Powell bows out from Bush cabinet – he was the champion of moderating a conservative agenda
Sunita Chauhan, Special Correspondent
November 16, 2004

It may be the greatest loss for the world. The man who moderated a very conservative and experimental American agenda decided to step down and move on with other things in life.

The first African-American appointed as Washington's envoy to the world, Mr Powell was respected internationally for his integrity and a diplomatic style that included a commitment to multilateralism.

According to Financial Times, Colin Powell on Monday resigned as US secretary of state, marking the exit of a highly regarded soldier-diplomat whose stature was sapped by four years of bruising argument within a hawkish administration.

But despite his popularity, Mr Powell was repeated on the losing side of clashes with the conservative forces in the Bush administration notably Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, and Dick Cheney, vice-president. 

“I believe that now that the election is over the time has come for me to step down as secretary of state and return to private life,” Mr Powell said in a letter to the president, dated November 12 and released by the White House on Monday.

General Powell will be remembered as a war hero who stood with Bush Sr, in securing Kuwait with international coalition and not enter Iraq. He is also remembered as the person who misled the United Nations in believing that Saddam had the weapons of mass destruction.

No matter what you think of him, he is a legend of sincerity, honesty and allegiance to his commander in chief against all odds.