Unfinished Business America and Cuba after the Cold War, 1989–2001

A comprehensive study of US policy toward Cuba in the post-Cold War era.

This is a comprehensive study of US policy towards Cuba in the post-Cold War era. Drawing on interviews with Bush and Clinton policy-makers, congressional participants in the policy debate, and leaders of the anti-sanctions business community, it makes an important contribution to our knowledge of the evolution of American policy during this period. This study argues that Bush and Clinton operated within the same Cold War framework that shaped the Cuba policy of their predecessors. But it also demonstrates that US policy after 1989 was driven principally by the imperatives of domestic politics. The authors show how Bush and Clinton corrupted the policy-making process by subordinating rational decision-making in the national interest to narrow political calculations. The result was the pursuit of a policy that had nothing to do with its stated objectives of promoting reforms in Cuba and everything to do with getting rid of Fidel Castro's regime.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Bush administration and Cuba: from Cold War to deep freeze; 2. Clinton and Cuba, January 1993 to February 1996: closing the options; 3. Helms–Burton and the triumph of politics over policy; 4. Stirring the waters: Clinton's missed opportunities; Conclusion; Postscript: Washington's last Cold War; Notes; Index.

This is a comprehensive study of US policy toward Cuba in the post-Cold War era. Drawing on interviews with Bush and Clinton policymakers, congressional participants in the policy debate, and leaders of the anti-sanctions business community, it makes an important contribution to our knowledge of American policy during this period.