Ahh. Well, I think even if they did, there's too many loose Muslim cannons running around to really make some 'pretended peaceful solution and coalition status quo maintenance' work out. If Powell is naive enough to think that we're dealing with rational people, well, I feel sorry for him.
What I truly think is, Powell is a smart guy. He wouldn't have got where he is if he wasn't (especially with the military route he took). I think he truly wants to feel for himself that we tried every diplomatic avenue and exhausted every means before we take the tough stance. I think Condoleezza Rice has probably been working on him as well. I bet they finally uncovered some damning piece of evidence (as if more were needed) that Arafat is truly behind and orchestrating the murders in the Middle East and this was a huge factor in the administration's call for Arafat's ouster. It must be something that made a believer in all of 'em. Powell must suddenly see the wisdom of Bush and the way he deals with thugs and that gives him more confidence in the administration's other areas of concern.
Bush will make a believer of Powell just like he did out of Rice. Rice is very confident in Bush's leadership and vision and has said so on many occasions. I think Dubya is a great poker player and an acadamy award potential actor. And what I mean by that is, he will either play up or let the media play up this "Bush is Stupid" thing to the max- it only hurts his enemies. I think he is disarming from a distance and might come off as 'simple'- but I bet when he gets you in his pickup truck or off in a corner or over a steak alone he probably turns sharp as a tack and shows his cards and says "This here is how we're going to play this or that".
I would imagine he just runs the table on the opposition to the point they know right from his first shot that he's a pool shark and they've been hustled but I bet he also offers them a nice little treat for doing it his way- a treat that in the end is more savory than the reward would have been for having done it their own way. The Putins and Blairs nod their heads and agree- "Okey Dokey Dubya". We'll hear more about all this after Tony Blair ever gets voted out of office and writes his memoirs.