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"Coalition of the willing" is a phrase which has been used since the 1980s to refer to groups of nations acting collectively and often militarily outside of United Nations auspices. Its most prominent use was by the George W. Bush administration to refer to those nations whose governments supported the United States position in the Iraq disarmament crisis and later the March 2003 invasion of Iraq (see Occupation of Iraq, 2003-2004). The original list in March 2003 included 48 members . The phrase is not in current use. .

Origins of the phrase

The precise origins of the phrase are unknown, but it has been used since at least the late 1980s to refer to groups of nations acting collectively without regard to United Nations opinion. Specific uses of the phrase in the context of disarming Iraq began appearing in mid 2001.

The first American President known to have publicly mentioned acting with a "coalition of the willing" in place of a UN mandate was Bill Clinton. The phrase was later used by George W. Bush to refer both to actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, although usage primarily focused on the latter.

Criticism of the phrase

U.S. senator Robert Byrd, ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has referred to the coalition formed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the acronym COW, expressing his concern that the United States was being "milked" as a "cash cow."

Many of the nations in the coalition formed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq stand to receive substantial aid packages and trade benefits from the United States in return for their support. It is for this reason that some editorial cartoons and political commentators have mockingly referred to them as the "coalition of the billing." Another term, used by those who believe coalition nations lied about aspects of the war, is "coalition of the shilling."

Due to the high percentage of states that were small, impoverished nations in need of United States financial aid, a New York Times editorial referred to it as the "Coalition Of Welfare States."

Canadian MP Carolyn Parrish has referred to the "Coalition of the Willing" as the "Coalition of the Idiots". She, however, was reprimanded for these and comments, and was eventually removed from the Liberal party caucus.

Coalition members

In order of number of troops (estimated) committed to Iraq as of March 2005:

1. USA 130,000
2. United Kingdom 8,761
3. South Korea 3,600
4. Italy 3,085 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005
5. Poland 1,700
6. Ukraine 1,450 -- announced to withdraw troops by October 2005
7. Georgia 889
8. Romania 860
9. Australia 850
10. Netherlands 800 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005
11. Japan 550 -- limited to non-combat zones only
12. Denmark 496
13. Bulgaria 450 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005
14. El Salvador 380
15. Mongolia 180
16. Azerbaijan 151
17. Latvia 122
18. Lithuania 118
19. Slovakia 105
20. Czech Republic 80
21. Albania 71
22. Estonia 55
23. Macedonia 33
24. Kazakhstan 25
25. Norway 10 -- has withdrawn the 179 soldier strong force of engineers and currently has 10 staff officers deployed in Iraq
26. Angola 0
27. Colombia 0
28. Costa Rica 0 -- asked to be removed from the official coalition list in September 2004
29. Dominican Republic 0 -- withdrew troops in May 2004
30. Eritrea 0
31. Ethiopia 0
32. Honduras 0 -- withdrew troops in June 2004
33. Hungary 0 -- withdrew troops in December 2004
34. Iceland 0
35. Kuwait 0
36. Micronesia 0
37. Moldova 0 -- withdrew troops in February 2005
38. New Zealand 0 -- withdrew troops in September 2004
39. Nicaragua 0 -- withdrew troops in February 2004
40. Philippines 0 -- withdrew troops in July 2004
41. Portugal 0 -- withdrew troops in March 2005
42. Rwanda 0
43. Singapore 0 -- withdrew its single amphibious transport dock deployed in the Persian Gulf in March 2005
44. Solomon Islands 0
45. Spain 0 -- withdrew troops in June 2004
46. Thailand 0 -- withdrew troops in August 2004
47. Tonga 0
48. Uganda 0
49. Uzbekistan 0

Canada does not support the invasion of Iraq and is not a Coalition member but has 31 troops in the theatre as part of an exchange program with the United States military

Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom - Coalition Forces, PWHCE, Global Security

See also

• 2003 invasion of Iraq
• Post-invasion Iraq, 2003-2005
• Worldwide government positions on war on Iraq

External links and references

• Bush: Join 'coalition of willing (CNN)
• White House list of 49 Coalition Members
• Coalition of the Willing List, Map and Troop Numbers from Perspectives on World History and Current Events
• A Coalition of the Willing? Misnomer, February 11, 2003, summary of public opinion on Iraq invasion

• Phrases
• Foreign relations of the U.S.