Hartford, Conn. – SPECTRUM Member General Michael Jones, U.S. Army (Ret.) moderated an expert panel on U.S. Security Alliances at the Connecticut World Affairs Council (CTWAC) Global Security Forum (GSF) 2020 on September 29, 2020.

The panel, composed of U.S. allies from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, discussed their respective nations priorities for international coalitions and what they want from the U.S. as a partner in global security.

“In some circles, ‘alliances’ has a very technical meaning,” noted General Jones in his opening statement. “But we want to talk about [how] folks really operate in today’s world, which includes alliances but also includes a variety of coalitions and partnerships.”

“When I was at USCENTCOM, we had 57 coalition partners stationed there in Tampa with us,” continued Jones. “And alliances and coalitions have been the way in which U.S. military forces have operated for over a century. In the U.S., a unilateral operation has become the rare exception to the rule. It’s probably reasonable to assume that coalitions and alliances and partnerships are probably the most likely way that we’ll continue to operate in the future.”

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