Colin Powell
From Conservapedia
General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret.) (born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-05) under President George W. Bush and a member of the Republican Party. He became the highest ranking African American government official in the history of the United States. As a General in the United States Army, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987–1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993).
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Military career
While at City College Powell joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and later described it as one of the happiest experiences of his life: finding something he loved and could do well, he had "found himself." After graduating from City College in June 1958, he was granted a commission as an Army Second Lieutenant. Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held a variety of command and staff positions and later served as a General. During his military career Powell received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Soldiers Medal.
Presidential appointments
National Security Advisor
At the age of 49, Powell became President Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor, serving from 1987 to 1989. He retained his Army commission (he was a Lieutenant General at the time of his nomination) while serving as National Security Advisor. After his tenure with the National Security Advisor, Powell was promoted to 4-star General under President George H.W. Bush.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
From 1989 to 1993, General Powell served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power in the United States invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. During these events, Powell earned his nickname, "the reluctant warrior".
Secretary of State
As Secretary of State in the Bush administration, Powell was tremendously popular among the American people. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Powell's job became of critical importance in managing America's relationships with foreign countries in order to secure a stable coalition in the War on Terrorism. He spoke out in favor of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, saying that there was "no doubt in my mind" that Saddam was working to obtain key components to produce nuclear weapons.
Powell Doctrine
After the end of Persian Gulf War in 1991, Colin Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined his vision for efficient and decisive military action. His plan is now referred to as the Powell Doctrine. the Doctrine expresses that military action should be used only as a last resort and only if there is a clear risk to national security by the intended target; the force, when used, should be overwhelming and disproportionate to the force used by the enemy; there must be strong support for the campaign by the general public; and there must be a clear exit strategy from the conflict in which the military is engaged.
Political views
Colin Powell is a liberal or moderate Republican who is pro-choice regarding abortion, supports affirmative action and "reasonable" gun control. Although Powell is against gay marriage, he supports and helped crafted the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in the United States military. He has also been critical of the current policy in Iraq. In 2005, Powell telephoned two Senator's, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska (also liberal Republicans) asking them to oppose the nomination of John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations. In September 2005, Powell criticized the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
