Powell steps down from Bush cabinet

COLIN Powell announced his decision to step down as US Secretary of State yesterday, marking the end of a period in office dogged by in-fighting.

Washington's top diplomat told staff he had handed in his notice to US President George W Bush but would delay his exit until a successor was appointed.

His widely-expected departure - days after Attorney General John Ashcroft also stepped down - brought to six the number of cabinet officials to leave the administration since Mr Bush's re-election.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Venneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham have also submitted their resignations. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said last week he would depart the administration.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and UN Ambassador John Danforth are regarded as likely successors to Mr Powell, but an announcement is not expected immediately.

Ms Rice, 49, is known to have big political ambitions and is a well-trusted aide of Mr Bush.

"I believe that now that the election is over, the time has come for me to step down," Mr Powell, 67, wrote to the president.

"I am pleased to have been part of a team that launched the global war against terror, liberated the Afghan and Iraqi people."

He also said he "brought the attention of the world to the problem of proliferation, reaffirmed our alliances, adjusted to the post-Cold War world and undertook major initiatives to deal with the problem of poverty and disease in the developing world."

"Secretary Powell's departure is a loss to the moderate internationalist voices in the Bush administration," said New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a former UN ambassador in the Clinton administration. "Hopefully, his replacement will be a pragmatist rather than an ideologue."

Mr Powell, a retired Army general, was involved in a series of clashes with the Pentagon and with the Vice President's office during his time in the Bush administration.

He was widely regarded as a dove, urging restraint ahead of the Iraq war while Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney were pushing for military action.

Mr Powell saw his profile within the administration shrink, leading many to conclude he had lost the internal power struggle.

Some observers believe Mr Powell may be stepping down due to exhaustion, following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Possibly the low point of Mr Powell's career came shortly before the invasion of Iraq when he made the case for war based on what turned out to be flawed intelligence.

During a hearing at the United Nations on February 5, 2003, he memorably held up a vial of white powder, describing the effect it could have if it were anthrax. It was supposed to be a demonstration of the danger Iraq posed with its much-vaunted weapons of mass destruction. But as the world would find out soon after the invasion, such weapons never existed.

He may also be acting out of consideration for his health as last December he underwent surgery for prostate cancer.

Mr Powell was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx by his parents, Luther Theophilus and Maud Ariel Powell, who emigrated from Jamaica.

After graduating from the City College of New York, he joined the US Army. Mr Powell was a soldier for 35 years, rising to the rank of four-star general. He shot to international prominence during the first Gulf War, when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Before that, from 1987-89, he served as National Security Adviser to Ronald Reagan.

He was suggested as a possible opponent to challenge Bill Clinton for office, but never ran.

Mr Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State on January 20, 2001, making him the highest ranking black government official in the history of the US. He is married to Alma and they have one son, Michael, and daughters Linda and Anne.