Based on extremely well documented information, this novel written by Eduardo Martín de Pozuelo andJordi Bordas (published by RBA in Spain) reveals the political ins and outs that brought Spain, against public opinion, to participate in the Iraq War.
When the United States decide to invade Iraq unilaterally, they give two reasons: that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction and that supports Al-Qaeda. In order to prove their consistency, world’s Intelligent Secret Services spread their spy agents. In Spain, Sebastián Villanueva, head of External Intelligence of the CNI, and responsible for the Middle East Information Services, spreads his network of Iraqis collaborators. Under a lot of national and international pressure and in a time trial, he discovers the lies and informs the Spanish Government to stop Spain’s participation in the conflict. It’s June 2002. But political motivations make his efforts futile, and after the Azores Summit, the entire world attended puzzled the outbreak of the war.
Already in the middle of the war, the network of Iraqis collaborators at CNI’s service claim not to be abandoned in Iraq –without any coverage- and Sebastián promises to help them. However, the Government, ignoring the potential danger that several Islamist cells might represent for Spain, makes him difficult to get his promise kept… a decision that raises the tension and fires the desire of revenge.
Eduardo Martín de Pozuelo and Jordi Bordas are two acclaimed Spanish journalists. Both founders in 1985 of La Vanguardia ’s research team, they have received as a result of their work the prizes ‘Ortega y Gasset’, ‘Ojo Crítico’, ‘Ciutat de Barcelona’, as well as the ‘Reporter’ for the book Cosa Nostra. Ten Years of Mafia in Spain, and the prizes ‘Reina Sofia’ and ‘Nécora’.
Pontas represents both authors internationally and translation and film rights are available. The novel was launched on March 18th and it’s already in its second reprint in just a few weeks!
More information and some media coverage here. And also here.
And an interesting on-line conversation with El País.com’ readers here.