I think Colin Powell is a miltary man with that mindset. In his world, things have to make sense and follow order. He was as unprepared for bush as many Americans were. That doesn't mean he didn't have the opportunity to know better, but may explain why he didn't look very hard when presented with "facts" by people he trusted. He has come out publicly and apologised several times, I think his heart was in the right place, just not his eyes.