To my mind, "coalition" means definition 2: "the state of being combined into one body [syn: fusion]". In the Gulf War, coalition members contributed significant numbers of troops (defined in the article as 2000 or more) to form one army under a unified command. In other words, "coalition" means a formal unification.

In the same vein, it's fair to say that members of today's "coalition" are allies, in that they've taken a stand in support of the US. What's lacking is their formal and direct participation, and they's why it's false to call this group today a "coalition".

People (like Bush, evidently) who dismiss diplomats as mere "fancy-pants talkers" underestimate the power of words. The precise choice of words conveys a precise meaning that conditions how people think and how they act on their thoughts. "In the beginning was The Word"...

Interesting observation about the three genuine coalition members today. Basically it's the de facto "British Commonwealth", minus Canada. The US has never formally been a member, but once we got over the War of 1812, we usually act in concert with our Anglo-Saxon brethren. Ties of culture and history remain strong.

As I remember my history, though, America had a mixture of religious and penal colonies, while Australia's were a mix of civil and penal. Neither sweeping generalization is correct, but neither is incorrect.

--Robert