ASP Statement on the Passing of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
The American Security Project (ASP) was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
For decades, Secretary Albright was a central figure in the foreign policy establishment, serving as our nation’s first female Secretary of State and advising Presidents and Cabinet Secretaries for Democratic and Republican Administrations. Secretary Albright was the face of U.S. foreign policy as communism fell in Europe, served as a champion for human rights and democracy worldwide, and sought to hold the architects of atrocity crimes to account.
Hearing of her passing, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, chairperson of the American Security Project Board of Directors, said:
“Secretary Albright was a true giant of our foreign policy. She rightly saw the United States as the ‘indispensable nation’ in using diplomacy backed by the use of force to defend democratic values around the world. She was also a trailblazer—serving as the first female Secretary of State and embodying the American dream, showing that a refugee, fleeing the ravages of destruction during the Second World War, could rise to the highest levels of public service. We have lost an American treasure and a light for democracy.”
ASP President, Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret.), said:
“Secretary Albright was the definition of a scholar/stateswoman. She was a passionate advocate for the oppressed, a skilled diplomat, and a tireless defender of democracy. The causes she championed for decades are currently under threat—democracy, human rights, peace and security. History is not without a sense of cruel irony, her passing during this time of conflict on the European continent compounds our loss. This is not only devastating for America, but also a loss for the whole freedom-loving world.”
