US Secretary of State Colin Powell could serve a second term if President Bush won a re-election 'if he were able to take a grip on the direction of US foreign policy,' The Financial Times reported.
'He could possibly stay on for a year or 18 months, especially if he is told that the ship of state is available at the helm,' a senior official told the newspaper.
The speculation making the rounds in Washington is that with Powell's past experience of being snubbed by the White House on several matters of policy, he may not continue in office if George W Bush won the November election.
'The official, who asked not to be named, said there was a possibility that the influential neo-conservatives were "in complete retreat and turning on themselves" after the setbacks in Iraq, and that there would be a "massive exiting". But he also conceded that they could simply be "hunkered down" and might return,' the newpaper further added.
Powell, 67, had surgery for prostate cancer last December. He continues to attract high ratings and is consistently more popular than Bush.
US political observers reckon that Bush is reluctant to continue with Powell.
The Financial Times report quoted a pro-Democrat observer as saying that even if the Powell camp wanted to stir up a pre-election debate to impact future foreign policy, it would not be easy for Powell because of Vice-President Dick Cheney, closely associated with the neo-conservatives and who remains a Bush confidante.
'"I can't believe that Powell doesn't realise that Cheney is part of the problem," he (the pro-Democrat observer)said. "And it misreads where Bush is. The foreign policy he pursued is very much his world view,"' the Financial Times said.
