When Dick Cheney "was presenting the rough game plan and sequence" for the invasion of Afghanistan with timing that was "totally up in the air," Colin Powell pressed for a more definite strategy (Woodward, 2002). As Woodward points out in Bush at War, the former Secretary of State advocated a clear-cut plan when addressing the attacks of September 11. His views on how the United States should pursue a military strategy and especially his views on Iraq would isolate Colin Powell, ostracizing him from the rest of the cabinet. Yet Powell noticed that the administration was developing a politically expedient response without developing an effective strategy. Because of his differing views and his candor, Powell has been called a "reluctant warrior," (Woodward, 2002, p. 331). Often his views clashed considerably with those of the administration and he has allegedly launched severe verbal attacks at the administration (Bright, 2004). Basing his beliefs on 35 years of military experience including work with the Department of Defense, Powell knew more than any other senior official how potentially disastrous a poorly planned military mission could be. On p. 150 of Bush at War, Woodward notes how "surprised" Powell was by the ill-advised policy brewing around him. In particular, Powell remained preeminently concerned with the lack of preparation and planning evident during the initial response to September 11.
             Having led troops through more than two dozen crisis situations including Operation Desert Storm, Colin Powell "knew how long it took to move forces and get fully prepared for a large-scale military operation," (Woodward, 2002, p. 150). He viewed the initial response to September 11 as rash, indicating his view that "Rumsfeld was selling the Old Man...a bill of goods about when they would be ready and how much they could actually deliver," (Woodward, 2002, p. 150). The Old Man refers to President Bush, whose attitudes toward military st...