Powell was born in New York City in 1937 to parents who immigrated fromJamaica. He was raised in theSouth Bronx and educated in the New York City public schools, earning a bachelor's degree in geology from theCity College of New York. He joined theReserve Officers' Training Corps while at City College and was commissioned as asecond lieutenant on graduating in 1958. He was a professional soldier for 35 years, holding many command and staff positions and rising to the rank offour-star general. He was commander of theU.S. Army Forces Command in 1989.
Colin Luther Powell was born on(1937-04-05)April 5, 1937,[11][12] inHarlem, a neighborhood in the New York Cityborough ofManhattan.[13] He was born toJamaican immigrants Maud Ariel (née McKoy) and Luther Theophilus Powell.[13][14] His parents were both of mixedAfrican, Irish, andScottish ancestry. Powell was a first cousin twice removed ofFall Out Boy bassist and lyricistPete Wentz; Wentz's maternal grandfather, Arthur Winston Lewis, was Powell's first cousin.[15][16] Luther worked as a shippingclerk and Maud as aseamstress.[17] Powell was raised in theSouth Bronx and attended the now closedMorris High School, from which he graduated in 1954.[18]
While at school, Powell worked at a local baby furniture store, where he picked upYiddish from the Eastern European Jewish shopkeepers and some of the customers.[19] He also served as aShabbos goy, helping Orthodox families with needed tasks on the Sabbath.[20] He received a bachelor of science degree in geology from theCity College of New York in 1958[21][22] and said that he was a "C average" student.[23] While at CCNY, Powell shifted his study focus to theReserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and became a "straight A student" in it;[24] he held the distinction of being the first chairman to have attained his commission through the ROTC.[24] Powell also graduated fromGeorge Washington University with an MBA in 1971 and was awarded an honorary doctor of public service in 1990.[25]
It was only once I was in college, about six months into college when I found something that I liked, and that was ROTC, Reserve Officer Training Corps in the military. And I not only liked it, but I was pretty good at it. That's what you really have to look for in life, something that you like, and something that you think you're pretty good at. And if you can put those two things together, then you're on the right track, and just drive on.[28]
Captain Powell served a tour in Vietnam as aSouth Vietnamese Army (ARVN) advisor from 1962 to 1963. While on patrol in aViet Cong-held area, he was wounded by stepping on apunji stake and was awarded a Purple Heart.[34] The large infection made it difficult for him to walk, and caused his foot to swell for a short time, shortening his first tour.[35]
Powell returned to Vietnam as amajor in 1968, serving as assistantchief of staff of operations for the23rd (Americal) Infantry Division. During the second tour in Vietnam he was decorated with theSoldier's Medal for bravery after he survived a helicopter crash and single-handedly rescued three others, including division commander Major GeneralCharles M. Gettys, from the burning wreckage.[32][36]
Soldiers actively hunted, herded, and killed elderly people, children, infants, and raped women while other Soldiers [sic] looked on and did nothing to stop the massacre. An estimated 350 to 500 unarmed civilians died in My Lai ... MAJ Colin Powell, a recently assigned Deputy G3, investigated the allegations described in the [Glen] letter. He proved unable to uncover either wide-spread unnecessary killings, war crimes, or any facts related to My Lai ...
— US Army Center for the Army Profession and Leadership,My Lai at 50: Written Case Study[37]
Powell was charged with investigating a detailed letter by11th Light Infantry Brigade soldier Tom Glen, which backed up rumored allegations of the 1968My Lai massacre.[37] Powell wrote: "In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact that relations betweenAmerical soldiers and theVietnamese people are excellent".[38] Later, Powell's assessment would be described aswhitewashing the news of the massacre, and questions would continue to remain undisclosed to the public.[39] In May 2004, Powell said to television and radio hostLarry King, "I was in a unit that was responsible for My Lai. I got there after My Lai happened. So, in war, these sorts of horrible things happen every now and again, but they are still to be deplored".[40]
In his autobiography,My American Journey, Powell named several officers he served under who inspired and mentored him. As alieutenant colonel commanding 1st Battalion,32nd Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea, Powell was very close to his division commander, Major GeneralHenry "Gunfighter" Emerson, whom he regarded as one of the most caring officers he ever met.[42] Emerson insisted his troops train at night to fight a possible North Korean attack, and made them repeatedly watch the television filmBrian's Song to promote racial harmony. Powell always professed that what set Emerson apart was his great love of his soldiers and concern for their welfare. After arace riot occurred, in which African-American soldiers almost killed a white officer, Powell was charged by Emerson to crack down onblack militants; Powell's efforts led to the discharge of one soldier, and other efforts to reduce racial tensions.[32] During 1976–1977 he commanded the 2nd Brigade of the101st Airborne Division.[17]
