"The Powell Doctrine" What is it and why did Bush ignore it?

[wholetruth00]

I heard it mentioned tonight. Is this something that might have saved at least 2,800 American soldiers lives?

[MadMaddie]

1. "You break it...You Own It" how prophetic...

[John Gauger]

2. "You break it, you bought it."

Reportedly. Oh and why he ignored it:

He. Is. An. Idiot.

That is all.

[MadMaddie]

6. Yes indeed...he is that...

[Greeby]

3. ..............

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell_Doctrine

The Powell Doctrine, also known as the Powell Doctrine of Overwhelming Force, was elaborated by General Colin Powell in the run up to the 1990-1991 Gulf War. It is based in large part on the Weinberger Doctrine, devised by Caspar Weinberger, former Secretary of Defense and Powell's former boss.

The questions posed by the Powell Doctrine, which should be answered affirmatively before military action, are:

* Is a vital national security interest threatened?
* Do we have a clear attainable objective?
* Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
* Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
* Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
* Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
* Is the action supported by the American people?
* Do we have genuine broad international support?

The fifth point of the Doctrine is normally interpreted to mean that the U.S. should not get involved in peacekeeping or nation-building exercises. Powell expanded upon the Doctrine, asserting that when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve overwhelming force against the enemy, minimizing American casualties and ending the conflict quickly by forcing the weaker force to capitulate. This is well in line with Western military strategy dating at least from Carl von Clausewitz's On War. However, in the context of the Just War theory, the doctrine of overwhelming force may violate the principle of proportionality.

[theothersnippywshrub]

10. This is the correct description of the Powell Doctrine except that

most descriptions include the element of overwhelming force. This element of the doctrine was widely regarded as a key element to the rapid success of the Gulf War under Poppy Bush.

I have long thought that the democrats should raise the question of why the Powell Doctrine was abandoned by Bush. Doing so might result in a legitimate debate about when and why military force should be used and it probably would have caused Bush to lose some of his still devoted supporters. I still think it is a good idea for democrats to suggest a return to the Powell Doctrine. It might even help prevent the Next Bush War.

[Selatius]

4. Powell Doctrine dictates massive force and preparation.

If the Doctrine was followed, there likely would've been an army of 500,000 prepared for invasion, and there would have been extensive plans for reconstruction.

Of course, I'm saying here and now the war wasn't for anything good. The war was just an orgy for government contractors and messianic megalomania, so the Doctrine was not used.

[John Gauger]

7. I borrowed two Chomsky books today from my

campus library. One on Media Control and Propaganda and one on the Cold War on College Campuses. The first one is really short. He makes some really good points about the meaningless slogans that our government hurls about. He talks the most about 'Support the Troops,' which popped up during Gulf War I. He points out that this is a totally meaningless phrase. What does it even mean? No one, in the fifteen years of its existance, has ever defined it. I don't even know how to support the troops, so how can I decide whether I should do it? That's right, I will decide if I do it, not my corporate masters. I don't 'Support the Troops' just because the corporate media tell me to.

[ovidsen]

5. aka "The Pottery Barn Rule"

The Pottery Barn rule is American political jargon referring to a "you break it, you own it" policy of a retail store that holds a customer responsible for damage done to displayed merchandise. The policy was erroneously attributed to Pottery Barn, a chain of home furnishing stores in the United States. It was widely quoted by news media in April 2004 after being prominently mentioned in the book Plan of Attack by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward.

According to Woodward, United States secretary of state Colin Powell cited this rule when warning President George W. Bush, in the summer of 2002, of the consequences of military action in Iraq. Colin Powell also admitted this directly on Jonathan Dimbleby's "Dimbleby" program on April 30, 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_Barn_rule

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Here: (with link)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell_doctrine

The Powell Doctrine, also known as the Powell Doctrine of Overwhelming Force, was elaborated by General Colin Powell in the run up to the 1990-1991 Gulf War. It is based in large part on the Weinberger Doctrine, devised by Caspar Weinberger, former Secretary of Defense and Powell's former boss.

The questions posed by the Powell Doctrine, which should be answered affirmatively before military action, are:

* Is a vital national security interest threatened?
* Do we have a clear attainable objective?
* Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
* Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
* Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
* Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
* Is the action supported by the American people?
* Do we have genuine broad international support?

The fifth point of the Doctrine is normally interpreted to mean that the U.S. should not get involved in peacekeeping or nation-building exercises. Powell expanded upon the Doctrine, asserting that when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve overwhelming force against the enemy, minimizing American casualties and ending the conflict quickly by forcing the weaker force to capitulate. This is well in line with Western military strategy dating at least from Carl von Clausewitz's On War. However, in the context of the Just War theory, the doctrine of overwhelming force may violate the principle of proportionality.

Oops sorry, beat by Greeby (on edit)

[LittleClarkie]

9. Here it is in a nutshell

You have a goal and a plan before you go in, with a clear objective.

You go in force to accomplish that goal.

You then get the fuck out.

The first Gulf War was an example of the Powell Doctrine in operation. It is designed to avoid quagmires like Vietnam, and now Iraq.

Yes Bush ignored it, because Rumsfeld and Cheney and other neocons wanted to test their theories on how a democratic Middle East would make Israel safe, and have distain for career military men with opinions that contradict their world view. Bush listened to the wrong people, and thought that Powell was there to put on his little uniform and sell the Bush doctrine rather than share expertise or give solid advice.