General Colin Powell, former secretary of state, has died from Covid complications despite being fully vaccinated. He received treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center before succumbing to the virus.
His family announced via a Facebook post about his death.
In 1989 General Colin Powell became the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He later went on to become the first black secretary of state serving in President George W. Bush’s cabinet from 2001-2005.
The State Department described Powell, a Republican, as being “one of the foremost supporters” of taking “swift military action” against al Qaeda. Powell demanded “immediate” cooperation from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the U.S. effort to hunt down those responsible for the attacks. When Bush’s administration focused their attention on Iraq, Powell was the one who pushed for the UN inspectors to investigate Saddam Hussein and his WMDs. He presented evidence to the UN in February 2003 that supported those claims. Just a year later though the State Department admitted that some of the evidence that Powell presented was erroneous.
Reported from Fox News:
Former President George W. Bush released a statement on General Colin Powell’s passing Monday morning.
“Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell,” he said. “He was highly respected at home and abroad. 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.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney also released a statement on his passing, saying he was “deeply saddened to learn that America has lost a leader and a statesman.”
“General Powell had a remarkably distinguished career, and I was fortunate to work with him,” Cheney said, adding that he “was a man who loved his country and served her long and well.”
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