But Powell also said that Gorbachev, who recently took on the additional title of president of the Soviet Union with the retirement of Andrei Gromyko, is facing problems with ``restive nationalities in the Soviet Union and around the Soviet empire.'' National Security Adviser Colin Powell , in a speech to the National Press Club Thursday , credited Mikhail Gorbachev for pushing economic reform and acknowledging the problems the Soviet system faced , but added it remains to be seen whether it can be fixed as long as it remains a communist , one - party state . He said that resistance movements against communism and totalitarians have made great strides in Afghanistan , Angola , and Cambodia . He added , " .... a principle lesson to be learned from the various regional conflicts is that American foreign policy has failed to intervene in instances in which U.S. support was needed , " ; e.g. , Afghanistan .
National Security Adviser Colin Powell , in a speech to the National Press Club Thursday , credited Mikhail Gorbachev for pushing economic reform and acknowledging the problems the Soviet system faced , but added it remains to be seen whether it can be fixed as long as it remains a communist , one - party state . He said that resistance movements against communism and totalitarians have made great strides in Afghanistan , Angola , and Cambodia . He added , " .... a principle lesson to be learned from the various regional conflicts is that American foreign policy has failed to intervene in instances in which U.S. support was needed , " ; e.g. , Afghanistan .