Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Colin Powell. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
Colin Powell was a prominent American statesman, diplomat, and army officer. He achieved several historic firsts, including serving as the first African-American United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. Earlier in his career, he was the 15th National Security Advisor (1987-1989) and the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), solidifying his place as a significant figure in American political and military history.
1963: Wounded in Vietnam
In 1963, while on patrol in Vietnam, Colin Powell was wounded by stepping on a punji stake, leading to a shortened first tour.
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October 1993: Battle of Mogadishu
In early October 1993, specifically on the 3rd and 4th, the Battle of Mogadishu, an operation aiming to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, occurred shortly after Colin Powell's resignation and ended in disaster.
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April 2001: Hainan Island Incident
On 1 April 2001, the Hainan Island incident occurred involving a United States surveillance aircraft and a Chinese jet fighter. Colin Powell's expression of "very sorry" was accepted as sufficient for the formal apology that China had sought.
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September 2001: Response to 9/11
On 11 September 2001, while in Lima, Peru, for a meeting of foreign ministers, Colin Powell's role as Secretary of State became critically important in managing international relationships and securing a coalition in the War on Terrorism following the terror attacks.
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2003: Decision to go to war in Iraq
Colin Powell attributed the decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003 to the neoconservative belief that regime change in Baghdad "was a first and necessary stop on the road to peace in Jerusalem".
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2003: Faulty Intelligence
In 2003, The administration came under fire for having acted on faulty intelligence, particularly that which was single-sourced to the informant known as Curveball, which was used in Powell's UN speech.
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September 2004: Testimony Before Senate Committee
On 13 September 2004, Colin Powell testified before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, acknowledging that the sources who provided much of the information in his February 2003 UN presentation were "wrong" and that it was "unlikely" that any stockpiles of WMDs would be found.
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2004: Inaccurate Evidence for WMDs
In 2004 a report by the Iraq Survey Group concluded that the evidence that Colin Powell offered to support the allegation that the Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was inaccurate.
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September 2005: "Blot" on his Record
In September 2005, Colin Powell described his 2003 speech before the United Nations as a "blot" on his record during an interview with Barbara Walters.
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September 2005: Powell Criticizes Hurricane Katrina Response
In September 2005, Powell criticized the response to Hurricane Katrina, stating that thousands of people were not adequately protected due to their poverty.
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2007: Antisemitism accusations
In 2007, concerns arose that Jewish groups would be accused of driving America into a war with Iran, referencing Powell's remarks about the "JINSA crowd" and raising fears of antisemitism.
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2013: Email Controversy
In 2013, Colin Powell faced scrutiny regarding his relationship with Romanian diplomat Corina Crețu after his hacked AOL email account was made public.
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October 2019: Powell Warns GOP
In October 2019, Colin Powell cautioned that the Republican Party needed to prioritize the country over their party and confront President Trump.
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January 2021: Powell Leaves Republican Party
In January 2021, following the attack on the Capitol building, Colin Powell declared that he could no longer identify as a Republican.
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October 2021: Death of Colin Powell
On October 18, 2021, Colin Powell died at the age of 84 due to complications from COVID-19 while being treated for multiple myeloma. His death prompted statements from current and former presidents.
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