Speculation that Powell may quit caps bad week for Bush cabinet

The Telegraph ^ | 6-15-02 | By Toby Harnden

[Salvation]

Speculation that Powell may quit caps bad week for Bush cabinet
By Toby Harnden in Washington
(Filed: 15/06/2002)

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, is becoming so frustrated at being undermined by the White House that he may stand down after the mid-term elections, according to some American diplomats.

The damaging speculation sweeping Gen Powell's Foggy Bottom headquarters has been dismissed as unfounded by senior State Department sources, but it caps a very bad week for President George W Bush's cabinet.

	Gen Powell could become a powerful focus of discontent outside the Bush cabinet

John Ashcroft, the attorney-general, was reprimanded for his announcement of the arrest of an alleged "dirty bomber". Donald Rumsfeld, the secretary of defence, was forced to make an embarrassing retreat over claims of al-Qa'eda activity in Kashmir.

But the biggest problem has been the simmering internal dispute over Middle East policy, which burst into the open when Gen Powell contradicted Mr Bush and Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, appeared dismissive of the secretary of state.

Gen Powell, who led US forces to victory in the Gulf war, is a towering figure in American politics. His domestic approval ratings top even those of Mr Bush.

The Foreign Office and continental diplomats view him as the "moderate" and pragmatic face of a unilateralist Bush administration. "It's fair to say that Powell is the one we can do business with," said one British official.

His premature departure would be seen as disastrous by the White House, not least because he could become a powerful focus of discontent if he were outside the administration.

The tensions between Gen Powell and senior figures such as Mr Rumsfeld have been exacerbated by the White House contradicting the State Department on key foreign policy issues.

Officials at the Pentagon privately accuse Gen Powell of a tendency to "freelance" and consider himself the most important figure in the administration.

The trouble began on Monday when Mr Bush gave unequivocal backing to Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, and appeared to rubbish Gen Powell's proposed ministerial conference on the Middle East.

"It totally undercut what we were trying to do and was very damaging," said a State Department source. "We have spent the rest of the week trying to reassure Arab nations that the president was misinterpreted." There was also considerable State Department anger directed towards Mr Fleischer.

On Wednesday, Mr Fleischer answered a question about whether Mr Bush supported Gen Powell's stance on a provisional Palestinian state by saying the president was "listening to a variety of people who have some thoughts to share".

He added: "The secretary [Mr Powell] from time to time will reflect on the advice that he gets, and do so publicly. Which is his prerogative, of course."

Mr Bush is expected to announce next week that he is in favour of establishing a timetable for an interim Palestinian state. But a titanic battle is going on within the administration, with Mr Rumsfeld's allies saying Mr Sharon should be given a free hand.

This appears to be Mr Bush's instinct but, as a president with limited foreign policy experience, he can tend to be pushed one way and then the other by competing advisers.

Mr Rumsfeld, who is described by his enemies within the administration as abrasive and arrogant, has annoyed the State Department with his "Rummygrams" - notes that question Gen Powell's policies or offer unsolicited advice.

One recent note from Mr Rumsfeld cited a newspaper article suggesting that Gen Powell's officials favoured lifting sanctions against Libya. "Is this true?" he asked.

The Pentagon chief has been overhead correcting Mr Powell's pronunciation of Kabul - the stress should be on the second syllable, he insisted - and poking fun at him for describing Afghans as "Afghanis".

Officials dismiss this as nothing more than jocular banter and it is true that there seems to be no personal animus between the two men. But this means that the dispute is ideological - which could be more damaging to the Bush administration in the long term.

Since September 11, Mr Bush has tended to tilt towards conservative hawks such as Mr Rumsfeld on important issues such as withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and targeting Iraq.

"He is intensely loyal to the president but there may well come a point when Gen Powell will wonder whether it is worth being secretary of state if he cannot shape American foreign policy," said the State Department official.

"After all, he can earn millions of dollars a year on the lecture circuit and still spend three times as much time with his wife."

