U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his resignation in a letter released on Monday saying it was time for him to return to private life. The White House also released letters of resignation from Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Education Secretary Rod Paige. "I believe that now that the election is over the time has come for me to step down as secretary of state and return to private life," Powell said in a letter to President George W. Bush dated Nov. 12. "I, therefore, resign as the 65th secretary of state, effective at your pleasure," Powell wrote. Abraham cited "the challenges of public life," and of "properly balancing the demands of one's job with the family and personal commitments one faces." In her letter, Veneman said: "We have made great progress during the past four years and I feel now is an appropriate time for me to move on to new opportunities." Paige said he planned to return to Texas "where I can devote attention to a personal project, which I began planning prior to assuming my present responsibilities." --SP 2123 Local Time 1823 GMT
