The Foreign Service Journal, February 2005

tyrants was an undeniable achieve- ment. According to estimates, it could take decades to unearth and identify the thousands of Iraqis silenced by Saddam’s servants and disposed of in mass graves through- out the country. One of the most notorious examples of Saddam’s bloody rule occurred on March 16, 1988, when the Iraqi army dropped poison gas on Halabja, a Kurdish town, killing an estimated 5,000. Powell went to Halabja five months after Saddam was forced from power. Standing in front of a mass grave with hundreds of headstones, he reas- sured the gathering that they need never live in fear for their lives again now that Saddam and his evil regime were gone. After his remarks, Powell mixed with the crowd, mostly elderly widows dressed in black carrying photos of family members slain 15 years earlier. Some wept as Powell approached, knowing they were in the presence of a man who had contributed to their libera- tion. Another triumph was the liberation of Afghanistan. Although the country’s future is still uncertain over the long term, the Oct. 9 presidential elections were an undeniable triumph. Powell also is clearly gratified that he was able to help bring India and Pakistan from the brink of conflict in 2002. And he is proud to have had Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a partner in the war on terrorism; after 9/11, it was not clear which way he would turn. Powell also bequeathes sound U.S. rela- tions with China and Russia, even though neither one ever seems to see things exactly the way the United States does. He also is proud of increased U.S. support for combating HIV/AIDS and of Bush’s new foreign assistance initiative, the Millennium Challenge Account, aimed at rewarding needy developing countries that have free markets and sound government policies. The jury is still out on Bush’s policies toward North Korea and Iran. He has relied on multilateral negotia- tions to end nuclear weapons programs in both coun- tries. Progress has been elusive. Other would-be nuclear powers are watching to see whether these remaining “axis of evil” countries will bend to America’s will. Powell wishes the world would see Libya’s renun- ciation of unconventional weapons as the model all should follow. The Libya break- through was perhaps the high point of the Powell era at State. An Inspirer of Loyalty From the start, Powell certainly had the affection of State’s career diplomats. While some regretted that the department was marginal- ized in the policy process during Bush’s first term, Powell was not viewed as the culprit. “There have been few Secretaries of State who have inspired as much loyalty and appreciation from the professional service as Colin Powell,” says Ambassador John Limbert, president of the American Foreign Service Association. “The reason is simple: on his first day in the department he promised to lead and he did. He restored pride to a demoralized cadre that had been coping with neglect, disrespect and severe personnel and budget cuts. If anything charac- terized the Service in the 1990s it was long staffing gaps, undermanned posts and bureaus and dilapidated and dangerous buildings.” Limbert says Powell, in small but important ways, showed his appreciation for those who served him. “He swore in personally every new ambassador and every class of Foreign Service generalists and specialists. Those small steps sent a very powerful message: you are the professionals who work for me and I appreciate your willingness to serve your country, often under very diffi- cult and dangerous conditions.” No one could have foreseen four years ago the con- vulsive period that the United States would face during Bush’s tenure. With the possible exception of Dean Rusk, no Secretary of State since World War II was dealt a more difficult hand than Powell was. Through it all he acted with calm and grace. He never seemed over- whelmed, and appeared as much at ease with monarchs as with the cafeteria help at State. When he was appointed by Bush, a lot was made of the fact that he was the first African-American Secretary of State. But once in office, the subject rarely arose, and he certainly never pushed the issue. As he told an interviewer shortly before leaving office: “I want to be measured as Secretary of State, not as the black Secretary of State.” n F O C U S 40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 With the possible exception of Dean Rusk, no Secretary of State since World War II was dealt a more difficult hand than Powell was.