Madeleine Albright, first female US secretary of state, dies

WASHINGTON (AP):

Madeleine Albright, a child refugee from Nazi- and then Soviet-dominated eastern Europe who rose to become the first female US secretary of state and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women, has died of cancer, her family said Wednesday. She was 84.

A lifelong Democrat who nonetheless worked to bring Republicans into her orbit, Albright was chosen in 1996 by President Bill Clinton to be America’s top diplomat, elevating her from her post as US ambassador to the United Nations, where she had been only the second woman to hold that job.

As secretary of state, Albright was the highest-ranking woman in the history of US government. She was not in the line of succession to the presidency, however, because she was a native of Prague. The glass ceiling that she broke was universally admired, even by her political detractors.

In announcing her death on Twitter, Albright’s family said she died of cancer and was surrounded by family and friends: “We have lost a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend,” the statement said.

Outpourings of condolences came quickly.

Clinton called her “one of the finest Secretaries of State, an outstanding UB Ambassador, a brilliant professor, and an extraordinary human being.”

“Because she knew firsthand that America’s policy decisions had the power to make a difference in people’s lives around the world, she saw her jobs as both an obligation and an opportunity,” Clinton wrote. “And through it all, even until our last conversation just two weeks ago, she never lost her great sense of humour or her determination to go out with her boots on, supporting Ukraine in its fight to preserve freedom and democracy.”

“Laura and I are heartbroken by the news of Madeleine Albright’s death,” said former President George W. Bush. “She lived out the American dream and helped others realize it. ... She served with distinction as a foreign-born foreign minister who understood firsthand the importance of free societies for peace in our world.”

In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Albright the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, saying her life was an inspiration to all Americans.