When does the U.S. support partition of a warring or failing state? Why has the U.S. supported partition for some secessionists, or irredentists, but not for others? Is it a policy of last resort or are there certain variables that are strong determinants of this position right from the start? This book seeks to answer these questions by examining US policy toward secessionist movements in three countries during the first decade following the end of the Cold War: Iraq, Ethiopia, and Bosnia-Hercegovina.