In the spotlight: contrasting tributes to Colin Powell
Audio 04:38
Former Secretary of State under George W. Bush, Colin Powell, died at the age of 84 from "complications related to Covid-19," his family announced Monday, October 18.
© AP / Daniel Ochoa de Olza
By: Sébastien Duhamel Follow
5 mins
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"
A warrior, a diplomat and a great American
", the front page tribute of the
USA Today
newspaper
,
"
A statesman and a pioneer warrior
" for the
Washington Post,
"
a pioneer general
" also for the
Wall Street Journal
... The memory of a precursor indeed comes back a lot. And for good reason, Colin Powell, who died of Covid-19 at the age of 84, was the first chief of staff of the armed forces and the first black secretary of state in the United States. So overall, yes, the headlines are pretty glowing, but obviously a shadow hangs over this beautiful portrait. And what a shadow! Maybe it's the
New York Times
which sums it up best: Colin Powell was a "
model diplomat
", to be sure, but a diplomat "
haunted by the war in Iraq
".
It is "
an indelible stain
," even writes the
Washington Post
. And he knew it himself. Craftsman of the famous “
Powell Doctrine
” on the thoughtful use of military force, he knew well that for
“having lent his reputation and his personal prestige to misinformation
”, “
his name would be forever linked to the unfortunate invasion of Iraq
”. However, "
I did not lie, I did not know that it was not true
", he affirmed in an interview in 2005, "
only a few months after being invited to resign from the Bush administration
", recalls the
Washington Post
. "
I was secretary of state, not director of intelligence,
”Colin Powell defended himself at the time.
A course marred by Iraq
It is however the image that part of the world will keep of him, that of a "
brilliant military past marred by Iraq
", as
Le Soir
in Belgium
writes
.
The newspaper notes the concert of tributes in the United States, in particular for the role of Colin Powell in the end of the cold war, but it emphasizes especially that in Europe, "
the former secretary of state is passed down to posterity. for these less glorious facts
","
he was manipulated by the hawks who wanted war
", estimates
Le Soir
.
This is confirmed in Spain, where it is indeed a "
key figure in the two Iraq wars
" that the front page
of El Pais
retains
. In Portugal, the
Diario de Noticias
evokes "
a hero
" who "
regretted
" this intervention. In Russia,
Kommersant
observes "
the two faces of Powell
": "
a symbol of American military power and at the same time of the errors and weaknesses of Washington
", analyzes the Russian newspaper. Colin Powell's legacy is very mixed, we can still see it in the United Kingdom. In
The Daily Telegraph
, the one who rubbed shoulders with him, Jack Straw - his counterpart in Tony Blair's government - salutes "
a wonderful human being
”.
While in Jerusalem,
The Times of Israel
, for its part, greets "
a friend of Israel
".
Hints of the cold war
We were talking about the role of Colin Powell in the post-Cold War era, but there are precisely hints at the moment. To read in the
Financial Times
, an interview with Jens Stoltenberg. The NATO secretary general describes
the Alliance's
“
role
” in the next decade. And unsurprisingly, "
countering China will be part of the new strategic direction
." But those who see here a new cold war between Washington and Beijing can read
the international edition of the
New York Times
: Yes, "
the tensions evoke the years 1950, 1960
", but there are "
major differences
", one reads. .
In any case, there are indeed hints of a cold war with Moscow, and the German press is worried about it among others. "
Russia puts an end to dialogue with NATO
", headlines the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
. Like
Frankfurter Allgemeine
, he is worried about the announced closure of the Russian embassy to NATO and the closure of the alliance's offices in Moscow. Decision taken in reaction to the withdrawal of the accreditation of several Russian officials, against the backdrop of a spy case. Hints of the cold war, it was said… Concretely, explains the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
, these closures mean “
that there is no longer any direct military contact between Russia and the Western Alliance
.
This decision marks a further setback in
relations ”.
But what
does it
matter "
Russia does not care about NATO
", affirm Russian experts in the
Nezavissimaïa Gazeta
.
This behavior was provoked almost unilaterally by NATO, according to the article.
Another Russian newspaper,
Kommersant
for his part sees a "
logical end
" to years of degraded relationship.
"
Taking such measures confirms that Moscow also considers its partnership with NATO exhausted
," said yet another analyst quoted by the Russian newspaper.
Municipal elections in Italy
Also on the front page of the European press, the Italian municipal elections. In Spain,
El Pais
notes that "
the Italian left wins the five largest cities in the country
:
Rome, Milan, Bologna, Turin and Naples
". The Democratic Party "is
indeed resurfacing at the head of a bloc with the 5-star movement and other figures of the center-left
". A backhand for the center-right and the right, observes the newspaper.
But these elections, it is still the Italian press which speaks about it best. "
Italy of the left center
", thus titles
La Repubblica
.
The Corriere della Sera
confirms that "
the left center dominates in the majority of the
cities", "
the center right conquers, as regional capital, only Trieste
". One fact attracts attention here, and that is abstention. More pronounced than in the first round, but also than in the 2016 ballots. An abstention in the big cities which "
mainly concerns the voters of the suburbs
", underlines the
Corriere
, there "
where the conditions of economic and social marginalization are concentrated
".
A problem that France is also well aware of ...
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