Interview on Fox News "Countdown 2005" With Steve Doocy and Alisyn Camarata

MR. DOOCY: We are so excited to have with us the guy who gets to flip the switch in exactly 49 minutes, the Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Good evening to you, sir.

SECRETARY POWELL: Good evening. How are you?

MR. DOOCY: We're doing okay.

MS. CAMARATA: We're great.

MR. DOOCY: Now, Mr. Secretary, I understand when the Mayor called you to ask if you would do this job, you said, "I'll get back to you, I've got to talk to my wife." So what did you do? Did you go to Alma and did you say, "Hey, do you think I could stay awake till midnight?"

SECRETARY POWELL: She was worried that I might not be able to, but it didn't take me long to think this one though. And I called Mike back in about 20 minutes and I said, "You've got to be kidding, a New York kid coming home to push the button on New Year's Eve? I'll be there."

MR. DOOCY: Absolutely.

MS. CAMARATA: You know, Mr. Secretary, one billion people around the world will be watching this ball drop tonight. Are you nervous about being the guy with his finger on the button?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I've had my finger on many buttons in the course of my military career, but not a button as important as this button and I hope I don't foul it up.

MR. DOOCY: Now, do you -- are you the kind of guy who does resolutions? I mean, other than try to find a job in the next year?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, that's one of my resolutions; find a new job in the next year. But my real resolution for 2005 is to hope that the world becomes more peaceful. We've seen some progress this year. Today we had the announcement of an agreement between the Khartoum government in Sudan and the group in the south -- the SPLM they're called. Hopefully, that war of 20 years duration is coming to an end. Hopefully, the Israelis and the Palestinians will be able to move forward, and Iraqi elections. So we're looking forward to a year of peace in 2005.

MS. CAMARATA: That sounds wonderful.

SECRETARY POWELL: That's my resolution.

MS. CAMARATA: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. That sounds wonderful. We'll all hope for that.

MR. DOOCY: Happy New Year to you, sir.

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