Powell subsequently served as the junior military assistant todeputy secretaries of defenseCharles Duncan andGraham Claytor, receiving a promotion to brigadier general on 1 June 1979.[29]: 588 At the ceremony, he received from SecretaryHarold Brown's protocol officer, Stuart Purviance, a framed quotation by PresidentAbraham Lincoln. The quote was "I can make a brigadier general in five minutes. But it's not so easy to replace one hundred ten horses". Taped to the back of the frame was an envelope with instructions that it not be opened for ten years. When Powell opened the note in 1989, after he had become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he read Purviance's prediction that Powell would becomeChief of Staff of the United States Army. Powell wrote that he kept the Lincoln quote as a reminder to remain humble despite his rank and position.[29]: 590
National Security Advisor and other advisory roles
Powell retained his role as the now-senior military assistant into thepresidency of Ronald Reagan, serving under Claytor's successor as deputy secretary of defense,Frank Carlucci. Powell and Carlucci formed a close friendship,[29]: 631 referring to each by first names in private, as Powell refused any sort of first-name basis in an official capacity.[29]: 618 It was on Powell's advice that newly-elected PresidentRonald Reagan presentedRoy Benavidez theMedal of Honor; Benavidez had received theDistinguished Service Cross, which his commander argued should be upgraded, but Army officials believed there was no living eyewitness to testify to Benavidez's heroism. A soldier who had been present during the action in question learned in July 1980 of the effort to upgrade Benavidez's medal and provided the necessary sworn statement; the upgrade to the Medal of Honor was approved in December 1980.[29]: 622–23 [43] Powell also declined an offer fromSecretary of the ArmyJohn O. Marsh Jr. to be hisunder secretary due to his reluctance to assume a political appointment;James R. Ambrose was selected instead.[29]: 623–28 Intent on attaining a division command, Powell petitioned Carlucci andArmy chief of staffEdward C. Meyer for reassignment away from the Pentagon, with Meyer appointing Powell as assistant division commander for operations and training of the4th Infantry Division atFort Carson, Colorado under Major General John W. Hudachek.[29]: 628–29
After he left Fort Carson, Powell became the senior military assistant to Secretary of DefenseCaspar Weinberger, whom he assisted during the1983 invasion of Grenada[44] and the1986 airstrike on Libya.[45] Under Weinberger, Powell was also involved in the unlawful transfer of U.S.-madeTOW anti-tank missiles andHawk anti-aircraft missiles from Israel to Iran as part of the criminal conspiracy that would later become known as theIran–Contra affair.[46]: 342–49 [47] In November 1985, Powell solicited and delivered to Weinberger a legal assessment that the transfer of Hawk missiles to Israel or Iran, without Congressional notification, would be "a clear violation" of the law.[46]: 345 [47] Despite this, thousands of TOW missiles and hundreds of Hawk missiles and spare parts were transferred from Israel to Iran until the venture was exposed in a Lebanese magazine,Ash-Shiraa, in November 1986.[48][49][50] According to Iran-ContraIndependent CounselLawrence E. Walsh, when questioned by Congress, Powell "had given incomplete answers" concerning notes withheld by Weinberger and that the activities of Powell and others in concealing the notes "seemed corrupt enough to meet the new, poorly defined test ofobstruction".[46]: 403 Following his resignation as Secretary of Defense, Weinberger was indicted on five felony charges, including one count Obstruction of Congress for concealing the notes.[51][52]: 456 Powell was never indicted by the Independent Counsel in connection with the Iran-Contra affair.[52]
PresidentRonald Reagan and National Security Advisor Powell, 18 April 1988
Powell's official portrait as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,c. 1989
Powell's last military assignment, from 1 October 1989 to 30 September 1993, was as the 12thchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in theDepartment of Defense. At age 52, he became the youngest officer, and firstAfro-Caribbean American, to serve in this position. Powell was also the first JCS chair who received his commission throughROTC.[56]
During this time, Powell oversaw responses to 28 crises, including theinvasion of Panama in 1989 to remove GeneralManuel Noriega from power andOperation Desert Storm in the 1991Persian Gulf War. During these events, Powell earned the nickname "the reluctant warrior" – although Powell himself disputed this label, and spoke in favor of the first Bush administration's Gulf War policies.[57]
As amilitary strategist, Powell advocated an approach to military conflicts that maximizes the potential for success and minimizes casualties. A component of this approach is the use of overwhelming force, which he applied to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. His approach has been dubbed thePowell Doctrine.[58] Powell continued as chairman of the JCS into theClinton presidency. However, as arealist, he considered himself a bad fit for an administration largely made up ofliberal internationalists.[59] He clashed with then-U.S. ambassador to the United NationsMadeleine Albright over theBosnian crisis, as he opposed any military intervention that did not involve U.S. interests.[60]
