Albright: Pronouncements won't make peace

CHICAGO, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she wishes President Bush the best of luck with his Mideast push.

In a recent speech before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs promoting her new book, "Memo to the President-Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership," Albright said peace "doesn't happen by pronouncements." She said any real progress will take a lot of work and will need a dedicated group of people to make it happen.

Albright said she was in Israel and the West Bank as the recent Annapolis peace conference wrapped up. She said she found people in both areas "felt pretty good" about the meeting, seeing it as a "great push forward."

On what she'd like to see in the next president, Albright said she "wants a president that stops making is afraid. I do not think we can use the fear factor to mobilize public opinion."

She said she would like to see a confident president, capable of considering diverse opinions, rather than a president who is certain about things.

"A certain president doesn't even know what he doesn't know," she said.