Powell’s criticism of the troop shortage which existed at the outset of the Iraq campaign hardly surprised me. After all, he is a competent military mind, and even the most casual observer in 2003 likely wondered why the coalition would enter into a campaign broader than the 1991 war but with a mere fraction of the troops.

The timing of Powell’s giving air to his doubts does surprise me, however. With the events three years in the past, why pick now to become vocal?

A cynic might well suggest that he has political ambition and wishes to one day become president and inherit the mess that Clinton made of our image of integrity and that Bush has made of the our military’s strength. America should be so lucky.

Powell joins eight other military commanders (admittedly of less stature than the four-star Powell) in coming out strongly against big mistakes made in the war. They’re speaking only now because it is definitely improper for military commanders to double-cross their C-in-C and make political statements because of the international significance of dissention within the ranks. It is important that military officers not speak out independently as MacArthur did; he was a great general, but his insubordination in Korea threatened world peace by potentially nuclearizing a regional war.

The downside of not letting military officers speak out is that it means they have to wait until they retire or they have to turn their life’s career into a kamikaze. The fact that some commanders are willing to do this suggests that they really mean what they say.

(Clark is an exception in my mind to the rule of self-sacrificing a career, because in many ways he is a loose cannon and he doomed his career when he wanted to confront the Russians when he was a peacekeeping official in the former Yugoslavia)

I’m glad Powell is speaking out. I’m glad that the American system doesn’t encourage dissention and faction that would threaten the country. Too bad that means having to wait so long to hear important words said.