Below are the first few paragraphs of the article referencing Roots of War. Click here for the complete PDF on the McCuistion Program after 500 episodes.

“A few days after 9/11, I got a call from Channel 13, asking if we could put together a program in a few days about what had happened. I said yes. We did a one-hour show called ‘Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Terrorism’ very quickly and won an award for it.”

The program impressed more than just the members of the awards committee. Hatton W. Sumners was an Arkansas native who moved to Dallas in 1895 and read law in the office of the Dallas County District Attorney. Elected to the state legislature in 1913 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1915, Sumners represented the Fifth Congressional District until 1947, when he retired. Two years later he started the foundation which bears his name. Sumners died in 1962.

In the early 1990s, the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation became a principal supporter of the McCuistions and their Foundation for Responsible Television. Impressed by the program they had put together days after 9/11, Sumners officials asked if Niki and Dennis would be interested in doing an extended-length documentary exploring Islam and the religious conflicts that had so dramatically burst into public awareness with the attacks in New York and Washington.

Elegant white stone or stucco buildings next to charred, bombed out ruins; driver speeding, narrow streets. Surreal; is the driver playing chicken with pedestrians, and who enjoys it most? Cars drive up a one way street; and the atmosphere is totally chaotic.

First appointment was with Brigadier General Jibdil Rajoub, the National Security Advisor for Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. General Rajoub is “supposedly” the most powerful man in the Palestinian Authority, he “is” Minister of Foreign Affairs and acts as Arafat’s special envoy to foreign visitors. He’s been commander of the Preventive Security System for the last eight years. General Rajoub addressed Hamas Affairs, and the “fence”. He answered some tough questions:

• Can this regime control violence against Israelis?
• What specifically is being done or not done to correct the situation?
• Your position on suicide attacks, and are they advancing your (the PLO) cause?
• What specifically do you need in order to create the state of Palestine?
• Is it possible to live in peace with the state of Israel?
• It’s been a long time since elections were held – if Chairman Arafat were to run, what would be his chances of re-election?

We joined Mohammed Horani, member of the Palestinian Parliament; one of the growing groups calling for reforms, changing the current Palestinian Authority and PLO leadership and the directives of Chairman Arafat. Mr. Horani addressed his role in the Hamas cease-fire last year.

A surprise interview brought us to Michael Tarazi’s office. Tarazi is a lawyer for the PLO Negotiation Department, active in confiscation issues over settlements and the “fence”. Mr. Tarazi was one of the spokespersons for the PLO at the Hague. A couple of years ago we had the pleasure of interviewing him when he was in the U.S. for the World Affairs Council. A wealth of information, Tarazi is Minister of Negotiation on Sae Berikat, has been head of the Abumazea Plan; and he solidified for us the PLO perspective on the “wall”. (more to come on this)

Interviews ended with the PLO Minister of Information, Navil Amr; a member of the Legislative Council, and a former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. While serving in this capacity, Mr. Amr repeatedly called for reforms. His life has been threatened by those who do not believe the last Intifadal should have been peaceful. Mr. Amr has been the PLO Ambassador to Moscow and Iraq. His voice has been a strong one shaping the regime yet a dissident one.

If there was a cohesiveness to the day it was that of the settlement issues and the “wall”. On the Palestinian side it is not a security “fence”, but a 30-foot high barrier separating farmers from their fields, people from their businesses, and families from their loved ones. The impression received from Palestinians was that is was a gauntlet; a deliberate slap across the face and some. It is not an issue that will lead to a peaceful coexistence (from the Palestinian perspective) and prevention of terrorist/”suicide” attacks. If anything, one gathered it (the “wall”) may escalate the violence.

We visited with Anne Roberts and her medical staff at Manwra, a health program for women and children, co-sponsored by IBM.

Manwra educates Palestinian women on health issues that affect their families and their own lives. It especially focuses on the health costs associated with Palestine “occupation” issues; that of a woman in labor not being able to get through checkpoints in time for delivery, and literally having to give birth on the ground with armed soldiers nearby; more than a few of these babies do not survive. Manrwa is also dealing with the vitamin deficiencies that result from meat-fish poor diets that lead to malnourished babies and their mothers.

“At the end of the day,” as Captain Jacob Dallal would say, “it remains to be seen what will happen here, but listen up, it is a huge issue.” Our “end of the day” took us shopping in Ramallah where no traffic rules apply, and negotiation is the only way of life. And the Palestinians pride themselves and enjoy the negotiation game. Hmmnn?

Good-bye Israel.

