The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2022

56 JULY-AUGUST 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL In Albright’s view, the Agreed Framework deal, which she helped negotiate under the Clinton administration, failed mainly because of negligence on the U.S. side rather than North Korean defiance. “The U.S. had made the agreement but forgot that it would cost money. Coming up with the money from Congress was problematic, and we were late on delivering our end of the bargain.” Was North Korea cheating? “Of course they were. But that is generally the case with arms control treaties,” she explained. “They don’t eliminate arms, but they help make it harder to get arms.” Over dinner she revealed her most entertaining stories. She told us how as ambassador to the United Nations, she got her nickname. In 1996, the Cubans downed two U.S. aircraft and were caught on radio quipping that American pilots had no “cojones.” This prompted Madeleine to tell Cuba at a U.N. Security Council meeting, that Cuba’s action had no “cojones” and was all cowardice. When she attended the memorial service for the downed pilots in Florida, she entered the Orange Bowl to 60,000 fans chanting her new nickname: Madam Cojones! Among Floridians, the name has stuck to this day, and she was approached in cafés on the street as “Madam Cojones.” She also reminisced about doing the “Macarena” on the Security Council floor after promising to do the dance if the Democrats won the 1996 election. The jaw-dropping story of the night, however, traced back to her father’s death in 1977. Dr. Corbell, Secretary Albright’s father, was a former diplomat in Czechoslovakia. After immi- grating to the U.S., he became a highly regarded professor of international relations at the Uni- versity of Denver. When he died, Albright explained, there was an outpouring of support from the university community. She recalled the countless bouquets of flowers, which were delivered to her house. Among all the flowers, one bouquet caught her eye: it was a piano-shaped vase filled with flowers. Madeleine asked her mother, “Who sent this arrangement?” And her mother replied, “Those flowers are from your father’s favorite student, Condoleezza Rice.” Madeleine sought out her father’s favorite student and learned that Condoleezza had gone to college to major in music but was persuaded by Albright’s father to also major in international relations. Condoleezza had, after all, decided to write her senior thesis on the Soviet influence within the Czech military. Years later, working on a string of losing Democratic campaigns, Albright decided to form a brain trust of foreign policy advisers for Michael Dukakis and to invite Condoleezza to take part. She telephoned Condoleezza, who at that time was teach- ing at Stanford University. Albright’s proposition was followed by moments of silence. “Madeleine,” Condoleezza stammered, “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but … I’m a Republican.” Dumbfounded, Secretary Albright exclaimed: “But Condo- leezza, we had the same father!” We looked at one another around the dinner table in awe. What were the chances that one man was responsible for two female Secretaries of State?! Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright on a private visit to the U.S. Mission in Dar es Salaam on Nov. 29, 2006, to honor the lives lost on Aug. 7, 1998, when terrorists attacked the mission. U.S. Ambassador Michael L. Retzer joined her at the wreath laying ceremony. EMBASSYTANZANIA