Editing Powell Doctrine (section)

==Summary==
The Powell Doctrine states that a list of questions all have to be answered affirmatively before military action is taken by the United States:<ref name="DuBrin">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/iraq/powelldoctrine.html|title=The Powell Doctrine: Background, Application and Critical Analysis|first=Doug|last=DuBrin|publisher=NewsHour Extra|date=2003|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194223/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/iraq/powelldoctrine.html|archive-date = January 16, 2013|access-date=April 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="preble21">{{cite news |last1=Preble |first1=Christopher |title=The Powell Doctrine's wisdom must live on |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-powell-doctrines-wisdom-must-live-on/ |publisher=Atlantic Council |date=18 October 2021}}</ref>
# 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?

As Powell said in an April 1, 2009, interview on ''[[The Rachel Maddow Show]]'', it denotes a nation's exhausting of all "political, economic, and diplomatic means", which, only if all were futile, would result in the condition that the nation should resort to military force. Powell has also asserted that when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve decisive force against the enemy, minimizing casualties, and ending the conflict quickly by forcing the weaker force to capitulate.<ref>Rachel Maddow, "[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna30002070 Colin Powell Talks Rachel Maddow] ", ''MSNBC'', 1 April 2009.</ref>