Combined with aggressive rhetoric and ideological hostility, the conventional approach to crisis resolution generates only military options and diminishes our prospects for less dangerous solutions. This book explains how a workable, pragmatic, and efficient foreign policy in relation to Soviet-Cuban activities in the Third World can evolve through negotiation, that de-emphasizes ideology. The focus is on problems within less developed countries—problems that provide opportunities for Soviet-Cuban involvement.

The book examines several Third World conflicts in which the Soviet Union and Cuba are involved (The Horn of Africa, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Southern Africa, and the Commonwealth Caribbean) and suggests a pragmatic policy tailored to each regional conflict. An objective assessment of Soviet-Cuban activities discovers opportunities for cooperation and mutual restraint.