Brussels, 14/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - In his first interview since the Presidential declaration last January (Financial Times 14 February), the US Secretary of State strongly defended George Bush's speech on the "axis of evil" incorporating Iraq, Iran and North Korea. According to Colin Powell, this speech does not signify a change of direction in US policy and the increased level of criticism was certainly due to a misunderstanding of Mr Bush. "The President spoke directly but acted with "determination, with prudence and with patience", said Mr Powell. He said that Mr Vedrine was "getting the vapours" when he forcefully criticised the US policy as "simplistic". He reacted to criticism made by Commissioner Patten by saying that "I have the greatest respect and admiration for Chris, but let's look at what the President said. The President wasn't speaking in absolutist, simplistic terms" but in "very direct and realist" terms. He declared that he was sensitive to European worries about how they may react, but in a reference to Union diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East and its reluctance to encourage Iran to stop providing arms to the Palestinian Authority, he declared "How can we ignore the fact that they are complicit in shipping arms of a very escalatory nature to the Middle East?" Mr Patten is expected to react to this statement on Tuesday at the next North Atlantic Assembly.