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Powell tipped to be US ambassador
By Jason Beattie, Evening Standard Political Correspondent Last updated at 00:00am on 21.09.04US secretary of state Colin Powell is the main candidate to be the next American ambassador to London, the Evening Standard has learned.
Mr Powell is widely expected to step down from his current post after the presidential elections in November.
It is understood President Bush, if re-elected, may use the offer of the ambassadorship, one of the most sought-after diplomatic postings, to ease the departure of Mr Powell, 67.
The post would continue to give him a platform on the world stage and he would remain a useful conduit between the president and Europe. However, it is uncertain whether Mr Powell would accept the posting. It offers a dignified
way into retirement after an illustrious career in the US army and Washington, but it would mean passing up lucrative offers from the lecture circuit.
Mr Powell may also regard the post as a climbdown after running the state department. He has had an uncomfortable time as secretary of state for a hawkish presidency. In the run-up to the Iraq war he reportedly struggledto gain the president's ear. One insider account claimed Mr Powell was so cut off he relied on newspaper reports to find what Mr Bush and defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld were thinking.
The London post has been vacant since July when William Farish announced he was stepping down after less than three years in the job. It is traditionally filled by a political appointee chosen by the president.
Paul Bremer, the former US envoy to Iraq, has also been linked to it but is understood to be seeking a post in the Bush administration if he is re-elected.
The president may also wish to use the London post to thank one of the major donors to his reelection campaign.
