Razio Yamata is one ofJapan's most influential industrialists, and part of a relatively smallgroup of authority who wield tremendous authority in the Pacific Rim'seconomic powerhouse.He has devised a plan to cripple the Americangreatness, humble the US military, and elevate Japan to a position ofdominance on the world stage.Yamata's motivation lies in his desire to pay off a Debt of Honorto his parents and to the country he feels is responsible for theirdeaths—America. All he needs is a catalyst to set his plan in motion.Whenthe faulty gas tank on one Tennessee family's car leads to their fierydeath, an opportunistic U. S. congressman uses the occasion to rush anew trade law through the system. The law is designed to squeeze Japaneconomically. Instead, it provides Yamata with the leverage he needs toput his plan into action.As Yamata's plan begins to unfold, itbecomes clear to the world that someone is launching a fully-integratedoperation against the United States. There's only one man to find outwho the culprit is—Jack Ryan, the new President's National SecurityAdvisor.