Warrior and diplomat Colin Powell’s lingering shadow of the Iraq war

Mr Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, went on to become a decorated US general and the first African-American secretary of state, his highly respected career tarnished by his unwavering defense of the Iraq war.

As President Bush’s secretary of state, he went to the United Nations to make the case for the Iraq war on the grounds that it contained weapons of mass destruction. Without international expert support and sufficient evidence, France did not believe this, and two memorable images emerged at the United Nations, one of Secretary Of State Colin Powell arguing for the Iraq war, hoping for international support, and the other of America’s traditional Allies, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, who was mocked by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as “old Europe,” spoke eloquently for France’s opposition to the war.

In a passionate, poetic defense, Mr De Villepin concluded his speech: “This is an old country, France, from my continent, Europe, telling you today that it has known war, occupation and barbarism. An old nation has not forgotten and remembers its gratitude to freedom fighters from America and all other lands. However, she never gave up standing up in front of history and humanity. She wants to act firmly with all members of the international community…” .

In contrast to Mr Powell’s chilly reception, Mr De Villepin’s speech received a rare ovation. The two scenes face off so strongly that, for a long time, the antiwar and pro-war sides are reduced to two shots.

Years later, Powell acknowledged that the speech was a “blot” on his life. Yet the secretary of state who died at the age of 84 was a distinguished general who had served four American presidents with numerous honors. “General Powell is an American hero, a role model and a part of our great American story,” President Bush said when he appointed Him secretary of state in 2000. “His profound loyalty to his country, his boundless respect for American democracy, and his warrior-like sense of duty and honor will make him a great representative of all Americans,” he said.

On February 5, 2003, Powell at the UN security council over in Iraq of weapons of mass destruction the so-called made a long statement, Powell presented must be the invasion of Iraq in a series of evidence, he especially holding a bottle show, said that containing anthrax, this photo rapidly around the world, to weaken the popularity of Powell irreparable. In 2005, Mr Powell admitted: “It was a blot because I was the one who gave this speech to the world on behalf of America, and it will be on my personal record forever.”