What kind of idiotic criticism is this? Because Powell said:
From the mountains of Afghanistan to the valleys of Bosnia to the plains of Africa to the forests of Asia
If the author has some valid criticism to make it would be better to leave out gratuitous swipes.
What is wrong with Powell's turn of phrase alone? That would be like being upset because one refers to America "from sea to shining sea" and then someone makes snide observations about how this leaves out the fact that there are deserts in America.
Needless to say I read no further as the author betrayed an axe to grind from the git-go.