Can it possibly be more aggressive? FT.com: Bush will still pursue aggressive’ foreign policy. This makes me sick.

President George W. Bush has won a mandate from the American people to continue pursuing his “aggressive” foreign policy, but the US will also reach out to the international community where it can, according to Colin Powell, the secretary of state.

“The president is not going to trim his sails or pull back,” Mr Powell told the Financial Times on Monday. “It’s a continuation of his principles, his policies, his beliefs.” In his first interview since the presidential election last Tuesday, Mr Powell stressed Mr Bush had won a mandate to pursue a foreign policy that was in the US national interest.

That policy would also be in the interest of friends and alliances, and while it would be “multilateral in nature”, the US would act alone where necessary.

Mr Powell’s office would not comment on whether he would remain as secretary of state during Mr Bush’s second term.

Mr Powell said US foreign policy had been “aggressive in terms of going after challenges, issues”. The president was “going to keep moving in this direction”.

I see a need for a lot more body bags in the future.