His family said that the retired four-star general died from Covid-19 complications. He was fully vaccinated against the disease.
WASHINGTON — Colin Powell, the retired four-star general who became the country's first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died Monday due to complications from Covid-19, his family said in a statement on Facebook.
Powell, 84, was fully vaccinated from Covid-19, his family said, and had been treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center, but was suffering from serious underlying conditions.
"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said.
Powell had multiple myeloma, a cancer of a type of white blood cell, which can harm the body's immune system. It’s unclear what complications he experienced from Covid-19 or when he tested positive for the disease. The family also did not say when he was vaccinated or if he had received a booster shot.
Powell became the first Black secretary of state under President George W. Bush. As the nation’s chief diplomat, Powell delivered a well-known speech to the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 laying out the White House argument for invading Iraq and stating that there was intelligence that the country had weapons of mass destruction.
U.S. troops launched an invasion the following month. The evidence he presented about Iraq having biological weapons was later proven to be incorrect. Powell left the administration shortly after Bush’s re-election in 2004.
Powell later expressed regret over the remarks before the U.N., saying in a 2005 interview with ABC News' Barbara Walters that it would tarnish his reputation and describing it as a "blot" on his record that "was painful then" and "painful now."
Bush said in a statement Monday that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death.
“He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam," Bush said. "Many presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience. He was such a favorite of presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom — twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad. And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell
Colin Luther Powell (/ˈkoʊlɪn/ KOHL-in;[1] April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, diplomat, statesman, and four-star general who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American Secretary of State.[2] Prior to the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008, he and his successor, Condoleezza Rice, were the highest-ranking African Americans in federal executive branch history (by virtue of the Secretary of State standing fourth in the presidential line of succession). He served as the 16th United States National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.
Powell was born in New York City in 1937 and was raised in the South Bronx. His parents, Luther and Maud Powell, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. He was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a bachelor's degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. He was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held many command and staff positions and rose to the rank of four-star general. He was Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command in 1989.
metmike: Powell would have made a wonderful president that could bring both parties together! Both parties actually wanted him for their side in the early 90's. This is almost inconceivable in the year 2021!
General Colin Powell, Chairman, 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. Many Democrats admired his moderate stance on military matters, while many Republicans saw him as a great asset associated with the successes of past Republican administrations. Put forth as a potential Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 1992 U.S. presidential election[52] or even potentially replacing Vice President Dan Quayle as the Republican vice presidential nominee,[53] Powell eventually declared himself a Republican and began to campaign for Republican candidates in 1995.[54][55] He was touted as a possible opponent of Bill Clinton in the 1996 U.S. presidential election, possibly capitalizing on a split conservative vote in Iowa[56] and even leading New Hampshire polls for the GOP nomination,[57] but Powell declined, citing a lack of passion for politics.[58] Powell defeated Clinton 50–38 in a hypothetical match-up proposed to voters in the exit polls conducted on Election Day.[59] Despite not standing in the race, Powell won the Republican New Hampshire Vice-Presidential primary on write-in votes.[60]
To my knowledge, he was the only government official involved in the debacle of the 2003 Iraq invasion who expressed remorse about his support of the war.
RIP
Thanks joj,
Iraq war my biggest regret, Bush admits
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/02/george-bush-iraq-interview
George Bush, in a moment of reflection ahead of his departure from the White House, last night admitted that the decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein on the basis of flawed intelligence was the biggest regret of his presidency. The acknowledgment marks the first time that Bush has publicly expressed doubts about his rationale for going to war on Iraq.
In the run-up to the war, the White House adopted a position of absolute certainty that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, basing its arguments on intelligence that was later exposed as flimsy and wrong.
Thanks Mike. I didn't know that about Bush. It raises my opinion of him a bit.
It’s interesting but I just thought that he could have been our first black president which was never my first tought about him as a great president.
Many of us never thought of him like that though.
He was just.........an American and his race never mattered.
Former President Trump lambasted the media on Tuesday for what he said was too-favorable coverage of former Secretary of State Colin Powell after his death on Monday.
"Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday," Trump said in a statement.
Trump called Powell "a classic RINO," an acronym for "Republican in name only."
"He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!" Trump added.
The former president's criticisms were unsurprising.
Trump throughout his time in office criticized Powell and other architects of the Iraq War, including former President George W. Bush, for whom Powell served as secretary of State.
Powell, in building international support for the invasion of Iraq, presented faulty intelligence to the United Nations that claimed that then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Media reports widely noted Powell's culpability for the war, while also giving accounts of his trailblazing status as the first Black secretary of State.
Powell was an ardent critic of Trump, particularly after the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Following the attack on the Capitol, Powell said he could "no longer call myself a fellow Republican."
metmike: The only thing that can OUT pathetic the psychopath Donald Trump is..........Donald Trump. Funny thing about the last quote in the article above from Powell. Trump just provided powerful evidence of EXACTLY why Powell took that position.
Larry hates Trump and is very justified. I consider him a good test for my commitment to not allow anybody, no matter how abhorrent their behavior to cause me to hate them. I haven't been tested like this since I made that commitment years ago (-: