Albright Addresses The Future Of NATO

By Miles Wolf Tamboli-Talk Radio News Service

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday on the future of NATO and how the coalition could evolve to meet twenty-first century threats.

Albright, who chaired a panel to determine NATO's Strategic Concept, called for a "comprehensive approach" - an idea to create a civilian arm of NATO forces, in part as a response to the alliance's experience over the past decade in nation-building in Afghanistan. Albright also emphasized that the framers of the new Strategic Concept did not want Afghanistan to be, "the be-all and end-all of NATO." She stated that there must be lessons learned from the mission, but that NATO's strategic outlook, "has to go beyond just Afghanistan."

As the Senate continues to weigh the ratification of the START Treaty, an arms reduction agreement between Russia and the U.S., Albright proclaimed that as long as nuclear arms exist "in the system," NATO will continue relying on a nuclear component. The former Secretary of State also portrayed energy security as a primary NATO concern in the future.

Kissing Secretaries of State

Click through for the photo!



Our staffer who took the photo describes:

One of my favorite pictures from Saturday. Powell is an old friend of [my wife], and while we were chatting Albright just walked up and they went at it.

Albright: "Be patient"

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Madeleine Albright advocates against domestic violence at the World Bank

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Albright spoke about the criminal act of domestic violence as a "violation of fundamental human rights", especially within one's own home. Due to many countries treatment of women as objects within a marriage left at home to care for the children, women have become "undervalued" and "underdeveloped resources", Albright said. The belief that every life counts, Albright concluded, is what will lead to a positive change against domestic violence.

Albright says problems in Iraq not military's fault

Madeleine Albright says that the military has done very well in Iraq, but the mission has still hurt our moral authority. (0:50)