Colin Powell, the former US Secretary of State and the first black American to become the highest-ranking military officer in the US Armed Forces, has died.
He was 84 and died of complications from Covid-19. In a statement, Colin Powell's family say they "have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American".
A towering military and political figure, it was the Middle East that provided the highs and lows of his career. He oversaw the US-led coalition victory during the 1991 Gulf War, and for a time was a leading prospect to become the first African-American US president.
His reputation was stained in 2003 when, as George W. Bush's first secretary of state, he pushed faulty intelligence before the United Nations to advocate for the Iraq War, which he would later call a "blot" on his record.
US colonel Mike Jason, who commanded combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan during 24 years of service, spoke to Susie Ferguson.
