Inside Sudan

Sudan, governed by an Islamist dictatorship, has come into conflict with the United States and other countries not because of its religious orientation but because of its record of human rights abuses and support for terrorism. Donald Petterson, the last American ambassador to complete an assignment based in Sudan, provides unique insights into how Sudan has become what it is today. The central focus of Inside Sudan is on Petterson's experiences dealing with a hostile government. Petterson tells what occurred after Sudanese security forces executed four Sudanese employees of the U.S. government in the southern city of Juba. He relates what happened to Americans in Khartoum after Washington put Sudan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. He describes what he saw on his many trips into war-devastated southern Sudan. These unique observations, and Petterson's account of his return to Sudan in late 1997 to look for openings to improve U.S. - Sudan relations, provide a timely review of our relationship with a country increasingly regarded by Washington as beyond the pale.