Colin Powell has resigned as American Secretary of State, the department said on Monday.
Powell (67), a former general, submitted his resignation to President George Bush on Friday, a senior department official said.
Powell told his senior staff that he plans to stay on until a replacement is confirmed, State Department officials said, according to a CNN report.
State Department officials also told CNN that Bush and Powell decided mutually that it was time for Powell to go.
Rumours have swirled about Powell’s role in a second Bush administration, but neither the president nor the secretary had spoken publicly about his future, CNN said.
Last week, when asked if he wanted Powell to stay on to oversee the Middle East peace process, Bush told reporters: “I’m proud of my secretary of state. He’s done a heck of a good job.”
Powell told reporters he had several conversations with the president, but would not comment on what they said.
Four resignations expected
The White House will announce the resignations of four members of Bush’s Cabinet on Monday, said spokesperson Scott McClellan, who declined to say who would be leaving.
“There are a few resignations. I expect four today,” McClellan told reporters, adding that the officials will not necessarily be leaving immediately and that their replacements will not be announced on Monday.
“I don’t expect any announcements on replacements today,” he said, refusing to confirm that Powell is among the senior officials not sticking around for a second four-year term.
McClellan also downplayed the impact of the resignations, saying that “people aren’t just leaving” and that submitting letters of resignation “doesn’t mean they’re leaving today”.
“They’ll continue to do their jobs, they all have jobs to do, and they will continue to do their jobs,” he said, noting that Attorney General John Ashcroft resigned last week but will stay on until the US Senate confirms his successor.
Commerce Secretary Donald Evans has also quit.
Bush was to stay out of sight all day, after having an early national security briefing on Afghanistan and later having lunch with newly elected members of the US Congress.
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