Colin Powell once described war as a deadly game and said he did not want to see American lives wasted, according to a 2025 article from ARC People. That caution shaped what became known as the Powell Doctrine, a restrictive decision checklist for when the United States should use military force. A 2021 analysis from the Atlantic Council presents it as threshold criteria: vital interests, clear objectives, sober risk analysis, exhausted alternatives, a plausible exit, and public and international support—meant to be satisfied before committing troops.