WAMINFO

Colin Powell, who passed away yesterday at the ageof 84, was an exceptional leader who served as the first African-American U.S. National Security Adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State

He was also a great friend of Morocco, and he visited the Kingdom many times. During a visit in 2004, he met with young Moroccans participating in a U.S. government-supported English language program and praised Morocco

“I’ve been here as a soldier, as a friend and one of the proudest moments of my life is when I came here as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His Majesty King Hassan II gave me an award, and it was the first foreign award I had ever received

“The day His Majesty presented the award, standing there watching was his son, who is now King Mohammed VI. So I have known the Royal Family for many, many years and have the greatest admiration for Morocco because it is truly one of America’s oldest friends, and we’ve done so much together over the years

“I’ve always been a great admirer of Moroccan culture, such a historic place, So many beautiful sights

“I keep encouraging Americans to travel and see the world and come to places like Morocco. Because only when they see places like this and actually touch the country and eat the food and see the sights, do they come back with a better appreciation of Morocco and other parts of the world”