A 21st Century Western Hemisphere Security/Defense Community

• Colonel Joseph R. Núñez, Professor,

U.S. Army War College

• With LTC Kelley Spellman, J-5 Staff, SOUTHCOM

Western Hemisphere Idea

Western Hemisphere Idea

• Special Relationship Within the Americas• Our Own Separate Orbit - Amb Nabuco • Pan Americanism of the New World• Common Values, Interests & Challenges• Free, Prosperous & Fraternal Continent• Constructive Association of Nations• Hemisphere of Peace through Democracy

Challenges to Cooperation

• Imbalance or Asymmetry of Power• Domestic Politics – Nationalism,

Populism,• Subregional Competition• Lack of Presidential Leadership & Vision• Competing Visions and Outsiders• Lack of Understanding-Respect-Concern

Challenges to Cooperation: OAS

• Outdated Rio Treaty – Time for Update• No Effective Security Staff• Inter-American Defense Board Detached• Plenty of Diplomacy, but Where is the

Security and Defense?• Kicks Problems to UN, but Offers Little• New Definitions, but what about Haiti?

Future of Security Cooperation• Can Only Grow if

Leaders Have Common Interests & Values

• Entails Difficult Choices about Defense, Security, Democracy, Trade, Globalization, and Development

International Challenges• State Failure: Haiti• Projection of

Multinational Forces on UN missions (PKO, etc.)

• Stabilization Ops & Humanitarian Assist.

• Gap between Words and Deeds, Promises and Actions

Rising Regional Cooperation• States Find Good

Reasons to Cooperate

• Expand Trade• Reinforce

Democratic Values• Work Together on

Common Security Threats.

International Military Cooperation

• Canada Sent Troops to Afghanistan in 2001

• Canada Sent an even Larger Force to Afghanistan (ISAF) in 2003.

International Military Cooperation

• The 2nd Iraq War was Supported by El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic

• Each Country Sent Forces that Joined the Spanish Brigade

International Military Cooperation

• Within the Americas – UN Mission in Haiti – Soldiers from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, U.S., & Uruguay work together for peace

International Military Cooperation

• Haiti also represents new leadership opportunities

• A Brazilian General commands the Stabilization Force

• A Chilean Diplomat serves as Special Rep. of the Sec Gen

Haiti and Military Cooperation

• Deployment of MIF?• Deployment of

MINUSTAH?• Record of MIF and

MINUSTAH?• OAS & UN Actions?• How Can We Do

Better in the Future?

International Military Cooperation

• Cyprus – UNFICYP• Argentinean force

includes soldiers from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay

• Canada also has soldiers in Cyprus

A New Security Architecture

• Time to Deal with 21st Century threats

• Threats are Not National Armies

• Security Cooperation – Not Integration

• Preserve Sovereignty Constructively

                 

First Special Service Force – Redux

• Standing Multinational Force

• Canada/US/ Mexico & Brazil/Argentina/Chile: FSSF(N) and FSSF(S)

• Hemispheric Security• Part of OAS Security

Council• Strategic Restraint • Sovereignty Clause

The Logic of Cooperation

. Democracy, Trade & Security/Defense

• New Security Dilemma: Internal & Transnational

• New Missions for FSSF: Humanitarian Assistance, Failed States (SO), & PKO

• Hard and Soft Power

Security Virtues of FSSF• NOT Unilateral• Promote Respect &

Understanding • Constructive

Regionalism• Interoperability• Rapid Deployment• Versatility (SSCs)• UN SHIRBRIG >

NRF > FSSF ?

Slaying of Cooperation Myths

• Preserve Sovereignty by “Ditching”

• Possible to Decouple Security from Economy (FTAA)

• Security “On The Cheap” Works

• Moral Superiority of Non-Intervention

Slaying of U.S. Cooperation Myths

• U.S. Can Go it Alone • Other States in the

Americas are Not Dependable Allies

• The U.S. Has Enough Power to Call All of the Shots

• Superpowers Don’t Do Windows (PKSO)

Strategic Commitment to the Western Hemisphere

• An Interdependent Community

• Shared Values/Interests

• Disagreement Does Not Equal Disrespect (virtue)

• A Special Relationship• New Vision

Cooperation Includes Mexico• Mexico is Not Ready

to Join FSSF(N)• Sovereignty and

Non-Intervention Issues

• Democratic Changes are Causing the Military to Change

• Security Cooperation is Quietly on the Rise

Two Opposing Visions

Constructive Regionalism

• Focus more on WE, not ME or THEM

• Regions have Real Security & Defense Responsibilities

• Between States and the International Realm (UN) are Regional Structures

Thanks For Listening

• What are your questions?