She also caught the attention of national media with occasional broadsides, like when she railed at Fidel Castro for shooting down two American civilian planes in early 1996.

"This is not cojones," Albright said. "This is cowardice." At other times she referred to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as a "slow learner" and told corrupt Haitian generals, "You can leave voluntarily and soon or involuntarily and soon."

Some critics have said these types of statements make Albright a loose canon in the world of diplomacy. Other critics say she is too quick in committing the U.S. military.

Her close friends, however, say the one-liners and sound bites are carefully scripted and well-rehearsed.

"She's very conscientious and has the capability of being either tough or charming, depending on what's needed," Berger says.

As for her willingness to commit the nation's armed forces, Burns says Albright makes her mind up carefully. "She is very respectful of the military and weighs the danger of risking American lives...ultimately, though, she believes the military is there for a purpose."

"Looking at Bosnia in June 1997, it appears she was right," he adds.

Albright is keenly aware of the importance of the modern media in developing foreign policy. The first U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. to have a Web page, Albright often referred to CNN as "the 16th member of the Security Council."

"Being clear and cogent is one of her distinguishing characteristics," Oliphant says. "She has the ability, through the media, to define a situation."

The Future

It has been less than six months since she became Secretary of State, yet Albright is already making her mark on the historic post.

Christopher used to open his day with a small senior staff meeting of just a few aides in his personal office. Albright moved the meeting into a larger conference room, telling the participants that she preferred to avoid the bureaucracy and go to staffers directly. In fact, her disregard for normal protocol was well-known at the State Department because as U.N. ambassador she frequently called desk officers directly to ask for specific information on foreign countries.

Albright's philosophy toward foreign policy is somewhat different as well.

"My mind-set is Munich," she has often said. "Most of my generation's was Vietnam."

With this statement, Albright not only means to convey the dangers associated with appeasement but also the general difficultly of negotiating from a position of weakness. She realized early in her foreign policy career that nothing can be accomplished without power.

Oliphant says he sees three positive signs from Albright in her first months as secretary of state.

"In April, everyone was saying she had to go to the Middle-East," he says. "Secretary Albright said no. There's no point in going until the two sides agree to start talking again."

Secondly, in Bosnia, "she has stood her ground against [Secretary of Defense William] Cohen on the involvement of U.S. troops, especially in the last few weeks," Oliphant says. "She's committed for as long as it takes."

Thirdly, Oliphant says, "Albright has been extremely consistent on her insistence of support from Capitol Hill. That shows she's laying the groundwork necessary for a successful tenure."

Albright is not afraid to make tough stands or ask hard questions. Given her communication skills, she may well be in a position to ameliorate the growing indifference many Americans feel toward foreign affairs. Albright attracts attention and people who have cared little about world affairs, tend to notice her