Powell also regularly clashed with Secretary of DefenseLeslie Aspin, whom he was initially hesitant to support after Aspin was nominated by President Clinton.[61] During a lunch meeting between Powell and Aspin in preparation ofOperation Gothic Serpent, Aspin was more focused on eating salad than listening and paying attention to Powell's presentation on military operations.[61] The incident caused Powell to grow more irritated towards Aspin and led to his early resignation on 30 September 1993. Powell was succeeded temporarily byVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff AdmiralDavid E. Jeremiah, who took the position as Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Soon after Powell's resignation, on 3–4 October 1993, theBattle of Mogadishu, the aim of which was to capture Somali warlordMohamed Farrah Aidid, was initiated and ended in disaster. Powell later defended Aspin, saying in part that he could not fault Aspin for Aspin's decision to remove aLockheed AC-130 from the list of armaments requested for the operation.[62]
Powell took an early resignation from his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 30 September 1993.[63]
The following year President Clinton sent newly retired Powell, together with former president Jimmy Carter and Senator Sam Nunn, to visit Haiti in an effort to persuade General Raoul Cédras and the ruling junta to abdicate in favor of former Haitian President Aristide, under the threat of an imminent US invasion to remove them by force. Powell's status as a retired general was well known and respected in Haiti and was held to be instrumental in persuading Gen. Cédras.[63]
Powell, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, waves from his motorcade during the Persian Gulf War Welcome Home Parade in New York City
Powell's experience in military matters made him a very popular figure with both American political parties. ManyDemocrats admired his moderate stance on military matters, while manyRepublicans saw him as a great asset associated with the successes of past Republican administrations. Put forth as a potential Democratic vice presidential nominee in the1992 U.S. presidential election[78] or even potentially replacing Vice PresidentDan Quayle as the Republican vice presidential nominee,[79] Powell eventually declared himself a Republican and began to campaign for Republican candidates in 1995.[80][81] He was touted as a possible opponent ofBill Clinton in the1996 U.S. presidential election, possibly capitalizing on a split conservative vote in Iowa[82] and even leading New Hampshire polls for the GOP nomination,[83] but Powell declined, citing a lack of passion for politics.[84] Powell defeated Clinton 50–38 in a hypothetical match-up proposed to voters in theexit polls conducted on Election Day.[85] Despite not standing in the race, Powell won the RepublicanNew Hampshire Vice-Presidential primary on write-in votes.[86]
In 1997, Powell foundedAmerica's Promise with the objective of helping children from allsocioeconomic sectors. That same year saw the establishment of TheColin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service. The mission of the center is to "prepare new generations of publicly engaged leaders from populations previously underrepresented in public service and policy circles, to build a strong culture of civic engagement at City College, and to mobilize campus resources to meet pressing community needs and serve the public good".[87]
President-electGeorge W. Bush named Powell as his nominee to be secretary of state in a ceremony at his ranch inCrawford, Texas on 16 December 2000.[93] This made Powell the first person to formally accept a Cabinet post in the Bush administration,[93][94] as well the first blackUnited States secretary of state.[13] As secretary of state, Powell was perceived as moderate. Powell was unanimously confirmed by theUnited States Senate by voice vote on 20 January 2001,[95] and ceremonially sworn in on 26 January.[96][97] Over the course of his tenure he traveled less than any other U.S. Secretary of State in thirty years.[98] This is partly attributed to a letter from former diplomatGeorge F. Kennan, who advised Powell to focus on his duties as the president's principal foreign policy advisor and avoid trips that risked undercutting the duties of theambassadors.[99]
OnSeptember 11, 2001, Powell was inLima, Peru, meeting with presidentAlejandro Toledo and attending a meeting of foreign ministers of theOrganization of American States.[100][101] After theterror attacks that day, Powell's job became of critical importance in managing the United States of America's relationships with foreign countries to secure a stable coalition in theWar on Terrorism.[citation needed] Powell’s diplomatic skills led to immediateconsensus, and theInter-American Democratic Charter was approved by acclamation on September 11, 2001. The charter is regarded as one of the most comprehensive inter-American documents, created to promote and strengthen democratic ideas, practices, and culture among the states of the Americas.[102]
My second purpose today is ... to share with you what the United States knows about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction ... Iraq's behavior demonstrate that Saddam Hussein and his regime have made no effort ... to disarm as required by the international community. Indeed, the facts and Iraq's behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction ... every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence.
