BACK CHANNEL is a political thriller, inspired by news reports of secret negotiations between Saddam Hussein's government and the Bush administration prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The story focuses on an American intelligence officer who is contacted by an Iraqi diplomat -- an old friend -- with an offer to negotiate. The official's life, both professional and personal, is thrown into danger when he reports the contact to the office of the Vice-President. BACK CHANNEL, while a work of fiction, echoes many of the events that have come to light in the years since the invasion of Iraq.