Colin Powell receives Marshall Award

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 17th Nov 2003

Sarah Ludford with Colin Powell at the event.

During a European Parliament/US Congress inter-parliamentary meeting last week, Sarah Ludford MEP attended an event held to present US Secretary of State Colin Powell with an award to honour the legacy of US Secretary of State George C Marshall, the instigator of 'Marshall aid' for Europe after World War 2.

The Marshall Award is presented biennially to an individual or organization that has echoed the spirit of Marshall aid by making a significant contribution at the international level to ameliorating "hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos".

Sarah Ludford has expressed frustration that the extremist and unilateralist policies of the Bush administration are alienating allies and obscuring what ought to be the common goals of the US and Europe of combating terrorism while upholding human rights.

She was reported in the Washington Post as saying (in indiscreet but heartfelt remarks!): "The selflessness of George Marshall isn't exactly replicated in the ripping off of contracts for Halliburton." She added that many people in Europe think "Powell's our only hope. He's the only one in the Bush administration who has some sanity about him. The others are completely mad...."