The United States is very critical of the Russians’ treatment of Chechneya that are ready to step in but the new Russian President, whom they believe is a hardliner, tells them that this is none of their concern. However, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, who did research on the man, doesn’t think he is. But when the Russians continue to attack Chechneya and the Russian President claims responsibility when in reality he is not, the Americans are ready to go against him. But what they don’t know is that there is a third party who is trying to push them into war; which may happen when they detonate a nuclear bomb in the U.S. and people in the Russian Military are in league with this third party and helping him push the two countries to war. But Ryan knows something’s going on and is trying to find out what it is before it’s too late.