Highlights the dilemma faced by CARICOM countries as they confront the incongruity of US domestic politics and US tendency toward unilateralism and bilateralism, on the one hand, and the pressures of regionalism and multilateralism to avoid marginalization in the wake of global changes, on the other. Argues that while increases in the number of inter-action opportunities appear to provide CARICOM countries with greater latitude within which to pursue national interest/security objectives, their small size, limited resource base, and general power asymmetry constrain them such that they must reconcile these objectives within the contours of US national interest/security agenda. Advises that to achieve their desired policy goals, CARICOM members must become intimately familiar with the dynamics of US policy-making processes and tailor their negotiating strategies accordingly.

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