And the President doesn't do anything without good reason. He has a long track record of that.
I'm looking at it from various perspectives, but the only one I care about is the perspective of our neighbors and allies who need to be sold on the immediacy and criticalness of this mission. I'm sold. My neighbors have fears and doubts, but the involvement of General Powell helps assuage those emotions.
Powell needed to set the deadlines, articulate the consequences of U.N. inaction, and reaffirm the legal and just American soverign prerogative to remove Iraq's WMDs through independent military action that protects our citizens.
Like it or not, HIS ultimatum carries more weight than does our President's among people, here and abroad, who are not yet on board. He has the cult of personality developed through fawning media construct over the last 12 years, not our President. He's the deal closer for the Americans and Americas allies who are wobbling fearfully on the edge.