Albright: Dangerous trends ahead
By Jennifer Bronson, Daily Camera
Published April 16, 2008 at 11 p.m.
Madeleine Albright spoke to a crowd of 1,500 at CU.
A crowd of about 1,500 people greeted Madeleine Albright with a standing ovation as the former secretary of state took the stage at the University of Colorado's Coors Event Center on Wednesday night.
With a presidential election nearing, Albright focused her speech on the challenges she says the next administration will have to address.
"The winner of this year's presidential campaign will face headaches unmatched since at least the war in Vietnam," she said.
Albright was the first female secretary of state, serving in the Clinton administration from 1997 to 2001.
She told the CU crowd the next president will face dangerous trends, including terrorism, proliferation of nuclear arms, a global movement away from democracy and a backlash against globalization.
Albright gave her recommendations for peace in the Middle East, which include sustained diplomatic engagement and the involvement of U.S. allies.
"There is nothing inevitable about conflict in that region," she said. "The way to defeat (terrorists) is to attack them at their weakest point, which is their failure to offer anything to anyone except destruction and debt."
In response to one question about the war in Iraq, Albright said the U.S. has to get out in a responsible manner.
Other areas Albright pointed out as problematic are China, Russia and Iran. "The leaders of these countries challenge our beliefs that human rights are universal," she said.
In a news conference before the event, Albright addressed the China Olympics controversy, saying that if conditions between China and Tibet don't improve, it makes no sense for President Bush to attend the opening ceremony.
Albright, whose family settled in Denver after fleeing the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1948, also said she was pleased to be in Colorado - even in the snowstorm.
Her speech was sponsored by CU's Distinguished Speakers Board.
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April 17, 2008
9:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
ilovegambling writes:
wow, you guys are proof that people only use 5% of their brains. You might not agree with Madame Albright, but she is incredibly smart, and, unlike you tools, has actually been to another country or two.
April 17, 2008
10:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
Oh_Wise_One writes:
"the next president will face dangerous trends, including terrorism, proliferation of nuclear arms, a global movement away from democracy and a backlash against globalization."
Isn't this what we face now and have since 9/11? wtf planet has Madeline been on, or does she think only the Obamessiah or Billary can handle this.
April 17, 2008
12:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
This does seem a little over the top lightly. May be it is just a poor article?