Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot. Jeffrey J. Matthews. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2019.

“For most at or near the top of the bureaucratic heap, it is not the great crime that undermines the integrity but the little things that erode it.”[1]

Jeffrey J. Matthews, the George Frederick Jewett Distinguished Professor at the University of Puget Sound, is the author of Blacksheep Leadership and The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. Matthews’ third book is a biography of Colin Powell. This offering examines the four decades of Powell’s public service, applying a critical eye to a man with one of the highest approval ratings in history. This is not to say Powell is above criticism for his mistakes, but the first half of the book seems more an ax to grind easing into lighter rhetoric in the second. Matthews captures the good and the bad of Powell’s career in hopes “we can learn from both [Powell’s] good and bad followership.”[2] On the whole, the work focuses on the latter much more so than the former, and Matthews’ focus magnifies Powell’s failures in a way some readers might find polarizing. Any reader hoping for a continuation of the common narrative of a well-liked and successful servant of the republic should think twice before reading.

Imperfect Patriot is anchored to three specific events in Powell’s career: Vietnam, the Iran-Contra Affair, and the invasion of Iraq. Matthews believes that while Powell conformed to village burning, ransacking food stores, and exterminating livestock during his service in Vietnam, he must be held accountable in the later portions of his career where maturity, knowledge, and experience might have allowed him to understand the magnitude of each situation. For his part, Powell openly admits “that even as a highly decorated major, he had not yet developed a proclivity for independent thought or a willingness to question poor decisions made by superior officers.”[3] Powell’s critical thought developed as his career continued under the shepherding of senior mentors, helping him succeed as a young leader in the U.S. Army.

Powell’s career is full of high-impact positions, including senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger. Powell’s tenure under Weinberger allows for the examination of his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. Powell is one of a few individuals with direct knowledge of the events surrounding Iran-Contra and later admits, “I knew that [Caspar] Weinberger, as well as the rest of us at Defense, had no knowledge of the most illegal aspect of the affair, the diversion of Iranian arms sales profits to the Contras.”[4]

Imperfect Patriot introduces intrigue into Powell’s career. Those like Oliver North, who was intimately involved in the scandal, believe the public has a right to know about Powell’s knowledge of the complete scandal and his “real role in the so-called Iran-Contra affair.”[5] Powell is also shown in stark contrast to then-Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Robert Gates, who admits later in life that, with respect to the Iran-Contra Affair, “I hadn’t done enough right…But when it was all over, I knew in my heart of hearts, by my own standard of conduct, I had somehow fallen short.”[6] Of all the events in Powell’s career, however damning, the Iran-Contra Affairs pales in comparison to his time as Secretary of State. Imperfect Patriot provides deeper detail on this, perhaps, darkest season of Powell’s life.

The balance of Matthews’ work focuses on Powell’s time serving in the administration of President George W. Bush. After retiring as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,  Powell sought to enjoy a time period of his life with unlimited autonomy. As a rising political figure, with overwhelming support from the American public and hints of a possible presidential bid, Powell avoided the limelight for a quieter life until summoned to public service once more.

Powell enjoyed immediate success in the George W. Bush Administration. Avoiding war wherever possible was the bedrock of the so-called Powell Doctrine, which was born from his experience in Vietnam and from his time as Caspar Weinberger’s military assistant, then Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Defense. But the incurable blemish on Powell’s career and four decades of service starts and ends with Iraq, and his lending of credibility to the claim for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Ultimately, his dwindling influence in the administration and active circumventing by war hawks to avoid State Department input are the makings of a modern-day tragedy.

Powell declares in his infamous U.N. speech, “Every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we are giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid evidence.”[7] Every day, week, month, and year that passed without the discovery of weapons of mass destruction further ostracized Powell from an administration he enabled. He was the figurehead for a conflict he disagreed with behind closed doors, amongst an administration that became further divided as the Iraq conflict continued. Iraq spiraled out of control, further destroying Powell’s spirit and influence. One can reasonably conclude these events led to his resignation from public service, to be replaced by Condoleezza Rice. Powell stated, “I am mostly mad at myself for not having smelled the problem. My instincts failed me.”[8]

Matthews critiques Powell for quietly objecting to invading Iraq behind the walls of the White House, only to go on to support a full-frontal assault with his U.N. speech. The real problem of never finding weapons of mass destruction—with supposed mountains of evidence—is the demonstration that the intelligence community failed. In fact, Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet resigned. The events that unfolded after the U.N. speech fractured an already broken administration. Having advised President Bush to rebuild his administration team should a second term come to fruition, Powell resigned.[9]

At multiple times throughout his career, Powell seems to be the leader plugging holes in the boat rather than trying to pail water overboard.

Matthews’ Imperfect Patriot provides a comprehensive examination of one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. At multiple times throughout his career, Powell seems to be the leader plugging holes in the boat rather than trying to pail water overboard. He seems intent on fixing the problem with a thorough, well thought solution even if it means vehemently disagreeing with the collective or his superiors.

Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot is a work that succeeds at examining the broad impacts, both good and bad, of a career public servant with an emphasis more on the latter than the former. The author sheds light and places blame on the central figure, although it can be assumed that blame does not solely rest with Powell alone and also resides with others outside the scope of this work. Matthews provides a warning to all that even those most admired are not infallible. This work should be read by all national security professionals, uniformed service members, or any other governmental agency including the department of state and the intelligence community.

Ryan W. Pallas is a Marine Corps officer. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and do not reflect those of the Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

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Header Image: Colin Powell at the United Nations (Thomas Monaster/NY Daily News)

Notes:

[1] Robert M. Gates, A Passion for Leadership, (New York: Vintage, 2017) 163-64.

[2] Jeffrey J. Matthews, Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot (University of Notre Dame, 2019), 315.

[3] Ibid., 40.

[4] Ibid., 93-94.

[5] Ibid., 168.

[6] Gates, A Passion for Leadership, 163-164.

[7] Matthews, vii.

[8] Ibid., 305.

[9] Ibid., 301.