Madeline Albright Talks to Georgetown University Community

Georgetown University professor and former Secretary of State and Madeline Albright spoke to a crowd of more than 100 fellow Hoyas at Education City on Friday night. In her remarks, she took the opportunity to discuss the current state of the world.

“The world is a mess…and that’s a diplomatic term,” Albright said. In her remarks, she discussed key challenges that will face the next US president. “It will be a very difficult presidency because the US is in such a bad position,” she said.

The former cabinet official noted that the US must find a way to fight terrorism without creating more terrorists, as well as find a way to handle the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Albright pointed out that the government must seek to understand the cause and motivations of terror groups in order to better fight them.

She also pointed out that the developed world must work to address the growing gap between rich and poor. The growing divide is leading to a fertile recruiting ground for terrorists.

She described the war in Iraq as a disaster in US Foreign policy because it has allowed Iran to grow and threaten to destabilize the region. When questioned on the best course of action, she quickly responded, “I advocate talking to Iran.” Recounting her conversations with many US adversaries such as Kim Jung Il, she pointed out that diplomacy and talking are not the same as appeasement.

“These issues will require a different approach,” she said. She went on to say that the skills students learn at Georgetown will be necessary for success in the new international system.

Albright recently published a book, Memo to the President Elect, written to provide an overview of US foreign policy, and challenges that the president elect will face.

When asked by a student how she would cast her vote for US president, she stated unequivocally that she would be voting for Hillary Clinton. “I like the idea of having a woman president, but that’s not the only reason,” she added. Albright said that, as Secretary of State, she had seen how Clinton dealt with world leaders and was confident that Clinton is best prepared to deal with the challenges that face the next administration.

After the lecture, Albright joined faculty and students for a brief reception and more questions. According to Mohammed Turki Al-Sudairi (SFS ’11) it was a wonderful experience. “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet one of the most diplomatic minds of the age”