Graham's book casts Saudi Arabia as central 9/11 character

Former Sen. Bob Graham asserts in his new thriller, "Keys to the Kingdom," that Saudi Arabia had more to do with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks than has been revealed.

“I’m upset that these facts have been withheld from the American people,” Graham said on Aug. 1, as he discussed his latest novel at a National Press Club event. “Osama bin Laden saw the (Saudi) king and said he would lead a revolution in Saudi if the king didn’t agree.” Graham believes the king capitulated.

That meeting took place in the wake of the Mujahedeen victory in Afghanistan, when there were more than 600 warriors at bin Laden’s command.

Graham, a Florida Democrat, chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee before and after Sept. 11 attacks, and indicated that since then all but 20 pages of the report from the intelligence community had been declassified.

What was in those 20 pages? Was there Saudi complicity in the attack on 9/1? He expressed concern about the increased level of secrecy and lack of transparency in the United States today.

The Saudi government has denied any connection with the Sept. 11 attacks.

Larry Lipman, a member of the Club's Book and Author Committee, introduced Graham, whom he has known for more than 30 years -- a span in which Graham served as Florida governor for two terms and in the U.S. Senate for 18 years.

A member of the audience asked Graham to speculate on who would play the protagonist, if his book became a movie.

Graham would cast Will Smith as the main character, Tony Ramos. For Sen. Billington, who gets killed early on, Graham suggested Robert Redford “because his fees are so high we couldn’t afford to have him for the whole movie.”