	14 June 2002: Confusion as White House shifts its policy on Middle East
	14 June 2002: Rumsfeld in U-turn to calm anger in Pakistan
	13 June 2002: Powell and Bush drift apart on Middle East
	13 June 2002: US climbdown over 'dirty bomb' claim
	13 June 2002: Al-Qa'eda are in Kashmir, says Rumsfeld
	11 June 2002: US seizes terrorist in 'dirty bomb' plot
	11 June 2002: Bush abandons Arafat as Israeli tanks again besiege his HQ
	14 April 2002: White House washes its hands of Powell's struggling peace mission
	22 November 2001: Bush is pulled both ways over peace plan
	27 September 2001: Cracks start to show in approach to conflict
	26 September 2001: Hawks gang up against Powell

Related reports

	Daily Telegraph: Superpower politics
	Blair peace call to Bush
	Middle East Factfile
	Iraqi 'spy' envoy expelled

External links

	News - White House
	Press briefings - White House
	Bureau of Near East Affairs - US Department of State
	US Department of Justice
	US Department of Defence
	Briefing room - Israeli Prime Minister's Office
	Palestinian National Authority
	Global policy - Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Politics - Washington Post
	American English pronunciation - EL Easton

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002. Terms & Conditions of reading.
Commercial information.   Privacy Policy.

[Salvation]

Any comments?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I just posted this thread, same hour and minute as you, but you were first, and I asked the moderator to pull mine. The comment I put with mine was:

This story has been the subject of rumors for months, this is the first time it has been placed on a mainstream newspaper, or its website, so far as I know. This story is full of weasel words like 'may' and 'if', and it is far enough in the future (after the elections) as to be forgotten if it is wrong. This story does seem to have 'legs' however, for what it is worth.

[Jewels1091]

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, is becoming so frustrated at being undermined by the White House that he may stand down after the mid-term elections, according to some American diplomats.

EXCUSE me...but who works for who here???? Whatever policies are made are the President's NOT Powell's! Powell is do to the President's will, NOT the other way around.

[goody2shooz]

It is the responsibility of President Bush to keep his cabinet informed. He is team leader. Sounds like he isn't doing a good job with informing his team about the play plan and exactly what everyone is supposed to do and/or say.

If Secretary of State Powell is not a team member but is free-lancing and will not, or cannot, be brought into line then he ought to be canned.

Frankly I find it hard to believe that a Five Star General would NOT follow the game plan. But it has happened to other Presidents before.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

But it has happened to other Presidents before.

A noted example is Lincoln, whose commanding general McClellan actually ran against him in the next presidential election.

[jrewingjr]

"Powell may quit" would be a GOOD week as far as I am concerned. He is trying to play point guard without having to pass the ball or listen to the coach.

Put him on waivers.

[Mo1]

SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC

Donate Here By Secure Server

Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794

or you can use

PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

Thank you Registered!
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

[MissAmericanPie]

Bush should listen to Rummy on this one and give Israel a free hand. A Palestinian state, interum or otherwise is a bad, bad, idea that moves us closer to the conflict over who owns Jerusalem. The Palestinians, the Muslim world intends to own it, and destroy Israel. That will never happen, and will move the entire world to the place called Armageddon, the "Valley of Decision".

[Salvation]

I just posted this thread, same hour and minute as you, but you were first, and I asked the moderator to pull mine. The comment I put with mine was:

Same hour and minute, huh? LOL!

Thanks for the comment.

[Rockitz]

A former IDF officer was interviewed on Dr. Bob Morey's radio show the other day. Dr. Morey indicated that he thought that the "land for peace" deal should be such that if a single hair on a single Israeli were touched after such a transaction (i.e. establishment of a Palestinian state) that land should be taken back. The IDF officer responded by saying "I think that's why some people think you're a genius, Bob."

See www.BobMoreyLive.com for more about the good doctor.

[MissAmericanPie]

Thanks for the link, I just worry that once given, a state is impossible to take back given the international pressure on this situation. I think it's a Pandora's Box.

