The Horizon Audiofiles - Ep 056 - Describing The Security Cooperation Dilemma

This paper explores the persistent tensions within U.S. security
cooperation, where efforts to build partner capacity often
collide with the realities of sovereignty, hierarchy, and risk.
Although designed to enhance global stability, security
cooperation initiatives frequently impose on partner autonomy,
revealing the hierarchical nature of the international system
beneath the rhetoric of equal partnership. Drawing from strategic
theory and operational experience, the paper introduces the
"security cooperation dilemma," highlighting the twin fears of
entrapment for the dominant power and abandonment for the
partner. It criticises existing Department of Defense (DOD)
frameworks, especially the Significant Security Cooperation
Initiative Construct (SSCIC), for inadequately addressing
political willingness and absorptive capacity. The analysis
argues that political commitment is a function of risk,
particularly physical and political, and should be observed
through tangible actions rather than verbal assurances. The study
concludes by advocating for a recalibration of security
cooperation practices, emphasising strategic patience, realistic
timelines, and a rigorous focus on genuine political commitment
and risk absorption as prerequisites for sustainable security
cooperation success.


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