(Washington) The United States on Friday paid tribute to “General Diplomat” Colin Powell, African-American First Secretary of State who died on October 18, during a national funeral at Washington Cathedral.
In the presence of President Joe Biden and his wife Jill and the main leaders of the Pentagon, the former head of diplomacy Madeleine Albright spoke of “a character who almost transcended history, as his virtues were Homeric: honesty, dignity, loyalty and an unwavering commitment to his profession and to keeping his word ”.
“The military adored him, his adversaries respected him, and at the State Department he was much more popular than his predecessor,” joked the one Colin Powell had succeeded as head of the State Department.
PHOTO MARCY NIGHSWANDER, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
General Colin Powell, pictured in 1991
Next to the presidential couple were former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, his predecessor George W. Bush and his wife Laura, as well as former First Lady and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Her husband Bill Clinton, who was recently hospitalized with an infection, was absent.
PHOTO EVELYN HOCKSTEIN, REUTERS
Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush attended the funeral.
Died at the age of 84 of complications from COVID-19, Colin Powell was the first African-American and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Staff, from 1989 to 1993, before becoming the first black secretary of state under the Republican presidency of George W. Bush.
His son Michael Powell paid tribute to his military commitment. “He loved the soldiers, with all his heart,” he said. “He knew that you cannot ask the soldiers what you are not ready to do yourself.”
Son of Jamaican immigrants born in Harlem, Colin Powell enlisted in 1958 in the American army where he rose through all the ranks before becoming chief of staff, making himself known for his management of the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1991.
Known for his moderate positions, he saw his career tarnished when he embodied unwavering support for the war in Iraq, when he was George W. Bush’s chief diplomat.
On February 5, 2003, he made a long speech to the UN Security Council on the weapons of mass destruction allegedly held by Iraq, arguments which served to justify the invasion of the country. In particular, he had shaken a vial containing, according to him, anthrax, an image that has remained famous.
He later admitted that this performance was a “stain” on his reputation.
PHOTO EVELYN HOCKSTEIN, REUTERS
Joe Biden and his wife Jill chatting with Alma Powell.
He had married his wife Alma in 1962, and had three children: Michael, Linda and Annemarie.