Editing Colin Powell (section)

==Life after diplomatic service==
After retiring from the role of Secretary of State, Powell returned to private life. In April 2005, he was privately telephoned by Republican senators [[Lincoln Chafee]] and [[Chuck Hagel]],<ref name=WashingtonPost_VandeHei_20050422>{{Cite news|author1=VandeHei, Jim|author2=Robin Wright|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7420-2005Apr21.html|title=Powell Playing Quiet Role in Bolton Battle|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 22, 2005|access-date=August 25, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602023131/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7420-2005Apr21.html|url-status=live}}</ref> at which time Powell expressed reservations and mixed reviews about the nomination of [[John Bolton]] as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Nations|ambassador to the United Nations]], but refrained from advising the senators to oppose Bolton (Powell had clashed with Bolton during Bush's first term).<ref name=Guardian_Borger_20050423>{{Cite news  |last = Borger  |first = Julian  |title = Powell's remarks harm Bolton's chances of UN job  |work = The Guardian  |location = London  |date = April 23, 2005 |url = https://www.theguardian.com/usa/story/0,12271,1468438,00.html  |access-date = February 3, 2007 |archive-date = October 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211020123707/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/23/usa.unitednations  |url-status = live  }}</ref> The decision was viewed as potentially dealing significant damage to Bolton's chances of confirmation. Bolton was put into the position via a [[recess appointment]] because of the strong opposition in the Senate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bush appoints Bolton as U.N. ambassador |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8758621 |access-date=October 19, 2021 |publisher=NBC News |date=July 29, 2005 |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020123805/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8758621 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Ki-moon Powell.jpg|thumb|left|Powell with [[Ban Ki-moon]], 2004]]
On 28 April 2005, an opinion piece in ''[[The Guardian]]'' by [[Sidney Blumenthal]] (a former top aide to President [[Bill Clinton]]) claimed that Powell was in fact "conducting a campaign" against Bolton because of the acrimonious battles they had had while working together, which among other things had resulted in Powell cutting Bolton out of talks with Iran and [[Libyan Arab Jamahiriya|Libya]] after complaints about Bolton's involvement from the British. Blumenthal added that "The foreign relations committee has discovered that Bolton made a highly unusual request and gained access to 10 intercepts by the [[National Security Agency]]. Staff members on the committee believe that Bolton was probably spying on Powell, his senior advisors and other officials reporting to him on diplomatic initiatives that Bolton opposed".<ref name=Guardian_Blumenthal_20050428>{{Cite news  |last = Blumenthal  |first = Sidney  |title = The good soldier's revenge  |work = The Guardian  |location = London  |date = April 28, 2005 |url = https://www.theguardian.com/comment/story/0,3604,1471879,00.html  |access-date = February 3, 2007 |archive-date = October 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211020123702/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/28/usa.comment  |url-status = live  }}</ref>

In September 2005, Powell criticized the response to [[Hurricane Katrina]], and said thousands of people were not properly protected because they were poor, rather than because they were black.<ref name=BBC_20050909>{{Cite news  |title = Powell criticises storm response  |work = BBC News  |date = September 9, 2005 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4229238.stm  |access-date = March 2, 2006 |archive-date = February 20, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060220232954/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4229238.stm  |url-status = live  }}</ref>

[[File:King Abdullah with Dick Cheney George H.W. Bush, August 2005.jpg|thumb|Powell walks with newly crowned King [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia]], Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], and former President [[George H. W. Bush]], Saudi Arabia, August 2005]]
On 5 January 2006, he participated in a meeting at the [[White House]] of former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreign policy with Bush administration officials. In September 2006, Powell sided with more moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights for detainees and opposing President Bush's terrorism bill. He backed Senators [[John Warner]], [[John McCain]], and [[Lindsey Graham]] in their statement that U.S. military and intelligence personnel in future wars will suffer for abuses committed in 2006 by the U.S. in the name of fighting terrorism. Powell stated that "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism".<ref name=BBC_20060915>{{Cite news  |title = Senators defy Bush on tribunals  |work = BBC News  |date = September 15, 2006 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5347564.stm  |access-date = February 3, 2007 |archive-date = November 6, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061106203415/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5347564.stm  |url-status = live  }}</ref>

In 2007, he joined the board of directors of [[Steve Case]]'s new company [[Revolution Health Group|Revolution Health]]. Powell also served on the [[Council on Foreign Relations]] Board of directors.<ref name=CFR>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfr.org/about/people/board_of_directors.html |title=Board of Directors |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |access-date=December 6, 2007 |archive-date=November 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103055948/http://www.cfr.org/about/people/board_of_directors.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, Powell served as a spokesperson for [[National Mentoring Month]], a campaign held each January to recruit volunteer mentors for at-risk youth.<ref name="mentor2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2008/Celebrities/colin_powell.html|title=Who Mentored Colin Powell?|publisher=President and Fellows of Harvard College|year=2008|access-date=August 21, 2008|archive-date=July 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708232924/http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2008/Celebrities/colin_powell.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Soon after [[Barack Obama]]'s [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 election]], Powell began being mentioned as a possible [[United States Cabinet|cabinet]] member.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2008/11/11/al-gore-colin-powell-caroline-kennedy-in-obamas-administration.html |title=Al Gore, Colin Powell, Caroline Kennedy in Obama's Administration? – Washington Whispers |publisher=usnews.com |date=November 11, 2008 |access-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-date=May 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503104421/http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2008/11/11/al-gore-colin-powell-caroline-kennedy-in-obamas-administration.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was not nominated. In September 2009, Powell advised President Obama against surging U.S. forces in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Powell advised against Afghan surge |work=Politico |date=September 27, 2009 |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0909/Powell_advised_against_Afghan_surge.html |access-date=August 25, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227120950/https://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0909/Powell_advised_against_Afghan_surge.html }}</ref> The president announced the surge the following December.

In 2010, Powell joined the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]] advisory council. Together with his wife, [[Alma Powell]], they are the founding donors who offer their support to the museum's capital campaign and Living History campaign. He was an advocate for the [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]].<ref name=":0" /> In March 2014, [[Salesforce.com]] announced that Powell had joined its board of directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/14/general-colin-powell-joins-salesforce-board-of-directors-as-crm-giant-zeros-in-on-govt-deals/|title=General Colin Powell Joins Salesforce Board Of Directors, As CRM Giant Zeros In On Public Sector|author=Ingrid Lunden|work=TechCrunch|date=March 14, 2014 |publisher=AOL|access-date=August 27, 2015|archive-date=August 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150830041240/http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/14/general-colin-powell-joins-salesforce-board-of-directors-as-crm-giant-zeros-in-on-govt-deals/|url-status=live}}</ref>