— Colin Powell,Address to the United Nations Security Council[103]
Powell came under fire for his role inbuilding the case for the2003 invasion of Iraq. A 2004 report by theIraq Survey Group concluded that the evidence that Powell offered to support the allegation that the Iraqi government possessedweapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was inaccurate.[104] As early as 2000 on the day Powell was nominated to be Secretary of State he told the press "Saddam is sitting on a failed regime that is not going to be around in a few years time".[105]
Powell's chief role was togarner international support for a multi-nationalcoalition to mount the invasion. To this end, Powelladdressed a plenary session of theUnited Nations Security Council on 5 February 2003, to argue in favor of military action.[109] Citing numerous anonymous Iraqi defectors, Powell asserted that "there can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein hasbiological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more, many more". Powell also stated that there was "no doubt in my mind" that Saddam was working to obtain key components to produce nuclear weapons.[103] Powell stated that he gave his speech to the UN on "four days' notice".[110][111]
A Senate report on intelligence failures would later detail the intense debate that went on behind the scenes on what to include in Powell's speech. State Department analysts had found dozens of factual problems in drafts of the speech. Some of the claims were taken out, but others were left in, such as claims based on theyellowcake forgery.[114] The administration came under fire for having acted on faulty intelligence, particularly that which was single-sourced to the informant known asCurveball. Powell later recounted how Vice PresidentDick Cheney had joked with him before he gave the speech, telling him, "You've got high poll ratings; you can afford to lose a few points". Powell's longtimeaide-de-camp and Chief of Staff from 1989 to 2003, ColonelLawrence Wilkerson, later characterized Cheney's view of Powell's mission as to "go up there and sell it, and we'll have moved forward a peg or two. Fall on your damn sword and kill yourself, and I'll be happy, too".[115]
In September 2005, Powell was asked about the speech during an interview withBarbara Walters and responded that it was a "blot" on his record. He went on to say, "It will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now".[116]
Wilkerson later said that he inadvertently participated in a hoax on the American people in preparing Powell's erroneous testimony before the United Nations Security Council.[117]
As recounted inSoldier: The Life of Colin Powell, in 2001 before 9/11,Richard A. Clarke, aNational Security Council holdover from the Clinton administration, pushed the new Bush administration for action against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, a move opposed byPaul Wolfowitz who advocated for the creation of a "U.S.-protected, opposition-run 'liberated' enclave around the southern Iraqi city of Basra".[118] Powell referred to Wolfowitz and other top members of Donald Rumsfeld's staff "as the 'JINSA crowd,' " in reference to the pro-IsraelJewish Institute for National Security Affairs.[119] Again invoking "the JINSA crowd" Powell also attributed the decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003 to theneoconservative belief that regime change in Baghdad "was a first and necessary stop on the road to peace in Jerusalem".[120]
A review ofSoldier byTim Rutten criticized Powell's remarks as a "blot on his record", accusing Powell of slandering "neoconservatives in the Defense Department – nearly all of them Jews" with "old and wholly unmeritorious allegations of dual loyalty".[121] A 2007 article about fears that Jewish groups "will be accused of driving America into a war with the regime in Tehran" cited the DeYoung biography and quoted JINSA's then-executive director, Thomas Neumann, as "surprised" Powell "would single out a Jewish group when naming those who supported the war". Neumann said, "I am not accusing Powell of anything, but these are words that the antisemites will use in the future".[122]
OnceSaddam Hussein had been deposed, Powell's renewed role was to once again establish a working international coalition, this time to assist in the rebuilding of post-war Iraq. On 13 September 2004, Powell testified before theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee,[123] acknowledging that the sources who provided much of the information in his February 2003 UN presentation were "wrong" and that it was "unlikely" that any stockpiles of WMDs would be found. Claiming that he was unaware that some intelligence officials questioned the information prior to his presentation, Powell pushed for reform in the intelligence community, including the creation of a national intelligence director who would assure that "what one person knew, everyone else knew".[124]
