The former U.S. secretary of state has gone a bit further than saying he's not pleased with the level of success in Iraq: Colin Powell said the U.S. is losing -- albiet it hasn't lost yet.

Some excerpts from the BBC story:

Mr Powell told CBS News that bolstering troop numbers would be unlikely to reverse the "grave and deteriorating situation" in the country.

President Bush is trying to shape a new strategy for Iraq, with officials suggesting more soldiers may be sent.

Mr Powell's comments come a day before the new defence secretary, Robert Gates, is to be sworn in. ...

The story noted that Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, would be okay with a troop surge:

"I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work," (Powell) said.

He added that such was the overstretch of the US military, there were no additional troops that could be sent.

"We are losing - we haven't lost - and this is the time, now to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around," he said.