Collusion: International Espionage and the War on Terror

After George W. Bush pronounced the reasons behind going to war in Iraq—the infamous “sixteen words”—it was La Repubblica reporters Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D’Avanzo who uncovered that Bush’s fraudulent evidence was planted by Italy’s secret intelligence agency, SISMI.

After Egyptian cleric Abu Omar was kidnapped in broad daylight off the street in Milan, it was Bonini and D’Avanzo who broke the story that it was a combined effort of the CIA and Italian agents.

In Collusion, the two reporters tell both those stories in full for the first time in the US, as well as the story that may turn into the biggest of them all: secret meetings in Rome between high-ranking Bush administration officials and Iranian agents.

In Collusion, Bonini and D’Avanzo uncover the government-sponsored underworld of spies and crooked politicians, sidewalk deals and hapless villains that has played such a crucial role in the dirty business of making history since 9-11.

But they reveal much more than the inner workings of “Nigergate” or the Abu Omar scandal. They bring the CIA and SISMI into sharp focus along with other players in international spycraft, “black propaganda” specialists, and the numerous shady characters shopping deals—here are the bunglings, the outrageous expense accounts, the lawless abductions, and the absurd misinterpretations of evidence.

After George W. Bush pronounced the reasons behind going to war in Iraq--the infamous sixteen words--it was La Repubblica reporters Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo who uncovered that Bush's fraudulent evidence was planted by Italy's secret intelligence agency, SISMI.

After Egyptian cleric Abu Omar was kidnapped in broad daylight off the street in Milan, it was Bonini and D'Avanzo who broke the story that it was a combined effort of the CIA and Italian agents.

In Collusion, the two reporters tell both those stories in full for the first time in the US, as well as the story that may turn into the biggest of them all: secret meetings in Rome between high-ranking Bush administration officials and Iranian agents.

In Collusion, Bonini and D'Avanzo uncover the government-sponsored underworld of spies and crooked politicians, sidewalk deals and hapless villains that has played such a crucial role in the dirty business of making history since 9-11.

But they reveal much more than the inner workings of Nigergate or the Abu Omar scandal. They bring the CIA and SISMI into sharp focus along with other players in international spycraft, black propaganda specialists, and the numerous shady characters shopping deals--here are the bunglings, the outrageous expense accounts, the lawless abductions, and the absurd misinterpretations of evidence.

"These two reporters, authors of this book, are truth seekers who do the kind of hard, honest work that all reporters should do—find the truth and print it."—Seymour Hersh, author Chain of Command

“Probes the most enigmatic questions at the heart of the greatest foreign policy catastrophe in American history."—Craig Unger, author House of Bush, House of Saud

After George Bush pronounced the reasons behind going to war in Iraq—the infamous "sixteen words"—it was La Repubblicareporters Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo who discovered that Bush's "smoking gun" evidence was fake, planted by Italy's intelligence agency, SISMI.Now Bonini and D'Avanzo, Italy’s two most important investigative reporters, expand the story, incorporating stunning new information about international terrorism investigations and pre-war intelligence. Of particular importance are the details of a series of secret pre-war meetings in Rome between high-ranking Bush administration officials and Iranian agents.

Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D’Avanzowork for Rome’s La Repubblicanewspaper.