The world waits as multilateralists resign from Bush administration

By Pete Sweeney

Date: 18/11/04

President George W. Bush has accepted the resignations of six cabinet members. So far his proposed replacements are administration insiders. Colin Powell, the administration's multilateralist, has been replaced by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. The appointment may be an attempt by Bush to balance power between the Department of Defense and the Department of State. During the first administration, Powell enjoyed little leverage at the White House. Rice, on the other hand, enjoys intimate access to the president and has been a consistent supporter of the Israeli government and the war in Iraq. Rice is to be replaced by Stephen Hadley, her deputy national security advisor.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, while travelling in Ecuador this week, told the press that he has yet to discuss his future with President Bush and, it is said, he wishes to retain his post. But whether he will keep his current neo-conservative subordinates, blamed for significant planning lapses while preparing to reconstruct Iraq, remains an open question. Under Secretary of Defense for policy, Douglas J. Feith, whom US General Tommy Franks (a potential replacement for Rumsfeld should he step down) famously called "the stupidest guy on the face of the earth", may go. Feith has been widely blamed for policies that left the US without a plan for the occupation of Iraq. He allegedly called the Geneva Convention "law in the service of terror".

Attorney General John Ashcroft is gone, replaced by Alberto Gonzales, legal counsel to the president and author of the controversial memorandum which suggested that US definitions of torture could be relaxed to allow more abusive forms of interrogation.

Other resignations include Rod Paige of the Department of Education, Spence Abraham of the Department of Energy, Ann Veneman of the Department of Agriculture and Don Evans of the Department of Commerce. Domestic policy advisor Margaret Spelling has been nominated to replace Paige at education.

Eleven cabinet members remain in their posts at present.

Newly re-elected US President, George W. Bush, reshuffled his cabinet in November 2004. Article suggests that the influence of multilateralists could be weaker during the President's second term in office.