
Wilson also will sign copies of his 2004 book, The Politics of Truth, which recounts his life story as a foreign service officer from the 1970s through the ’90s. His tenure included posts in several African nations and Germany, and he also served in the top diplomatic position in Iraq prior to that country’ invasion of Kuwait. In its newly revised version, the book details the lengthy political struggle that resulted in his wife’s confidential position at the CIA being broadcast by reporters and columnists like Robert Novak. The scandal is at the center of an ongoing grand jury investigation that has captivated Washington insiders, the media and the public.
This event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Langsdale Library Auditorium. Seating is limited. A fund-raising reception with Wilson will be held prior to the lecture at 6 p.m. in the atrium of the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center to benefit the Randolph B. Rosencrantz Memorial Fund, sponsor of the Citizenship Forum. (Details on the fund raiser below.)
The Politics of Truth, a New York Times and Washington Post bestseller, received outstanding reviews nationwide. The Houston Chronicle said the book reads “like the best spy fiction, but isn’t fiction.” Former White House official John Dean, writing in The New York Times Book Review, said Wilson presents a “powerful argument” against the current Bush administration’s reasoning for going to war with Iraq.
Wilson’s two decades of public service, which included diplomatic positions in South Africa, Niger, Togo, Burundi, Congo, Germany and Iraq, ended with his retirement in 1998. He served as the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 1988 to 1991, as political adviser to the commander-in-chief of United States Armed Forces in Europe and as the ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe from 1991 to 1995.
In 2002, Vice President Dick Cheney requested that the CIA investigate claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire materials from Niger to further his alleged nuclear program. Wilson, hired by the agency, traveled to Niger but reported back that he found no evidence of illegal activity. Regardless, the claims were repeated in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address. Wilson wrote a New York Times op-ed disputing the charge and, later that year, his wife was exposed as a CIA operative. Since then, the case has broadened to include accusations against the White House, the vice president and even reporters from leading national publications. Indictments, which may include charges of espionage, are widely expected to be handed down in the coming weeks.
At UB, Wilson will relate his experiences on the consequences of citizens speaking out against their government, either as government whistleblowers or simply as aggrieved private citizens. He will reflect on the sometimes disparate roles of the public official and private citizen in ensuring accountability for government actions.
Wilson received numerous accolades during his career in government, including the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, the University of California, Santa Barbara Distinguished Alumna Award and the American Foreign Service Association’s William R. Rivkin Award. In 2003, he received the Ron Ridenhour Award for Truth-Telling.
Wilson manages JCWilson International Ventures, a consulting firm specializing in strategic management and international business development.
The Randolph B. Rosencrantz Memorial Fund was established for the School of Public Affairs to honor the life and public service efforts of Randolph B. Rosencrantz, a prominent Democrat who was Baltimore County’s highest appointed official during the 1970s county executive administration of Theodore G. Venetoulis. The fund supports the study and promotion of civic involvement, including the Citizenship Forum. The first forum, held last fall, focused on methods for citizen participation. Contributions to the Rosencrantz Fund may be made to the University of Baltimore Educational Foundation.
For the Wilson event, a ticketed reception to benefit the Rosencrantz Fund will be held at 6 p.m. in the Business Center atrium. Tickets are $50 per person. Please call 410.366.7440 to register for the lecture or attend the reception, or e-mail RBRFoundation@aol.com.
The University of Baltimore is an upper-division, graduate and professional university. UB—the state’s career-minded university—is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.