The Powell Doctrine

As defined by the CATO Institute: "Articulated by Gen. Powell when he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the [First] Gulf War, the Powell Doctrine was designed to avoid, as Powell once put it, 'halfhearted warfare for half-baked reasons that the American people could not understand or support.' The Powell Doctrine held that military force should only be used if there was a clear risk to national security; that the force used should be overwhelming; and that the operation must have strong public support and a clear exit strategy. "

If only Powell had been a big enough man to resign over going into Iraq in a manner that contradicted his own doctrine on every level, perhaps he could have derailed plans and averted some of the current tragedy.

But probably not.