File photo, Secretary of State Colin Powell looks on as President Bush addresses State Department employees at the State Department in Washington. AP
"The first African-American chairman of the joint chiefs, the first African-American secretary of state.... a man who was respected around the globe," said Austin, who is the first African-American defence secretary.
"It will be quite frankly not possible to replace Colin Powell," Austin said during a visit to the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
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