Colin Powell Resigns

Powell: Bush to aggressively pursue issues important to Muslims
Thursday, November 4, 2004 Posted: 10:19 PM EST (0319 GMT)



Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at a dinner for Muslim guests at the State Department Thursday.



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell told assembled Muslim guests Thursday that in its second term, the Bush administration will "strike a balance" between security and openness.

Powell made his remarks at a State Department dinner celebrating the end of the daily Ramadan fast.

Powell acknowledged that heightened security since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the war on terrorism have "caused inconvenience" to many Muslims.

But he said, "I want to assure you we are doing everything we can to strike a balance" between security and openness.

And the Bush administration will deal aggressively with issues important to Muslims, he said.

"President Bush in his four years in office will be aggressively moving forward to deal with the concerns that are in your hearts and on your minds with the respect to the Middle East peace process, with respect to reform and modernization, with respect to solidifying democracy in places that never known democracy before and with respect fighting terrorism," Powell said.

The secretary hosted nearly 200 people, including young Muslims and women from a variety of countries in the Arab world and Asia.

Before the meal of lamb and chicken, an imam led the group in the call to prayer in the adjacent John Quincy Adams room, where prayer mats were laid out.

President Bush would ensure that America "remains an open land," Powell said.

He also cited what the United States has undertaken to benefit Muslims, including liberating Kuwait and Bush's call for a Palestinian state, which he said the United States is committed to help creating. He made no mention of ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Aides: Ashcroft likely to leave post
Thursday, November 4, 2004 Posted: 2:25 PM EST (1925 GMT)

Aides are saying Attorney General John Ashcroft may be planning to resign.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft is likely to leave his post before the start of President Bush's second term, senior aides said Thursday.
Ashcroft, 62, is described as exhausted from leading the Justice Department in fighting the domestic war on terrorism since the September 11, 2001, attacks. Stress was a factor in Ashcroft's health problems earlier this year that resulted in removal of his gall bladder. (Ashcroft in intensive care)
Ashcroft is expected to resign before Bush's January 20 inauguration, said aides who spoke only on condition of anonymity. They said there is a small chance he would stay on, at least for a short time, if Bush asked him.
The attorney general has not officially informed his staff of his future plans, spokesman Mark Corallo said.
At a news conference, Bush said he hasn't made any decisions about his Cabinet.
Ashcroft, a former two-term governor and senator from Missouri, has long been a favorite among Bush's base of religious conservatives. He also is a lightning rod for Democrats and other critics on issues ranging from the anti-terrorism Patriot Act, which expanded rules for eavesdropping, to abortion rights and gun control. (Ashcroft details uses of Patriot Act)
Names that have been floated in recent weeks as a possible replacement include Ashcroft's former deputy, Larry Thompson, who would become the first black attorney general.
Others include Marc Racicot, who was Bush's campaign manager, and White House general counsel Alberto Gonzalez, who would give Bush a notable Hispanic appointment.