Security Diplomacy: Beyond Defense
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Date
2015-08-14
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
Globalization, the Information Age, and the fall of the Soviet Union has changed the
political landscape of the world. In order to prosper, governments increasingly must work
with other nation-states on diplomatic issues ranging from the economy to defense to
trans-national criminal activity. In this thesis, I examine whether the United States (U.S.)
can use a tailored approach to security diplomacy, which acknowledges historic
grievances in order to solidify or increase its influence with nations vis-à-vis historic
rivals.
For this thesis, I concentrate on the security aspect of diplomacy, and although there is a
plethora of literature on defense diplomacy, I’m approaching the topic from a new angle,
which argues that the defense diplomacy of the Cold War era is not sufficient for modern
day diplomacy. The United States must reshape defense diplomacy into an allencompassing
effort known as security diplomacy. Security diplomacy is comprised of
defense, rule-of-law, human rights, and humanitarian crisis response initiatives that are
packaged to meet the specific needs of its partners.
Using a qualitative approach, I examine the various aspects of security diplomacy utilized
by the United States, and its rivals, to determine its effectiveness in gaining political
capital/influence with Allies and partners. Chapter 1 – Latin America and Chapter 2 –
Africa, seeks to determine whether the United States can effectively use security
diplomacy in regions that experienced colonization as well as government intervention
through the use of military force, within the past 100 years. For Chapter 3, I shift my attention to Eastern Europe, and seek to answer the same question with the difference
being the Cold War rivalries, rather than colonization or military intervention being in the
psyche of Allies and partners.
In Chapter 1 and 2, I examined the United States and its rival’s use of security diplomacy
with Latin America and Sub – Saharan Africa. Despite a history of military and political
interventionism, the United States has been successful in improving its influence
throughout these two regions thru security diplomacy; however, mistrust of the United
States has led some countries, such as Venezuela, to seek alternative security partnerships
with countries such as Russia, China, and Iran.
Chapter 3 examined the U.S. use of security diplomacy with former Warsaw Pact
members. This chapter is especially relevant today, as Russia has re-emerged as a
regional challenger to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United
States. In this chapter, I identified ways and means for the United States to improve its
political influence regionally through bi-lateral security cooperation.
In conclusion, I argue the United States can strengthen its influence using a tailored
approach to security diplomacy that addresses its partner’s security requirements, while
keeping in mind past grievances.
Thesis Advisors: Chapter 1 – Sarah O’Byrne; Chapter 2 – Sarah Clark; Chapter 3 – Leila
Austin
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Security & Defense Diplomacy