Reshuffle in Top-Slots: Bush Taps Rice as Colin Powell Quits
By Khalida Mazhar - Pakistan Times Foreign Correspondent

WASHINGTON (US): With a major reshuffle in the US hierarchy—explicitly vis-à-vis the top slots of global significance, President Bush turned to his most trusted foreign policy Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, Tuesday to escort the US diplomacy during his second term — in today’s challenging epoch — by replacing Secretary of State Colin Powell, who often was out of step with more hawkish members of the Administration's national security squad.

A senior administration official said Bush, sometime today, Tuesday would formally nominate Rice, another move in a significant Cabinet shuffle that has included the exit not only of Powell, the administration's most prominent moderate, but also the resignation of Attorney General John Ashcroft, one of the administration's most outspoken conservatives.

Rice, who is considered more of a foreign policy hard-liner than Powell, has been Bush's national security adviser for four years. But while she's known around the globe, her image on the world stage does not rival Powell's. The retired four-star general has higher popularity ratings than the president.

Rice, 50, worked at the National Security Council in former President Bush's White House and went on to be provost of Stanford University in California before working in the current president's 2000 campaign. She was widely considered the president's first choice for the top diplomat's job, despite reports that she intended to return to California or was hoping to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld as defense secretary.

Stephen Hadley

Stephen Hadley, Bush's current deputy national security adviser, is expected to promoted to replace Rice, the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

There had been speculation that Powell, 67, would stay on, at least for part of Bush's second term, but he told reporters Monday that he had made no offer to do so. In his resignation letter dated Nov. 12, Powell, a 35-year Army veteran and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Bush that, with the election over, it was time to "step down ... and return to private life." He said he would stay on "for a number of weeks, or a month or two" until his replacement was confirmed by the Senate.

Moderate Views

Known for his moderate views and unblemished reputation, Powell went before the United Nations in February 2003 to sell Bush's argument for invading Iraq to skeptics abroad and at home.

But Powell's case was built on faulty intelligence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Still, he remained the most popular member of the administration.

Scott McClellan Eschews

Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, declined to answer questions about whether Bush asked Powell to step down, or tried to persuade him to stay.

Ivo Daalder, who served on President Clinton's National Security Council, suspects Powell was nudged out the door. "It was a surprise," he said. "He had been telling people that he wanted to stay."

Analysts Reax

Powell's departure may affect internal debates on foreign policy, but "he lost a lot of those anyway," said Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign policy analyst at the liberal Brookings Institution. "I think what's more fundamental is whether these guys are going to change their world view."

Rumsfeld, traveling in Ecuador on Monday, told reporters he had not yet discussed his future with the President and would provide no hint as to whether he would continue with Bush's Cabinet, either for months or through the second term.

He praised Powell and said the news media had tried "to fabricate friction" between himself and the secretary of state.

The Others

Also, the White House announced the resignations of Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Venemen and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans resigned earlier this month, meaning six of Bush's 15 Cabinet members are leaving.

At least three Cabinet chairs could go to White House insiders, possibly reflecting Bush's desire to send trusted lieutenants to implement his policies in the agencies and extend his influence government-wide.

Besides Rice, Bush already picked White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to replace Ashcroft. Margaret Spellings, Bush's domestic policy adviser, is on the short list to replace Paige as education secretary. At least two more resignations are expected, and individuals close to the White House are among likely successors for these posts as well.

Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson, the health and human services chief, has said he would take a break from government service after four years on the job at HHS and 14 as Wisconsin governor. The favorite to replace Thompson is Medicare chief Mark McClellan.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has told colleagues he'll probably leave because of his personal finances and job stresses. If he steps down, White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend is a possible successor. Other prospects are Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security Department undersecretary for border and transportation security, and Thomas Kean, chairman of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Colin Powell Quits

As reported by Pakistan's first independent daily E-newspaper, 'Pakistan Times' on Monday, the US Secretary of State Colin Powell had resigned saying that he will stay in his post until a successor is found.

The 67-year-old said it was always his intention to serve one term, and it was time to return to a private life.

Powell's resignation was announced along with three other cabinet members, bringing to six the number of key figures to leave the 15-member cabinet.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, and Education Secretary Rod Paige also announced their intention to step down.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said all had agreed to stay in their posts until successors could be found and approved by the Senate.

Bush accepts Resignations

US President George W. Bush has accepted the resignations of Secretary of State Colin Powell and three other members of his cabinet, which the White House made public on Monday.

Condoleezza Rice

An earlier story said that the National security adviser Condoleezza Rice and UN ambassador John Danforth are tipped as possible successors.

Yet, it seems more likely that Condoleeza Rice would be nominated in place of departing Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

An official of the US administration in Washington has said that the announcement for the nomination of Condoleeza Rice by President Bush as the new secretary of state would be made anytime today, Tuesday.

