Powell takes King Abdullah for a spin
REUTERS

FEB 26: US Secretary of State Colin Powell took royalty for a spin in Jordan on Sunday but his security detail stopped him testing the paces of King Abdullah's powerful Mercedes.

"They wouldn't let us drive fast, unfortunately," Powell told reporters after he drove the King from Raghdan Palace in Amman to the airport. The King sat in the passenger seat, with no one in the back seats.

Powell said he had wanted to drive from Jerusalem to the West Bank town of Ramallah earlier on Sunday. "But they said no," he added, apparently referring to his aides.

Powell's predecessor, Madeleine Albright, often remarked that she never drove anywhere during her four years as secretary. "You get in the back seat, the car doesn't move and you know it's over," she said at a farewell reception.

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