During his time in the U.S. administration Colin Powell (left) was giving his unwavering support to President George Bush. No longer the U.S. secretary of state, he looks at developments in Iraq from a different angle.
Photo: AP
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Colin Powell Questions U.S. Troops Surge in Iraq
// The former U.S. secretary of state is unhappy about the U.S. policy in Iraq
The former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell lashed out at the White House’s strategy in Iraq on Sunday. Mr. Powell cast doubt on an idea to send additional 50,000 soldiers to the war-ridden country, a plan supported by Senator John McCain, a major Republic presidential candidate for 2008. Experts are in two minds about the implication of these statements. Either Colin Powell retaliates for his dismissal or harbors a plan to go back to politics.
Colin Powel has rarely been speaking in public or let alone commenting any developments since his dismissal as the U.S. secretary of state last year. However, the former U.S. foreign policy chief gave a surprisingly candid interview with CBS on Sunday. The discussion focused on the most sensitive topic for the Americas – war in Iraq. U.S. President Bush and a great number of experts are now raking their brains trying to find the way out of the situation. Bush is expected to present Washington’s strategy in Iraq in the next couple of week. Bush’s speech is sure to influence not only the campaign in Iraq but also the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. Everyone is there with advice – from pizza men to presidential candidates. Colin Powell has decided not to stand idly by. His opinion is of special value because he is more than just familiar with the situation in Iraq. Not only did Colin Powell serve as Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005 and was responsible for the diplomatic backup for the campaign, but he also chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Desert Strom operation in the first Gulf War.
The ex-secretary of state started his speech by dubbing the situation in Iraq “grave and deteriorating”, saying that “we’re not winning, we are losing.” Asked what he would do as the U.S. president, Colin Powell perked up, as if anticipating the question. He came with trenchant criticism of a plan to sent up to 50,000 American soldiers to supplement 140,000 people deployed in the country. This idea finds support with a leader of the Republican party, Senator John McCain could become the Republican presidential candidate in case he overpowers former New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani.
“There are really no additional troops to send – our army is already about broken,” Colin Powell said. “If I was still the head of the Joint Chiefs, I would ask this man: what mission are these soldiers going to do?” The former top diplomat suggested pulling out troops by early 2008 and seeking a political settlement with the help of Iran and Syria. Colin Powell in fact agreed with the keynote of the Iraq Study Group review and supported his point of view with an example. “When I was still Secretary of State, I went to Damascus and asked Syrians to not fly rockets on the Israelis,” he recounted. “The rockets stopped the following day.”
Colin Powell’s interview on CBS-TV sounded in the same vein as the speeches of Democrats Harry Reid and Edward Kennedy who also harshly criticized the Republican strategy on Sunday. The similarity is no accident. Colin Powell is known to be a Democrat in his youth. He joined the Republican party much later. Even during the time in the party he has always been reputed as a moderate politician, compared to such hawks as U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney or Pentagon’s former chief Donald Rumsfeld. Quite possibly, the former secretary of state has decided to help the Democrats in this election campaign, resentful against the Republicans about his dismissal.
There is another theory, though. A couple of years ago, Colin Powell’s popularity rating was far higher than that of other Republicans, even George Bush’s at his prime. Mr. Powell is still considered one of the most influential U.S. politicians who is popular with a lot of voters. Walking out of the U.S. administration in 2005, the top diplomat did not became a victim of a U-turn in public opinion about war in Iraq, unlike his successor, Condoleezza Rice who was called a presidential hopeful a couple of years ago. Born in a family of Jamaican immigrants, Colin Powell may count on votes of Afro-Americans. So, the attack on John McCain could be just the first step in a chase to occupy the White House in 2008.
Alexander Gabuev
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 19, 2006
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