▁as ▁relevant ▁as ▁ever , ▁and ▁could ▁equally ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁third ▁world ▁states ' ▁re actions ▁to ▁IM F ▁struct ural ▁adjust ment ▁policies ▁or ▁dem ands ▁for ▁dem ocrat ization . ▁The ▁case ▁studies , ▁taken ▁from ▁n ortheast ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁are ▁also ▁convin cing ly ▁handled ." ▁ ▁- Pro f essor ▁Christopher ▁Cla ph am , ▁Professor ▁of ▁Polit ics ▁and ▁International ▁Rel ations , ▁Lanc aster ▁University ▁ ▁Political ▁Studies , ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁ ▁Third ▁World ▁C oups ▁d ' État ▁and ▁International ▁Security ▁ ▁" C oups ▁provide ▁a ▁cheap ▁and ▁inv iting ▁means ▁to ▁promote ▁external ▁interests ▁in ▁Third ▁World ▁states , ▁where ▁foreign ▁policy - making ▁is ▁generally ▁the ▁preserve ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁gover ning ▁el ite ▁which ▁is ▁sometimes ▁easy ▁to ▁to pp le . ▁So ▁cheap ▁they ▁are , ▁indeed , ▁that ▁this ▁means ▁is ▁available ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁major ▁powers ▁but ▁even ▁to ▁a ▁tiny ▁state ▁like ▁Lib ya , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁quite ▁unable ▁to ▁exercise ▁similar ▁influence ▁through ▁conventional ▁military ▁methods . ▁Since ▁all ▁this ▁is ▁obvious ▁enough , ▁and ▁external ▁invol vement ▁in ▁cou ps ▁is ▁frequently ▁alleg ed , ▁it ▁is ▁surprising ▁that ▁no ▁one ▁has ▁apparently ▁thought ▁to ▁look ▁in ▁any ▁system atic ▁way ▁at ▁the ▁international ▁factor ▁in ▁Third ▁World ▁cou ps . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁gap ▁which ▁Steven ▁David ▁has ▁now ▁filled . ▁ <0x09> ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁problems , ▁of ▁course