"Yes, the secretary of state is a 'moderate' -- compared to the likes of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld," Media Beat columnist Normon Solomon writes. "But that's not saying much. And history tells us, even if the press won't, that Powell does not have a record as a man of conscience. ... Instead of undermining prospects for a military conflagration, Powell's outsized prestige is a very useful asset for the war planners. The retired general 'is seen by many of Washington's friends and allies abroad as essential to the credibility of Bush's foreign policy,' the French news agency AFP noted as September began." Solomon lists a few of Powell's lesser-known career highlights, including his work as President Reagan's national security adviser, where he was "a key operator in U.S. efforts to overthrow the elected government of Nicaragua." Powell also was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, during which he emerged as the crucial figure in the decision to invade. "Powell's 'moderate' approach is in sync with the outlook of Fareed Zakaria [3], former managing editor of the elite periodical Foreign Affairs, who shares Powell's interest in urging the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq -- a good PR step in the quest for a confrontation leading to war," Solomon writes.