Additionally, Powell was critical of other aspects ofU.S. foreign policy in the past, such as its support for the1973 Chilean coup d'état that deposed the democratically elected presidentSalvador Allende in favor ofAugusto Pinochet. From two separate interviews in 2003, Powell stated in one about the 1973 event: "I can't justify or explain the actions and decisions that were made at that time. It was a different time. There was a great deal of concern about communism in this part of the world. Communism was a threat to the democracies in this part of the world. It was a threat to the United States".[125] In another interview, he also simply stated: "With respect to your earlier comment about Chile in the 1970s and what happened with Mr. Allende, it is not a part of American history that we're proud of."[126]
In theHainan Island incident of 1 April 2001, a United States USEP-3 surveillance aircraft collided mid-air with a ChineseShenyang J-8 jet fighter over the South China Sea.[127] While somewhat ambiguous, Powell's expression of "very sorry" was accepted as sufficient for the formal apology that China had sought.[127] The incident was nonetheless a serious flare-up inUnited States-China relations and created negative feelings towards the United States by the Chinese public and increased public feelings ofChinese nationalism.[127]
In September 2004, Powell described theDarfur genocide as "genocide", thus becoming the first cabinet member to apply the term "genocide" to events in an ongoing conflict.[128]
In November the president "forced Powell to resign", according toWalter LaFeber.[6] Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on 15 November 2004, shortly after Bush was reelected. Bush's desire for Powell to resign was communicated to Powell via a phone call by Bush's chief of staff,Andrew Card.[115] The following day, Bush nominated National Security AdvisorCondoleezza Rice as Powell's successor.[129]
In mid-November, Powell stated that he had seen new evidence suggesting that Iran was adapting missiles for a nuclear delivery system. The accusation came at the same time as the settlement of an agreement between Iran, theIAEA, and the European Union.[130]
Although biographer Jeffrey J. Matthews is highly critical of how Powell misled the United Nations Security Council regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he credits Powell with a series of achievements at the State Department. These include restoration of morale to psychologically demoralized professional diplomats, leadership of the internationalHIV/AIDS initiative, resolving a crisis with China, and blocking efforts to tie Saddam Hussein to the9/11 attacks on the United States.[131]
After retiring from the role of Secretary of State, Powell returned to private life. In April 2005, he was privately telephoned by Republican senatorsLincoln Chafee andChuck Hagel,[132] at which time Powell expressed reservations and mixed reviews about the nomination ofJohn Bolton asambassador to the United Nations, but refrained from advising the senators to oppose Bolton (Powell had clashed with Bolton during Bush's first term).[133] The decision was viewed as potentially dealing significant damage to Bolton's chances of confirmation. Bolton was put into the position via arecess appointment because of the strong opposition in the Senate.[134]
On 28 April 2005, an opinion piece inThe Guardian bySidney Blumenthal (a former top aide to PresidentBill Clinton) claimed that Powell was in fact "conducting a campaign" against Bolton because of the acrimonious battles they had had while working together, which among other things had resulted in Powell cutting Bolton out of talks with Iran andLibya after complaints about Bolton's involvement from the British. Blumenthal added that "The foreign relations committee has discovered that Bolton made a highly unusual request and gained access to 10 intercepts by theNational Security Agency. Staff members on the committee believe that Bolton was probably spying on Powell, his senior advisors and other officials reporting to him on diplomatic initiatives that Bolton opposed".[135]
In September 2005, Powell criticized the response toHurricane Katrina, and said thousands of people were not properly protected because they were poor, rather than because they were black.[136]
On 5 January 2006, he participated in a meeting at theWhite House of former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreign policy with Bush administration officials. In September 2006, Powell sided with more moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights for detainees and opposing President Bush's terrorism bill. He backed SenatorsJohn Warner,John McCain, andLindsey Graham in their statement that U.S. military and intelligence personnel in future wars will suffer for abuses committed in 2006 by the U.S. in the name of fighting terrorism. Powell stated that "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism".[137]
In 2007, he joined the board of directors ofSteve Case's new companyRevolution Health. Powell also served on theCouncil on Foreign Relations Board of directors.[138] In 2008, Powell served as a spokesperson forNational Mentoring Month, a campaign held each January to recruit volunteer mentors for at-risk youth.[139] Soon afterBarack Obama's2008 election, Powell began being mentioned as a possiblecabinet member.[140] He was not nominated. In September 2009, Powell advised President Obama against surging U.S. forces in Afghanistan.[141] The president announced the surge the following December.
