In the new book Less Safe, Less Free: Why America is Losing the War on Terror, Georgetown Law Professor David Cole and his co-author Jules Lobel argue that the "preventive paradigm" adopted by the Bush administration not only has undermined our nation’s character but has also made us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
The authors contend that this new paradigm has led directly to the detentions at Guantanamo, the use of coercive interrogation and torture, and the invasion of Iraq. They argue that there is virtually no evidence that the paradigm of prevention has thwarted actual terrorist plots or captured many terrorists, while there is substantial evidence that it has made us less safe. They offer an alternative preventive strategy that favors non-coercive measures, multilateral cooperation, and support for the rule of law.
Please join us for a lively and stimulating discussion with Professor Cole and Bradford Berenson, former White House Associate Counsel, who advised President George W. Bush on many of the policies discussed in the book. The moderator will be Mark Agrast, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Featured Panelists:
David Cole, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center and Co-Author of Less Safe, Less Free
Bradford Berenson, Former Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush, and Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
Moderated by:
Mark Agrast, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress