USS Clueless - Blind men and the Tiger: Secretary of State Powell has on occasion mouthed comforting words to the Europeans about coalition, but our acts have made clear that the one thing we do not accept is that a coalition should be permitted to prevent us from doing what we decide we need to do. And that is exactly what the European politicians have been hoping that a coalition would accomplish; I have never yet seen any European politician in the last month talk about the coalition except in the context of trying to restrain American actions.