In his role as Joint Chiefs of Staff, he oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait in response to the Iraqi invasion of that country in 1991.
Powell’s reputation was dealt a blow when, in 2003, he addressed the United Nations Security Council at the behest of President George W. Bush and made the case for war against Iraq. Powell told the United Nations, citing faulty information, that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction.
The family of Powell said on social media posts that Powell was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The family thanked Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for their care of Powell.
“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” the family said.
Former President Bush said he and former First Lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.
“He was a great public servant” and “widely respected at home and abroad,” Bush said. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein offered her condolences to Alma Powell, Colin Powell’s widow, and the Powell family, saying, “He was truly a great statesman and a man of deep integrity,” in a release.
“His life gave inspiration to millions. Rising from humble roots in New York as the son of Jamaican immigrants, he became the first African- American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the culmination of a 35-year military career. And he was the first African-American Secretary of State, a position he held for four years.
“I hope that people will reflect on Colin Powell’s passing and remember a man who served his country with compassion and honor.”
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Citing Faulty Information says
Good riddance.
Ares22 says
. My comment yesterday was removed and censored. So much for free speech. One and done.
Tim Scott says
Gee, that’s too bad. I was hoping to see you violate the user agreement and get deleted many more times before you went away to sulk.
Landscatter says
@tim your data is as skewed as is your moral compass. But you already know that. If you believe anyone is giving us the whole truth then you are as dumb as most of your self serving self righteous comments.
Tim Scott says
LOL…
“Your data is skewed!”
Wanna bet?
You Trumpists have bought into the whole “there is no truth” thing, so you can’t argue intelligently. You say “oh that source is no good” to anything you disagree with, and since you know that “I saw something different on a right wing blog and I’m choosing to believe that instead” will just get you laughed at you claim “there is no data and I believe whatever I want.” It’s just gross seeing so many people claim ignorance.
There ARE facts. There ARE organizations collecting the reported data from state officials. They release that data. You want to believe your dingbat sources that are just making crap up as they go along, fine. But your belief in nonsense won’t make the nonsense into facts.
Penny says
So much for the vaccine –
RIP Mr. Powell says
He was also battling multiple myeloma, a cancer of white blood cells in the bone marrow. His immune system was already very compromised
Claire says
You are right, his immune system was already compromised battling multiple myeloma. A great man, a humble man.
Tim Scott says
Yeah…it can’t save an immune compromised 84 year old with cancer. Obviously useless. Now, on a less sarcastic note…
Mortality rates from covid over the last thirty days, by state, run almost exactly opposite to the vaccination rate by state. Even New Jersey, which still has a very high mortality rate overall due to being one of the hardest hit states in the initial outbreak, has had very low morbidity rate through the delta variant surge; lower than California, and not coincidentally New Jersey has a high vaccination rate than we have.
There may be some validity to the argument that the vaccine was rolled out without the normal testing, but the experience in the real world has demonstrated that it is very effective. States where the governor went to CPAC to crow about how they “prevented vaccinations in their state and kept the US from meeting Biden’s July 4th vaccination goals” have never caught up. For example Florida has a very low vaccination rate and has “enjoyed” almost five times as many deaths per hundred thousand people as California during the delta surge.
There is no reason for Florida to have not been able to keep up with us in vaccinations other than Governor DeathSantis wanting to impress conservatives, so four out of five covid deaths in Florida during the delta surge were preventable and should be charged directly to their governor and the GOP death cult.
Claire says
His bout with cancer and other issues.
The statistics can be verified says
No vaccine is perfect because not all immune systems are capable of being jump-started. Powell essentially had no immune system because of his melanoma.
Statistics are extremely compelling however. How many public figures (and personal acquaintances) do you know who died after vaccination vs those not vaccinated? Powell’s the only one I’ve heard of to die after vaccination & I’ve heard of many who were not. The vaccination is saving about 90% of those who take it.