In a September 2006 letter toJohn McCain, Powell expressed opposition to President Bush's push formilitary tribunals of those formerly and currently classified asenemy combatants. Specifically, he objected to the effort in Congress to "redefine Common Article 3 of theGeneva Convention". He also asserted: "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism".[150]
At the 2007Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado,[151] Powell stated that he had spent two and a half hours explaining to President Bush "the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers". During this discussion, he insisted that the U.S. appeal to the United Nations first, but if diplomacy failed, he would support the invasion: "I also had to say to him that you are the President, you will have to make the ultimate judgment, and if the judgment is this isn't working and we don't think it is going to solve the problem, then if military action is undertaken I'm with you, I support you".[152]
In a 2008 interview onCNN, Powell reiterated his support for the 2003 decision toinvade Iraq in the context of his endorsement ofBarack Obama, stating: "My role has been very, very straightforward. I wanted to avoid a war. The president [Bush] agreed with me. We tried to do that. We couldn't get it through the U.N. and when the president made the decision, I supported that decision. And I've never blinked from that. I've never said I didn't support a decision to go to war".[153]
Powell's position on theIraq War troop surge of 2007 was less consistent. In December 2006, he expressed skepticism that the strategy would work and whether the U.S. military had enough troops to carry it out successfully. He stated: "I am not persuaded that another surge of troops intoBaghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work".[154] Following his endorsement of Barack Obama in October 2008, however, Powell praisedGeneral David Petraeus and U.S. troops, as well as the Iraqi government, concluding that "it's starting to turn around".[153] By mid-2009, he had concluded a surge of U.S. forces in Iraq should have come sooner, perhaps in late 2003.[155]
McCain won the Republican presidential nomination, but the Democrats nominated the first black candidate, SenatorBarack Obama of Illinois. On 19 October 2008, Powell announced his endorsement of Obama during aMeet the Press interview, citing "his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities", in addition to his "style and substance". He additionally referred to Obama as a "transformational figure".[158][159] Powell further questioned McCain's judgment in appointingSarah Palin as the vice presidential candidate, stating that despite the fact that she is admired, "now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president". He said that Obama's choice for vice president,Joe Biden, was ready to be president. He also added that he was "troubled" by the "false intimations that Obama was Muslim". Powell stated that "[Obama] is a Christian – he's always been a Christian... But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America". Powell then mentionedKareem Rashad Sultan Khan, aMuslim American soldier in theU.S. Army who served and died in the Iraq War. He later stated, "Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower [...] I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me".[158][159] Powell concluded hisSunday morning talk show comments with "It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that [...] I think we need atransformational figure. I think we need a president who is agenerational change and that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. John McCain".[160] Later in a 12 December 2008,CNN interview withFareed Zakaria, Powell reiterated his belief that during the last few months of the campaign, Palin pushed the Republican party further to theright and had a polarizing impact on it.[161]
When asked why he was still a Republican onMeet the Press he said, "I'm still a Republican. And I think the Republican Party needs me more than the Democratic Party needs me. And you can be a Republican and still feel strongly about issues such as immigration, and improving our education system, and doing something about some of the social problems that exist in our society and our country. I don't think there's anything inconsistent with this".[162]
In a July 2009CNN interview withJohn King, Powell expressed concern over President Obama increasing the size of the federal government and the size of the federal budget deficit.[163] In September 2010, he criticized theObama administration for not focusing "like a razor blade" on the economy and job creation. Powell reiterated that Obama was a "transformational figure".[164] In a video that aired on CNN.com in November 2011, Colin Powell said in reference to Barack Obama, "many of his decisions have been quite sound. The financial system was put back on a stable basis".[165]
On 25 October 2012, 12 days before thepresidential election, he gave his endorsement to President Obama for re-election during a broadcast ofCBS This Morning. He considered the administration to have had success and achieved progress in foreign and domestic policy arenas. As additional reasons for his endorsement, Powell cited the changing positions and perceived lack of thoughtfulness ofMitt Romney on foreign affairs, and a concern for the validity of Romney's economic plans.[166]
In an interview withABC'sDiane Sawyer andGeorge Stephanopoulos during ABC's coverage of President Obama's second inauguration, Powell criticized members of the Republican Party who spread "things that demonize the president". He called on GOP leaders to publicly denounce such talk.[167]
Powell was vocal about the state of the Republican Party. Speaking at a Washington Ideas forum in 2015, he warned the audience that the Republican Party had begun a move to the fringe right, lessening the chances of a Republican presidency in the future. On Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump's statements regarding immigrants, Powell noted there were many immigrants working in Trump hotels.[168]
Powell accused theHillary Clinton campaign of trying to pin heremail controversy on him. Speaking toPeople magazine, Powell said "she was using [the private email server] for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did".[170]
