Former Secretary of State Colin Powell Visits CBS THIS MORNING

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SPEAKS WITH "CBS THIS MORNING"
Retired four-star Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell said that he supports the President's announcement Wednesday on opening up diplomatic relations with Cuba, telling CBS THIS MORNING, "I think it's time to turn that page in history," in an interview that was broadcast live today, Dec. 18, 2014 on the CBS Television Network.

Powell said that while this development is a move in the right direction, many more steps need to be made in order to reach real progress.

"There is optimism within the Cuban people by this change, and therefore I think let's get the process going, but let's not have any illusions," Powell told co-hosts Charlie Rose, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King. "This is still a terrible regime. We don't support their form of government; we don't like what they're doing. But I think having diplomatic relations as we have had with the Soviet Union, with Vietnam and so many other places, we can produce positive change."

Powell also addressed critics who say that President Barack Obama has VINDICATED a brutal regime by opening up relations, saying that he doesn't think the president has done that at all. Additionally, Powell discussed the recent cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, saying that if the U.S. government can prove that North Korea was in fact behind it, "appropriate action must be taken."

A full video of the interview follows:

Need more TV Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Fall season, discounts & more...