Political Quotes

“Madam President, this morning our former National Security Adviser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit the White House, and I expect they will discuss the current mission against the Qadhafi dictatorship in Libya. When we look at this mission, I think it is important to review the wise words of General Powell in his recommendation in considering any military mission for the United States in her coming years. When we think about his advice--many times, it has been called the Powell doctrine, and it was memorialized in a 1992 article in Foreign Affairs magazine called ``U.S. Forces: Challenges Ahead.'' This article became known very much as the Powell doctrine, with two additions that the public and press often put on his thoughts about military missions for the United States. In short, the Powell doctrine includes answers to a number of questions that any President, Secretary of State, or Secretary of Defense should answer prior to or at the very least during a military mission involving the United States. Those questions are as follows: Is the political objective we seek important, clearly defined, and understood? Next, have all other nonviolent policy means failed? Third, will military force achieve the objective? Fourth, at what cost? Next, have the gains and risks been analyzed? Finally, how might the situation that we seek to alter, once it is altered by force, develop further and what might be the consequences?…”