On 13 September 2016, emails were obtained that revealed Powell's private communications regarding both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Powell privately reiterated his comments regarding Clinton's email scandal, writing, "I have told Hillary's minions repeatedly that they are making a mistake trying to drag me in, yet they still try", and complaining that "Hillary's mafia keeps trying to suck me into it".[171] In another email, Powell said she should have told everyone what she did "two years ago", and said that she has not "been covering herself with glory". Writing on the2012 Benghazi attack controversy surrounding Clinton, Powell said to then U.S. AmbassadorSusan Rice, "Benghazi is a stupid witch hunt". Commenting on Clinton in a general sense, he mused that "Everything HRC touches she kind of screws up with hubris", and "I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect".[172]Powell publicly endorsed Clinton on 25 October 2016, "because I think she's qualified, and the other gentleman is not qualified".[173]In private emails, Powell called Donald Trump a "national disgrace" with "no sense of shame". He wrote of Trump's role in thebirther movement, which he called "racist". He suggested the media ignore Trump: "To go on and call him an idiot just emboldens him". The emails were obtained by the media as the result of a hack.[174]
Despite not running in the 2016 federal elections, Powell received three electoral votes for president fromfaithless electors in Washington who had pledged to vote for Clinton, coming in third overall.[175] After Barack Obama, he was the second black person to receive electoral votes in a presidential election.[176]
In an interview in October 2019, Powell warned that the GOP needed to "get a grip" and put the country before their party, standing up to president Trump rather than worrying about political fallout. He said: "When they see things that are not right, they need to say something about it because our foreign policy is in shambles right now, in my humble judgment, and I see things happening that are hard to understand".[177] On 7 June 2020, Powell announced he would be voting for former vice presidentJoe Biden in the2020 United States presidential election.[178] In August, Powell delivered a speech in support of Biden's candidacy at the2020 Democratic National Convention.[179]
As a hobby, Powell restored oldVolvo andSaab automobiles.[182][183] In 2013, he faced questions about his relationship with the Romanian diplomatCorina Crețu, after a hackedAOL email account had been made public. He acknowledged a "very personal" email relationship but denied further involvement.[184] He was anEpiscopalian.[185][186][187]
Powell's coffin is carried by an Armed Forces body bearer team at his funeral on 5 November 2021
The coat of arms of Colin Powell was granted by theLord Lyon in Edinburgh on 3 February 2004. Technically the grant was to Powell's father (a British subject) to be passed on by descent. Scotland'sKing of Arms is traditionally responsible for granting arms to Commonwealth citizens of Scottish descent.The swords and stars refer to the former general's career, as does the crest, which is the badge of the 101st Airborne (which he served as a brigade commander in the mid-1970s). The lion may be an allusion to Scotland. The shield can be shown surrounded by the insignia of an honorary Knight Commander of the Most HonorableOrder of the Bath (KCB), an award the General received after the first Gulf War.
In 1990, Powell received the U.S. SenatorJohn Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award given out annually byJefferson Awards.[197]
On 23 April 1991, Powell was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal "in recognition of his exemplary performance as a military leader and advisor to the President in planning and coordinating the military response of the United States to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the ultimate retreat and defeat of Iraqi forces and Iraqi acceptance of all United Nations Resolutions relating to Kuwait".[200]
On 30 September 1993, Powell was awarded his second Presidential Medal of Freedom, this time with the additional "with distinction" by PresidentBill Clinton.[72]
The 2002Liberty Medal was awarded to Colin Powell on 4 July inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. In his acceptance speech, Powell reminded Americans that "It is for America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, to help freedom ring across the globe, unto all the peoples thereof. That is our solemn obligation, and we will not fail".[205]
In 2003, an elementary school named after Powell was opened inCentreville, Virginia. Powell visited the school in 2013.[206]
In 2006, TheHarry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace atThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded Colin Powell with the Truman Peace Prize for his efforts to conduct the "war against terrorism", through diplomatic as well as military means, and to avert regional and civil conflicts in many parts of the world.[217]
In September 2012,Union City, New Jersey, opened Colin Powell Elementary School, which was named after Powell, and which was dedicated on 7 February 2013, with governorChris Christie in attendance.[218] Powell himself visited the school on 4 June 2013.[219]
^Despite his parents' pronunciation of his name as/ˈkɒlɪn/KOL-in, Powell pronounced his name/ˈkoʊlɪn/KOH-lin from childhood on after the World War II flyerColin Kelly.[1] The preferred pronunciation of "Powell" rhymes with "bowel", not with "Joel".[2]
^"Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell and Mario Cuomo, former governor of New York State, each a former Shabbos goy, both share fond recollections of their youth, when they were uniquely qualified to lend a Jewish neighbor a hand." Fertig, Avi. "Glatt Kosher Adventure To The Land Down Under",The Jewish Press, November 21, 2007.
^ab"Colin Powell Fast Facts". CNN. 2 April 2017.Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved26 April 2017.Education: City College of New York, B.S. in geology, 1958; George Washington University, M.B.A., 1971; National War College, 1976
^"About Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.)". The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, The City College of New York. 2 July 2015.Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved26 April 2017.He attended New York City public schools and the City College of New York. At the behest of his father, he began his college education as acivil engineering major but by his own admission he didn't earn high grades. He quickly switched his major togeology where he performed better but was still a C average student .
^Schwab, Nikki (30 May 2012)."Colin Powell: bad student".Washington Examiner.Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved26 April 2017.My cousins became lawyers and doctors and judges and I just sort of hung around," he recalled. "I had a straight C average all the way through high school and the City College of New York – I'm not sure how I got in.