[Bonaparte]

You got it exactly right, and Powell is a loose cannon. This sort of thing has happened many, many times in our history. Lincoln had to shake up his cabinet. When Coolidge came in after Harding's death, he showed a number of sleazy cabinet members the door. More recently, Jocelyn Elders got the boot from Clinton for speaking out of turn. Powell is not only out of sympathy with Presidential policy, but with Bush's philosophy. He should go, and if the parting of ways can be a cordial one, at least for appearances sake, so much the better. He's in the way.

[MJY1288]

I would like to know how this journalist can think that the White House is undermining Colin Powell, The Secretary of State represents is appointed by and is a represenative of the President, So.. any statements made by the Sec. of State that differs from the views of the Commander-in- Chief can only be defined as one of two things. 1) A misunderstanding between the POTUS and the Sec. of State, or 2) The Sec. of State ignoring the policies of the Commander-in-Chief and therefore undermining the POTUS wishes

#2 is not an example of the relationship between the George W. Bush and Colin Powell. The media is constantly quoting and relying on the opinions of Clinton hold overs in the State Dept. they try to read between the lines and conclude there is a power struggle in the White House.

The fact is, This administration that George W. Bush assembled is one of the most experienced and respected Administrations in our Nations History, and when you have this many extremely over qualified public servants advising the POTUS it's obvious there will be conflicts and heated debates. After all.... That's what we need and want in our Republic. One of the biggest differences between G.W.B and W.J.C. is that George W. Bush selected a Cabinet that would best serve the Nation. Unlike X42 who chose a cabinet that would best serve him "first" and the Nation "second"

So let there be differences of opinion among President Bush's Cabinet, That's how it's supposed to be.

[swheats]

OMG every two months I am reading here Powell is quitting. What benefit of the media to constantly report speculation on Powell wanting to quit?

[Bonaparte]

"That's how it's supposed to be."

Differences of opinion, yes. But not grandstanding with the media. Very few presidents have put up with that.

[Nick Danger]

Not so fast, folks. Any time I read in the paper that an inanimate object is exhibiting lifelike behavior, particularly if it's causing trouble for a Republican, I start looking for an ax-grinding journalist.

Here we have "damaging speculation sweeping Gen Powell's Foggy Bottom headquarters." It's also "capping a bad week for Bush."

How does it do that? How does 'speculation' get up and start sweeping the halls? How does it cap somebody's week? It's inanimate. Left alone, it will just sit there. It's only when a liberal journalist attaches his puppet strings to it, and has it dance its way through his alleged "news" story, that this thoroughly-dead object starts to walk and talk on its own.

This is the cheapest trick in the book.

[SpringheelJack]

I have heard rumors that Powell was thinking of quitting since almost the week he was sworn in. This is purely a media-fed story, and one they've been feeding for more than a year. I believe it is more reflective of what the media would like the situation to be, rather than what it actually is.

Not that I wouldn't be sorry to see Powell go..... but I'll believe it when it happens.

[MJY1288]

I agree with you, But I could hardly call Colin Powell's comments as grandstanding. What I see is the press looking for anything they can to hurt this administration. And what could serve them better than to manufacture a conflict in this administration by parsing every word the two of them make. All I see is despiration among the lefty's in the press who would love nothing more than to see this administration in-fighting. It hasn't happened so far and I doubt it will.

[PianoMan]

Powell aside, I think the claims that this has been a very bad week for the cabinet has been a stretch. No one wants to hear about plans for a dirty bomb, but the arrest shows Aschroft doing something right. If Rumsfeld had to make an embarassing retraction, I missed it, and I'm a pretty decent news hound. I thought this whole article smelled fishy. I hope Powell quits though...put in Wolfowitz instead!!!

[LibWhacker]

Powell served his role as vote getter, and hints during the presidential campaign that he'd be given a prominent place in Dubya's administration definitely helped defeat Al Gore. But Powell has been out-of-step since day one and it's time to let him go. Dubya's got the war now and doesn't need him.