May 23, 2013
Top State Department officials say Secretary of State Colin Powell has announced his resignation.
Powell says he expects to serve for several weeks or a month or two before leaving office.
In a State Department news conference, Powell said he feels the administration has "accomplished a great deal" over the past four years. Powell says he expects to "act fully" as secretary of state until President Bush has a replacement ready.
In nearly four years at the State Department, Colin Powell has had to cope with divisions abroad and, apparently, some within the Bush administration.
He reportedly differed with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on some big issues over the past four years.
The secretary of state has enjoyed good relations with officials in other countries, though the U.S. invasion of Iraq has strained some of those relationships.
Back in February 2003, Powell made a forceful presentation to the U.N. Security Council, demanding action against Iraq. He said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, though no evidence has surfaced to back that up.
Powell submitted his letter of resignation last Friday but expects to stay on until sometime in January.
A Bush administration official says more Cabinet members have submitted their resignations. As well as Secretary of State Colin Powell, others leaving are Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Agriculture Secretary Ann Venneman.