^"General Colin Luther Powell".Army History.org. Ft. Belvoir, VA: The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. 2022. Retrieved1 August 2022.
^Finlayson, Reggie (2003).Colin Powell. Biography (A & E). Twenty-First Century Books. p. 55.ISBN978-0822549666.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved7 December 2012.
^Kukielski, Philip (2019).The U.S. Invasion of Grenada : legacy of a flawed victory. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. pp. 209–10, 218.ISBN978-1-4766-7879-5.OCLC1123182247.
^abcWalsh, Lawrence E. (1997).Firewall: The Iran–Contra Conspiracy and Cover-up. New York: Norton & Company.ISBN978-0-3933-1860-9.
^abWalsh, Lawrence (4 August 1993).Final Report of the Independent Counsel for Iran/Contra Matters (Report). Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. xx, 70, 92, 341,406–11, 414,416–17, 421, 423,427–28,430–32, 434, 436,438–40. Retrieved19 October 2021.
^abPerry, Mark (2017).The Pentagon's wars: the military's undeclared war against America's presidents. New York.ISBN978-0-465-07971-1.OCLC972386823.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"U.S. Sen. Kasten Pushing Effort To Award Powell With Historic Fifth Star".Jet. Vol. 79, no. 23. March 1991.ISSN0021-5996.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved21 February 2011....there is a movement afoot in the U.S. Senate to award an historic fifth star to the nation's first Black Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin L. Powell for his military proficiency.
^Italia, Bob (1991).Armed Forces: War in the Gulf. Abdo & Daughters. pp. 44–46.ISBN978-1-56239-026-6.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved21 February 2011.Others want to make him a five-star general. [...] Congress is talking about giving him a fifth silver star, which is very rare.
^Stephanopoulos, George (1999).All Too Human: A Political Education. Thorndike Press. pp. 330–31.ISBN978-0-7862-2016-8.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved21 February 2011.Mack asked me to secretly research the procedure for awarding a fifth star to a general. [...] If Powell did challenge Clinton, the fifth star would forestall criticism of the general's military record.
^Hamilton, Nigel (2007).Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency. PublicAffairs. pp. 190, 399.ISBN978-1-58648-516-0.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved21 February 2011.Moreover, for the very reason he admired Colin Powell as the most distinguished living black American, Clinton also feared the general as a potential rival. [...] Bill Clinton had denied Powell his rightful fifth star...
^Halberstam, David (2001).War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals. Scribner. p. 190.ISBN978-0-7432-0212-1.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved22 February 2011.They checked it out and found that the last general to get a fifth star was Omar Bradley forty-three years earlier. Powell, they decided, was not Bradley. Besides, as George Stephanopoulos noted, if they gave him one more star, it might help him one day politically.
^abClinton, W. J. (30 September 1993)."Remarks on the Retirement of General Colin Powell in Arlington, Virginia".University of California, Santa Barbara: The American Presidency Project.Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved18 September 2016.In recognition of your legacy and service, of your courage and accomplishment, today, General Powell, I was honored to present you with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with distinction. I want to tell all those here in attendance that this was the second Medal of Freedom you have received, the first from President Bush in 1991. And today, you became only the second American citizen in the history of the Republic to be the recipient of two Medals of Freedom.
^"Parvanov-Powell". President of the Republic of Bulgaria. 7 December 2004.Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved7 November 2007.President Georgi Parvanov awarded US Secretary of State Colin Powell with the highest Bulgarian order "Stara Planina" for his extraordinary services to the advancement of Bulgarian-American relations and in connection with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the United States.
^Schram, Martin (21 January 1995)."Don't Count Out Colin Powell".The Seattle Times.Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved24 October 2008.
^Lusane, Clarence (2006).Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice: Foreign Policy, Race and the New American Century. Westport, CT: Praeger,ISBN978-0275983093,OCLC238778470, p. 46.
^Plissner, Martin (7 February 2007)."Ready for Obama Already".The New York Times.Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved19 October 2008.
^Blumenthal, Sidney (28 April 2005)."The good soldier's revenge".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved3 February 2007.
^Blumenthal, Sidney (18 November 2004)."Colin and the crazies".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved3 February 2007.
^Hassler, Becky (15 September 1998)."1998 Sylvanus Thayer AWard".West Point Association of Graduates.Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved19 October 2021.
^Powell, Colin (4 July 2002)."2002 Liberty Medal Acceptance Speech". Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: National Constitution Center.Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved16 January 2008.
^"GEN Colin Powell". 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved1 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Asante, Molefi Kete (2002).100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Amherst, New York. Prometheus Books.ISBN1-57392-963-8.
^According to theFort Bliss Bugle, as of October 24, 2013, nine schools have been named for Colin Powell.
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