Senator Sam Nunn - Sam Nunn is Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. He served as a United States Senator from Georgia for 24 years (1972-1996) and is retired from the law firm King & Spalding.
Senator Nunn attended Georgia Tech, Emory University and Emory Law School, where he graduated with honors in 1962. After active duty service in the U.S. Coast Guard, he served six years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He first entered politics as a Member of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1968.
During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Senator Nunn served as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He also served on the Intelligence and Small Business Committees.
His legislative achievements include the landmark Department of Defense Reorganization Act, drafted with the late Senator Barry Goldwater, and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which provides assistance to Russia and the former Soviet republics for securing and destroying their excess nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
In addition to his work with NTI, Senator Nunn has continued his service in the public policy arena as a distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech and as chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
General Colin L. Powell - Gen. Colin L. Powell served as the 65th US Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. As a professional soldier for 35 years, Sec. Powell held many command and staff positions and rose to the rank of four-star general.
From 1989 to 1993, he served as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the US Department of Defense. During this time, he oversaw many crises, including Operation Desert Storm. He served previously as National Security Advisor to President Reagan.
His civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal.
Former Senator Sam Nunn and former Secretary of State Colin Powell discuss topics ranging from the future of the United States military to the country's trade embargo with Cuba.
They focus primarily on U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and discuss ways in which policies will need to be adjusted.