General Brent Scowcroft, former national security advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, assessed foreign policy challenges facing the Obama administration. His speech followed the 24th annual Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Journalism Awards presentations for distinguished reporting on the presidency and national defense to Steven Thomma and Shane Harris.  General Scowcroft began his speech speaking about the need for political compromise as well as the impact of globalization on the modern nation-state. He talked about ongoing political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, and the difficulty of balancing U.S. interests in the region with national values. He also talked about Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afterward he responded to written questions from audience members.