Author Harriette Rinaldi to discuss modern genocidal regimes

Harriette C. Rinaldi, the former CIA officer whose book “Four Faces of Truth” explores the horrific rise to power of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, will discuss her work and draw comparisons of Khmer Rouge to other genocidal regimes like ISIS when she visits Salve Regina on Thursday, April 7.

Rinaldi’s talk will be presented at 4 p.m. in the McKillop Library. The Rhode Island native and Salve Regina graduate will host a book signing after her presentation.

“Four Faces of Truth” is a novel based on Rinaldi’s firsthand experiences during three years spent working in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge-triggered devolution in the 1970s. In her book, four fictional narrators describe how a handful of Paris-educated young people dream of creating a communist utopia in Cambodia. Instead, their dream mutates into a nightmarish experiment where ordinary people become mass murderers, and today’s executioner becomes tomorrow’s victim.

During her 27-year career with the CIA, Rinaldi enjoyed challenging overseas assignments involving the collection of foreign intelligence responsive to the needs of American policymakers. She founded the CIA’s Women’s Leadership Forum and was a regular speaker at interagency conferences and policy forums. She has received many awards from the CIA and other U.S. government entities.

After her retirement, Rinaldi taught leadership seminars for mid- and senior-level government managers throughout the country, including specialized training programs for NASA, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Army Special Forces. She is also the author of a nonfiction book, “Born at the Battlefield of Gettysburg: An African-American Family Saga.”