Working Draft—Please Do Not Cite Without Author’s Permission
Vorbach ISA 2005
20
respect to engagement with its closest hemispheric partners, and perhaps
particularly with respect to the maritime arena, the roles of the Navy and the
Coast Guard will need to be clearly delineated as the details outlined in HSPD-13
are operationalized.
Conclusion
In the hypothetical three-layer chess game borrowed from Joseph Nye to begin this
analysis, the United States is challenged to calibrate its top layer military activities in pursuit
of homeland defense in such a way that they are effective contributions to the battle against
transnational security threats conducted on the lower level without reversing whatever
gradual progress might be developing in the U.S./Mexico relationship. A bilateral
commitment to maintaining the high volume of trade that occurs on the middle layer of the
board will motivate the U.S. effort to find that balance. As the U.S. works to strengthen
military-to-military engagement with Mexico, the greatest advances may occur in the
maritime arena. Continued success there will require maintaining the momentum generated
recently.
Convention