coalition of the willing

The term was coined in the early 1970s by MIT professor Lincoln P. Bloomfield and his colleagues, including Harland Cleveland of the University of Minnesota.{{Cite web |last= |date=April 21, 2002 |title='Coalition of the willing' is world's best weapon |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/04/21/coalition-of-the-willing-is-worlds-best-weapon/ |access-date=August 5, 2024 |website=The Baltimore Sun |language=en-US}} In July 1971, Bloomfield described the need for a coalition of willing nations to support important peacekeeping or conflict stabilization goals endorsed by the UN, in a NYT op-ed.{{Cite news |last=Bloomfield |first=Lincoln P. |date=July 21, 1971 |title=Resurrecting the United Nations |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/21/archives/resurrecting-the-united-nations.html |access-date=August 5, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The term was picked up by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in a 1973 letter to Bloomfield, acknowledging the latter's "proposal for 'coalitions of the willing'."{{Cite web |title=Nov 23 1973 Henry Kissinger response |url=https://palmercoates.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Nov-23-1973-Henry-Kissinger-response.pdf |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=PalmerCoates}} On May 9, 1988, Cleveland wrote a letter 'for the record' to the Editor of Foreign Affairs making clear that Bloomfield was the originator of the phrase, first published in his 1974 book [https://archive.org/details/meetingmammals0000vict/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22coalitions+of+the+willing%22 In Search of American Foreign Policy].{{Cite web |title=H Cleveland attribution letter |url=https://palmercoates.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/9-H-Cleveland-attribution-letter.pdf |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=PalmerCoates}} In 2002, Bloomfield published another op-ed, insisting that Cleveland share credit for the phrase.

The term was used by US President Bill Clinton in June 1994 in relation to possible operations against North Korea, at the height of the 1994 stand-off with the country over nuclear weapons.Ibiblio.org (originally official White House release), [http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/archives/whitehouse-papers/1994/Jun/1994-06-05-Presidents-ABC-Interview-on-USS-George-Washington Interview with the President by Sam Donaldson ABC], June 5, 1994.

In his letter introducing the 2002 National Security Strategy, US President George W. Bush emphasized the important role of "coalitions of the willing."{{Cite web |date=September 17, 2002 |title=The National Security Strategy of the United States of America September 2002 |url=https://nssarchive.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2002.pdf |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=National Security Strategy Archive}}

Coalition of the willing referred to the US-led Multi-National Force – Iraq, the military command during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and much of the ensuing Iraq War.{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2002 |title=Bush: Join 'coalition of willing' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/11/20/prague.bush.nato/ |access-date=July 30, 2024 |website=CNN}}

It has also been applied to the Australian-led INTERFET operation in East Timor from 1999 until 2000.{{Cite book |date=November 10, 2010 |title=Peace enforcement through a global organisation: the United Nations and INTERFET in East Timor - Summary |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/international-organisations-and-peace-enforcement/peace-enforcement-through-a-global-organisation-the-united-nations-and-interfet-in-east-timor/15BA5A2A60F3840F70E9513F96F0EBDD |access-date=July 30, 2024 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511491290.007 |isbn=978-0-521-87019-1 }}{{Cite web |date=March 2001 |title=Shaping East Timor: A Dimension of United Nations Peacekeeping |url=https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/sa/sa_mar01chs01.html |access-date=July 30, 2024 |website=Columbia International Affairs Online}}

On March 1, 2025, Czech president Petr Pavel made a social media post on X, calling for the formation of a coalition of the willing to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web |last1=Ferenčík |first1=Jakub |title=President Pavel calls for consideration of a coalition of the willing for a just peace |url=https://english.radio.cz/president-pavel-calls-consideration-a-coalition-willing-a-just-peace-8844324 |publisher=Radio Prague International |access-date=March 2, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302233253/https://english.radio.cz/president-pavel-calls-consideration-a-coalition-willing-a-just-peace-8844324 |archive-date=March 2, 2025 |date=March 1, 2025 |url-status=live}} The next day, British prime minister Keir Starmer echoed this sentiment after an international summit hosted in London between 18 European leaders.{{cite web |last1=Landler |first1=Mark |last2=Castle |first2=Stephen |last3=Breeden |first3=Aurelien |last4=Smialek |first4=Jeanna |author1-link=Mark Landler |title=Trump Administration Live Updates: U.K. Prime Minister, Seeing ‘Crossroads in History,’ Pledges More European Support for Ukraine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/02/us/trump-news-zelensky-europe |website=The New York Times |access-date=March 2, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302220353/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/02/us/trump-news-zelensky-europe |archive-date=March 2, 2025 |location=London, Paris, and Brussels |date=March 2, 2025 |url-status=live}} He said that the UK would work with France and other European countries to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, with a long-term goal of a peace agreement of some kind with Russia.{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Daniel |date=2025-03-02 |title=Britain and France to lead ‘coalition of the willing’ to save Ukraine |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/02/britain-france-lead-coalition-willing-save-ukraine/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}

Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves referred to the partnership of former president of Cuba Fidel Castro, former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning and former president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez for the construction of the Argyle International Airport as “the Coalition of the Willing," with a display dedicated to it located at the airport.{{Cite web |last=Genter |first=JT |title=Quite an interesting "coalition of the willing" on display at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines airport 🤔 - Fidel Castro (Cuba) - Patrick Manning (Trinidad and Tobago) - Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) |url=https://x.com/JTGenter/status/1736899546364412315?s=20 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}{{Cite web |title=Cuban President in St Vincent on official State visit |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/cuban-president-st-vincent-official-state-visit |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Loop Caribbean News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Clare |date=2022-12-04 |title=President of Cuba arrives in St Vincent and the Grenadines for three-day visit |url=https://www.searchlight.vc/press-release/2022/12/04/president-cuba-arrives-st-vincent-grenadines-three-day-visit/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Searchlight |language=en}} Manning also sought to create a "coalition of the willing" in the form of an economic union with member states from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States in 2008.{{Cite web |title= PM Manning seeks "coalition of the willing" |url=https://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/6204 |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=SKNVibes}}{{Cite web |date=2016-07-02 |title=Patrick Manning, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has died |url=https://www.antillean.org/patrick-manning-dead-69-868/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Antillean Media Group |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2008-08-28 |title=Regional Integration {{!}} Trinidad and Tobago News Blog |url=https://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=588 |access-date=2024-03-27 |language=en-US}}

The People's Partnership administration of former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar which won the 2010 Trinidad and Tobago general election has been referenced as a "coalition of the willing."{{Cite web |last=Maharaj |first=Sat |title=PP celebrated one year after |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.443934.e2bfd8efb0 |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=www.guardian.co.tt |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-09-11 |title=The end of 'Kamlamania'? |url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/09/11/opinion/editorial/the-end-of-kamlamania/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Stabroek News |language=en-us}}

In the early 2000s, Hungary’s Ambassador to the U.S. Andras Simonyi formed a charity rock band he named "Coalition of the Willing" with former Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and U.S. officials, including then-Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield Jr.{{Cite web |last=Pohl |first=Otto |date=January 14, 2005 |title=Diplomats Who Rock |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/10903/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |website=New York Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=July 2005 |title=The Foreign Service Journal vol.82, no.7 |url=https://afsa.org/sites/default/files/fsj-2005-07-08-july-august.pdf |access-date=August 15, 2024 |website=American Foreign Service Association}}

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Category:American political catchphrases

Category:1971 neologisms

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