Albright to speak tonight at DePauw
Madeleine Albright, who will appear at DePauw University tonight, is one of five former U.S. secretaries of state who believe "the next American administration should talk to Iran," reports Reuters.
Albright joined Colin Powell, Warren Christopher, James Baker and Henry Kissinger at a recent forum hosted by George Washington University.
Albright, who served in the Clinton administration, stated, "I believe we need to engage with Iran. I think the whole point is you try to engage and deal with countries that you have problems with."
Gen. Powell, who served the current president as secretary of state responded, "I agree with Madeleine, and I suspect my other colleagues, that we should try to talk to them."
The article notes that all five of the former secretaries "said they favored talking to Iran as part of a strategy to stop Tehran's development of a nuclear weapons program ... Engaging Iran is important because Washington's military options against Tehran are unsatisfactory, said the diplomats, who worked for Republican and Democratic administrations."
The report adds, "Dealing with Iran has become an issue in the November U.S. presidential election campaign, with Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain sparring over Obama's stated readiness to talk to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other U.S. adversaries if elected president.
McCain has criticized Obama's stand, saying it shows naivete and inexperience."
"In Conversation with Madeleine Albright" will take place at 8 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium of DePauw's Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts.
The event is free and open to the public and is part of "DePauw Discourse 2008: America's Role in the World," which begins Thursday and features other guests including veteran statesman and 1952 DePauw graduate Lee Hamilton.