The Mighty and the Almighty Monday, May 22, 2006

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has authored a new book entitled The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs. Therein, she takes the position that the war in Iraq "may eventually rank among the worst foreign policy disasters in U.S. history" and thinks that President Bush's religious zeal has made matters much worse.

"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not make their religious views part of American policy," she said, referring to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democrats and Christians.

"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs. "The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of us."

Bush, a Republican, has openly acknowledged his Christian faith informs his decisions as president. He says, for example, that he prayed to God for guidance before invading Iraq.

Some Muslims have accused him of waging a crusade against Islam, comparable with those of the Middle Ages. The White House says it has nothing against Islam, but against those who commit terrorist atrocities in its name.

—CNN.com

In an interview on CNN, she says that Bush's rhetoric is dangerously couched in religious terms and has not only alienated Muslims, but has helped undermine America's moral authority.