US Allies Quietly Concerned Over Split In Bush Administration

Defense and Foreign Affairs Daily | April 2, 2002 | Gregory R. Copley

[Stand Watch Listen]

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High-level sources in a number of governments friendly to the United States have expressed concern over what now appears to be a fundamental ideological rift between the key leadership of the US Bush Administration and US Secretary of State Colin Powell. This has been exacerbated by reports that Secretary Powell has been actively considering pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidency in the 2004 election, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate.(....hmmmm..anyone else heard of this?) This would place Sec. Powell directly at odds with Pres. Bush, and the fact that the split is so profound at this point means that many foreign governments are unsure with which part of the US Administration they should deal.

Quite apart from the fact that Sec. Powell’s popularity in the first half of the Bush Administration first term made him a credible threat to the chance of a second George W. Bush term in the Presidency, the schism was seen as damaging to the US projection of its "war on terrorism" and its ability to maintain credibility in the Middle East conflict. It was now clear that many Arab leaders were pinning all of their hopes on dealing with Sec. Powell, and were, in effect, playing off the State Department (which essentially supports Secretary Powell’s negotiated approach to almost all issues) against the White House.

Both Sec. Powell and the White House have been at great pains to demonstrate mutual support since the start of the George W. Bush Administration in January 2001 — and the rift is essentially about methodology in foreign policy rather than goals — but this has not disguised the fact that Sec. Powell is the "odd man out" in developing and conducting US strategic policy, which is largely in the hands of Pres. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and their advisors. Sec. Powell, and State Department officials, have maintained a subtle media campaign on their own, not directly criticizing the Bush team, but rather attempting to highlight the differences in their approach to foreign policy.

Pres. Bush cannot dismiss Secretary Powell, without a clear confrontation from Sec. Powell, and the Secretary of State will clearly not provide this for the President. Sec. Powell remains overwhelmingly popular with the US electorate, and has been at pains to ensure that this image is sustained, making him, to all intents, politically bullet-proof. However, as one senior official in a US ally told GIS: "Do we throw our weight behind President Bush, knowing that Colin Powell might move against him at the next election? If Powell wins, many of the Bush initiatives would then be vitiated, and we would be remembered for ignoring him [Powell] as Secretary of State. This is a no-win situation for many states which would otherwise be ready to throw more weight behind the Bush strategic policy."

Not surprisingly, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasir Arafat appealed to Secretary of State Powell on April 1, 2002, to help raise the Israeli siege of his compound in Ramallah. It was clear that Arafat, and those Arab leaders supporting him, placed their hopes in Powell, rather than anyone else in the Bush Administration.

[Republican Wildcat]

This has been exacerbated by reports that Secretary Powell has been actively considering pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidency in the 2004 election, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate.

Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me.

[IncPen]

The only honorable thing for Powel to do (if this is the case) is to resign or (if not true) refute it.

[1Old Pro]

Powell has been actively considering pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidency in the 2004 election, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate

A LOSING TICKET

[habs4ever]

Interesting propaganda.Did it originate from the DNC???

[finnman69]

This has been exacerbated by reports that Secretary Powell has been actively considering pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidency in the 2004 election, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate.(....

BS

[arkfreepdom]

"This has been exacerbated by reports that Secretary Powell has been actively considering pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidency in the 2004 election, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate."

Maybe the stupidest think I've heard in months. Verrrry unlikely.

[dpwiener]

or (if not true) refute it

You do not want to get caught in that trap (i.e., refuting every absurd rumor that somebody tries to float). Otherwise you spend all your time denying rumors, and then if you fail to deny a rumor that is taken as evidence that it is true.

[mombonn]

Powell/sinator hillary! 2004 - gimme a break!

[jlogajan]

Ha ha ha. Powell would have been handed the GOP party nomination if he had wanted it. This rumor is so stupid.

[JudgeMan]

Bush should get rid of him. The sooner the better. If he's president today, he'd probably offer to negotiate peace with bin Laden and all the Arab terrorist states.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

This article appears to be horsehockey.

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

Not surprisingly, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasir Arafat appealed to Secretary of State Powell on April 1, 2002, to help raise the Israeli siege of his compound in Ramallah. It was clear that Arafat, and those Arab leaders supporting him, placed their hopes in Powell, rather than anyone else in the Bush Administration

What an Idiot. Do they think that Powell would agree to anything that went contrary to the position of the man he works for and supposedly represents?

[paul51]

(....hmmmm..anyone else heard of this?

So ridiculous it's not even worth repeating.

[tripod]

Has everyone missed the importance of this piece? The Powell/Hillery cr**p has distracted the discussion from the very real problem Powell has created by running in a different direction than Bush. He has split the administration (at least in the eyes of adversaries and some allies.) And as a result we now have "exception" policies for the Middle East. If the administation thinks that the Middle East is the only complicated region in the world and that by treating it differently they will overcome the problem they are sadly mistaken. There will be a whole host of new regions where "exception" policy will now be trumpeted by policy makers who don't understand the real nature of the threat against us. And by foes who will manipulate the State Department into adopting "exception policy" for which ever region they don't want the U.S. and her allies to tackle. And speaking of allies, when we expect Israel to back us 100% but are unwilling to do the same - what kind of message does that send to others we count on? We run the risk of becoming a oneway ally and in the process we may find that there aren't too many out there who will put their a** on the line come crunch time feeling that we won't be there for them. I don't like Hillery any more than any of you. But, I know enough about the situation we are in to not make a Powell/Hillary debate any part of my day. Not now at least.

[drypowder]

Sec. Powell remains overwhelmingly popular with the US electorate

Only with the left wing liberals and it is hype to reference the electorate in general. Powell needs to get on board with Bush or get out. If the gov's speculation is accurate about more terrorist attacks on the US, and as Arafat's suicidal minions continue to kill Isralis, only makes Powel's placating foolishness painfully apparent. It will most certainly result in Powel's politacl ruin. Presidentail hopeful?? Hillary's Colin, what a ticket that would be.

[TomGuy]

One error in this senario:

Hillary would never be second-fiddle (again). Being First Lady was her last "second-fiddle" position. She would not be a VP candidate on any ticket. She'd expect top billing only. If she decides to stay in the Senate, she'll be after Shumer--get him out so he can be "senior Senator."

[r9etb]

Here is a link to the International Strategic Studies Association, which (I think) publishes Defense & Foreign Affairs Daily.

They're reputable-seeming, but their various web pages are notably sparse, and this type of rumor-monging seems outside their stated area of knowledge.

Sounds like disinformation to me.

[TheDon]

LOL! I'm glad that was at the beginning of the article. I would hate to have read the whole thing only to find out it was a bunch of crap at the end!