Straw pays tribute to Powell
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has paid tribute to the achievements of the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, following news of his resignation.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, Mr Straw said that it had been “a joy to work with” Mr Powell, whom he described as a “unique individual”.
The widely respected former soldier turned diplomat announced his intention to resign from the Bush administration this afternoon. The 67-year-old had been widely rumoured to only want to serve one term in office.
Despite his resignation, Mr Powell will stay in office until a replacement is appointed, perhaps until early in the new year.
His departure will be seen as a blow to the “moderate” elements within the Bush administration pushing for a more multilateral approach from America, in particular a closer working relationship with Europe.
Mr Straw though stressed that the USA’s government system is based on appointment and that everything Mr Powell “has done is with the fully authority of the President” – suggesting that it is a mistake to think solely in terms of moderate and conservative voices.
The Foreign Secretary said Mr Powell had made the “transition from being a great soldier to being a great diplomat and statesmen” and led America’s foreign relations in the most “difficult and fraught period” of international relations in recent memory.
Mr Powell, he said, had a “great many successes to his credit” – most notably the establishment of an international consensus over Afghanistan. He credited him with encouraging the United States to endorse a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestine conflict, but admitted that progress on the Middle East had been “frustrating”.
Describing Mr Powell as a man of the “utmost integrity”, Mr Straw revealed details of a close working relationship, which in the run up to the 1441 Security Council resolution on Iraq saw the men speak by phone seven times in one day. The resolution, he said, was agreed due to Mr Powell’s “indefatigable efforts in negotiating the resolution literally line by line.”
In terms of a replacement, Mr Straw said he was confident that whoever Mr Bush appointed would be a success in the role, and was sure he would “be able to develop swiftly a good close and successful working relationship”.
