“So many Americans and other nationals died in that terrible, terrible accident.”

Lockerbie

U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

(August 2009)

February 4 2021 — On February 4 1997,  U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she had received information that two grandparents may have been Jewish and may have perished in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Seriously? Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

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Lesley Stahl: “We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?”

Madeleine Albright: “I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it.”

60 Minutes (May 1996)

UPDATE (March 25 2022) — Madeleine Albright, the first woman to become US secretary of state, has died. She was 84. Not surprisingly, tributes have been pouring…

“Her family was run out of Czechoslovakia twice. First by Hitler and then by Stalin. She did not like authoritarian government. She didn’t like dictators. She didn’t like people who were callous about human life and it forged her whole view of the world, for the rest of her life,” Clinton said.

“She was perfect to serve at a time when we were trying to build a new future and also trying to guard against a return to an ugly past.”

Speaking about current events, the former US president added:

“She spent the whole rest of the time talking about Ukraine. And it was like the replay of a bad movie for her, as well as a very modern tragedy.”

In May 1996 Madeleine Albright, who was then US ambassador to the UN, was asked by Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes in reference to years of US-led economic sanctions against Iraq:

Lesley Stahl: “We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?”

Madeleine Albright: “I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it.”

The thing speaks for itself…

As for Ukraine, I agree with Clinton. His administration’s decision to push for an expansion of NATO — against the advises of all serious scholars such Henry Kissinger, John Mearsheimer or George Kennan — combined with the launch of an illegal war in the Balkans has directly paved the way for the ongoing crisis.

Interviewed by Christiane Amanpour, Hillary Clinton stated: Madeleine Albright was “A Great Person and A Wonderful Friend.”

I have no doubt that Madeleine Albright was a wonderful friend for Hillary Clinton. But I am far from convinced that she was a great person… What do you think?

END of UPDATE

UPDATE (February 4 2021) —  Albright: “Lockerbie was a terrible, terrible accident.”

Madeleine Albright was quite possibly the worst U. S. Secretary of State until Mike Pompeo brought ‘rapture diplomacy’ on the world stage.

But at least, Pompeo deserves some credit for admitting (Texas A&M University, April 15 2019) that he was a liar, a cheat and a thief.

Madeleine Albright — Secretary of State (from 1997 to 2001) under President Bill Clinton — was very knowledgeable about the Lockerbie Case.

In August 2009, Madeleine ‘Read my pins’ Albright declared during an interview about Lockerbie:

“So many Americans and other nationals died in that terrible, terrible accident.”

After researching the Lockerbie tragedy for over two decades, I have come to the conclusion that Pan Am Flight 103 disintegrated in flight over Lockerbie on December 21 1988 because of a massive structural failure due to well-known issues of metal fatigue in section 41 and 42 of the Boeing 747, not because of an explosive device.

I strongly believe that if Megrahi’s lawyers had followed on a tip from Crown Office’s David Harvie, they would have easily convinced the Zeist judges that there was simply no case to answer.

PS — Yesterday, several Lockerbie experts experienced a rare case of simultaneous sudden amnesia regarding David Harvie. In my next post, I will try to jog their memories.

END of UPDATE

“I do believe this to be a personal issue, but since it is an object of discussion, I would just as soon have you know what I know. I started to think about it and to put pieces together. There was more and more information, and it began to make more sense to me.”

Madeleine Albright  — U.S. Secretary of State (February 4 1997)

Let us make it simple. This story is utter nonsense. Madeleine Albright knew full well her Jewish roots when she was being vetted to become Bill Clinton’s secretary of state. And, no doubts, long before that…

Albright’s father, Josef Korbel, was a Czech diplomat who fled Czechoslovakia with his family for Britain after the 1938 Munich agreement turned over part of the country to Nazi Germany.

As ambassador to the United Nations, Albright blocked Arab efforts to push the Security Council to condemn Israel for the shelling of a U.N. base in south Lebanon that killed at least 91 civilians.

Albright also vetoed a UN Resolution declaring invalid Israel’s expropriation of Arab-owned land in east Jerusalem.

And by the way… People who discover that they have been lied about their Jewish roots tend to react in different ways.

The story of this phone call between the Hitchens brothers is a case in point.

Peter — Please, understand that this news will shock you.

Christopher — Ready!

Peter — You are a Jew.

Christopher — That is not a surprise!

Peter — How could you not possibly be surprised?

Christopher — Remember Grandma? She was really ugly, wouldn’t you say?

I only spoke to Christopher Hitchens once. But I think we could have been good friends…

Madeleine Albright & Lockerbie

On August 24 1998, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said it was time for Libya to turn its promises into deeds and surrender the “Lockerbie suspects” for trial immediately.

Secretary Albright then emphasized that the proposed plan was not negotiable.

“Let me be clear. The plan the US and the UK are putting forward is a ‘take it or leave it’ proposition.

It is not subject to negotiation or change.

Nor should it be subject to additional foot-dragging or delay.

We are ready to begin such a trial as soon as Libya turns over the suspects.

We expect — and the families deserve — an immediate answer.”

On August 28 1998, Colonel Gaddafi stated that he had no objections to handing over the two Lockerbie bombing suspects for trial in the Netherlands.

On March 19 1999, Nelson Mandela went to Tripoli to speak with Colonel Gaddafi with special UN permission.

Mandela announced that the Lockerbie suspects will be surrendered on or before April 6 1999.

On April 5 1999, the suspects were indeed taken into Dutch custody after flying from Tripoli to an airbase near The Hague and formally charged with the Lockerbie bombing.

Under Scots law, the accused must be brought to trial within 110 days. Lord Sutherland twice agreed 110-days extensions.

When the trial date finally approached (May 2000), Lord Advocate Colin Boyd applied for a further extension… on ground that the prosecution needed time to interview witnesses!

Obviously, the prosecutors were not that “ready to begin such a trial as soon as Libya turns over the suspects.”

PS: Many journalists have credited Madeleine Albright for her “Read My Pins” diplomacy. This is simply not true.

Albright simply stole the style from Clare Boothe Luce, the U.S. envoy to Italy from 1953-1956, quite famous for her glamour and blunt speaking. The world had some respect for the United States back then… 

REFERENCES

Albright Discovers She May Have Jewish Roots Secretary Of State Learns Father’s Parents May Have Died At Auschwitz — The Spokesman

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On This Day — Madeleine Albright Discovers her Jewish Roots (February 4 1997)

On This Day — Madeleine Albright Discovers Her Jewish Roots (February 4 1997) [Lockerbie]

On This Day — Madeleine Albright Discovers Her Jewish Roots (February 4 1997) [UPDATE — Albright: “Lockerbie was a terrible, terrible accident.”]

On This Day — Madeleine Albright Discovers Her Jewish Roots (February 4 1997) [UPDATE — POLL : Do you think that Madeleine Albright Was “A Great Person” ?]