When does the US support partition of a warring or failing state? Why has the US 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 text 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 Herzegovina. The book uses detailed comparative examination of US policies in these three cases to assess the relative impact of a number of factors in US decision making.