It is expected that Condoleeza’s deputy, Stephen Head would be made the National Security Advisor in place of Condoleeza Rice. All the ministers of the US cabinet along with Condoleeza Rice have resigned up till now.

The White House has also confirmed the resignation of three more ministers along with Colin Powell, which include the portfolio’s of Education, Agriculture and Power.

US Attorney General John Ashcroft has already tendered his resignation.

Text of Resignation Letter by Colin Powell

"It has been my great honour and privilege to serve my nation," said Powell, announcing his resignation at a State Department briefing.

"I will always treasure the four years I spent working with President Bush and the wonderful men and women of the department. I think we accomplished a great deal."

He said he and President Bush had discussed his eventual departure for some weeks, and they mutually decided it was the right time for him to go.

McClellan paid tribute to Powell: "He has been a tireless and dedicated public servant throughout his life. "He made a commitment to serve the President for the first term and we appreciate all he has done."

The Friday

State department officials said Powell submitted his resignation to President George W Bush on Friday, and informed his staff on Monday morning.

Powell reportedly promised his wife he would serve only one term as secretary of state. He said in his resignation letter it was time to return to a private life.

Moderate Voice

During his press conference, Powell outlined the key foreign policy challenges still facing the US.

He said the country must continue what he called the global war on terror, consolidate gains in Afghanistan, defeat the ongoing insurgency in Iraq and take advantage of a new opportunity in the Middle East peace process after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

He also spoke of working closely with allies in Asia to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue, and with Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's nuclear programme.

Credible sources say that Powell's resignation had been expected.

Cabinet of Hawks

He was widely seen as a moderate in a cabinet of hawks, whose views on Iraq put him at odds with the White House.

Correspondents say he proved a popular and successful American envoy, often seen by the international community as a moderating force.

One of his most high-profile moments was his appearance before the UN Security Council on February-5 in 2003, to argue that Saddam Hussein must be removed because of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction.

He later admitted that some of the information in that speech - particularly about mobile laboratories allegedly used for making biological weapons -" appeared not to be ... that solid."

The Profile

Throughout the Bush administration's first term in office, Colin Powell was regarded as a moderate voice on several issues, notably on Iraq.

He was also one of the most popular figures in the administration internationally and among Americans.

However, the views of right-wingers such as Vice-President Dick Cheney and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz more often than not won the day.

As the administration expressed alarm over Baghdad's arsenal in 2002, the secretary of state urged caution and at times seemed at odds with his cabinet colleagues.

Cheney and Rumsfeld argued for early military intervention, but Powell called for United Nations weapons inspections as a "first step", to assess Iraq's weapons industry.

Bronx Background

His views in favour of involving the UN and giving Iraq "one last chance" to disarm eventually prevailed. But this never meant that Powell - a retired army general - would ultimately shy away from using military force.

When we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support

The Sketch

Born in 1937 in New York's Bronx district to Jamaican immigrant parents, Colin Powell's first tour of duty as a young soldier was Vietnam. He was regarded by many as a lifelong soldier.

This is the man who led the Gulf War coalition to victory against Iraq in 1991 under George Bush senior, becoming a national hero in the US.

Powell was then chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest military position in the US. He has been a professional soldier for 35 years, and throughout his career argued for a strong national defence. He was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and supported the "Star Wars" missile programme.

When he became secretary of state in 2001, Powell became the highest-ranking African-American in any US administration. He said he wanted to inspire other African-Americans and seems to have succeeded, admired by many for his warmth and geniality as well as his military and political career. He was consistently the most popular cabinet member in President George W Bush's first term.

War Experience

Powell's vast military experience helped shape the Powell doctrine of exercising caution when sending US troops to fight abroad.

Under the doctrine, troops should be sent into conflict only where there is a clear national interest and an exit strategy. The doctrine says troops should be sent in overwhelming numbers or not at all - and only when success is assured.

Reflecting on his experiences of the Vietnam War, Powell wrote in his 1995 memoirs: "When we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support. "We should mobilise the country's resources to fulfil that mission and we should go on to win."

Powell himself played down rumours that policy on Iraq had caused a major split in the Bush administration.

In September-2002, he told reporters: "I think there are lots of differences - some are real, some are perceived and some are over-hyped."

The point was, he said, that the government was working hard to find a consensus.

Rumsfeld plays down differences with Powell

A story from Quito says that the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld played down the differences with Secretary of state Colin Powell and that he enjoyed working with him.

“Needless to say, we've covered lot of miles together. I was not aware he was going to resign. He's an enormously talented individual. I've thoroughly enjoyed working with him” said Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld said his priorities were to win the global war on terror, to continue the work in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is part of that war, and to see that we continue the process of transforming the department so that it's appropriate for the 21st century." ●