ABSTRACT
In addition to the five domestic impediments to homeland security already discussed, American leaders also face increasingly uncertain bilateral and multilateral commitments from key allies that compound Washington's homeland security dilemma in three ways:
Allies have their own domestic pressures, terrorist threats, and security priorities that may not correspond with those of the US.
Terrorist threats, attacks, and responses abroad have a direct impact on American security. Public fears of terrorism and political motivations to respond, therefore, are not exclusively a product of security failures within one's own state. The British case is used to highlight the effects of several UK–US security linkages.
Allies’ self-interests determine the effectiveness of multilateral approaches to collective security. Uncertainty with respect to allies’ commitments to combat global threats to security compound Washington's homeland security dilemma. Two cases are discussed in this context: multilateral support for NATO's Afghanistan deployment, and the Global Partnership Program to combat nuclear proliferation.