Holy Week, Easter and Passover, streets blocked, barricades and police everywhere. Incidents expected at the Wailing Wall, high tension in the “city”. Time to leave. Yet not an easy task. The time change to daylight savings time lost us an hour so we hustled to Tel Aviv with no time to spare. This is one place where you’d best be there two hours before take off. Stopped at the entrance to the airport, security was tight; long lines of cars waiting to get into Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport. We waited for 35 minutes while our passports were checked and rechecked, and two different people asked the same questions in different ways. Our luggage was looked at, while others, who had been pulled over after our car, were let go.

The same routine took place at the airport – for one solid hour, luggage was checked through security X-ray (2 times); bags were open and all contents examined; questions were asked by three different people in three different ways, and then again: why cameras, were we journalists, why did we go to so many different places, did we go to Palestine, who did we know in Israel and Palestine, did we know them before, why were we doing this job and so on? The questions were asked by young people under 26, coolly, calmly, detached and very professionally. As they said, they were just doing their job.

The economic and human costs of terrorism were clearly felt in Israel and Palestine.

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Today is our third full day in Israel and Palestine. Thanks to the hard work of Danny Grossman with the American Jewish Committee here in Jerusalem, we have done several powerful interviews, beginning with Bob Lang, an American who moved here over 20 years ago. He is a classic political activist who shared his personal experiences in and around the settlements in Jerusalem’s suburbs. We then went to the offices of the American Jewish Congress where we interviewed Rabbi David Rosen and Dr. Eran Lerman where we gained a new perspective on history and religion.

Leaving there we visited Arab East Jerusalem and the Town of Abudis. Abudis’ major street into Jerusalem is now blocked by a 30-foot high wall of concrete. We watched kids climb a short gate nearby but traffic and commerce are stymied, exacerbating the already poor economic conditions in the entire region. We made our way down the wall to a vantagepoint which you’ll see in some of our pictures. “The Wall” cuts off, not Jew from Arab, but rather Arab family from Arab Family. The level of increased anger among the Palestinians is very evident. We interviewed an Arab school teacher who is separated from her school by the wall and whose property she says will be just the latest Israeli confiscation (there is more to this we’ll talk about).

We took lots of pictures in an attempt at accurate portrayal of the “wall’s” effect. The “wall” snakes up and over surrounding hills and allegedly will pave the way for another Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

As has been the case on many days we didn’t have time for lunch until 3:00pm, but we had fried chicken and french fries along the road, from a Henny Penny!

Friday we began with Capt. Jacob Dellal, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). A very articulate young man, he clearly laid out that their goal was to protect Israeli citizens and that Operation Defensive Shield (which began in 2002 as a response to suicide bombing) is working to enhance checkpoint security and build the fence/wall/barrier. Our next interview was Prof. Gerald Steinberg, an expert on unilateral withdrawal who is an advocate of building the wall and leaving it up for perhaps 20 years as a cooling off period. He also supports Israel abandoning significant settlements. Dore Gold, a former UN Representative was next. He is the author of Saudi Hatred, a book that asserts that the Saudis are the source of Islamist hate and funding. The book has copies of original documents proving his claims.

We also spoke with two female students and an American who moved here two years ago and served in the military. We finished by having a drink at the historic Hotel David and then dinner at Cielo, where they had to unlock the door to let us in due to concerns over suicide bombing.

Saturday our driver took us to the West Bank town of Ramallah, where our guide took us through Arafat’s bombed out compound. He was unavailable but we interviewed the Head of Fateh, Sakhr Habash. He and Arafat were together at the founding of Fateh and the PLO in the ’60s. His historical perspective was amazing if not totally credible. A nice guy, he bought Henny Penny Fried Chicken for us after the interview. His office has been blown up more than once by the Israelis.

We spoke with Abdul Rahman Tamimi, Head of the Palestinian Hydrological Group. Water, as we know, is the issue notwithstanding Israeli opinions to the contrary, water in Gaza is not even fit for agricultural use not to mention drinking; hence, Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal is merely leaving an unviable economy with no water.

At noon we interviewed 2003 Sydney Peace Prize awardee, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi. She was very impressive on women’s rights and the need to make the P.A. more accountable. Though no real fan of President Arafat, she also was not interested in hearing any negative information about him.

We finished our day of interviews with Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, President of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative. He told of the health problems and pregnant women dying at checkpoints. He is not an Arafat fan and is running a political initiative for free and competitive elections. We wished him luck. And speaking of luck, our checkpoint wait was only 30 minutes. According to Dr. Barghouthi, Israel now runs over 700 checkpoints throughout the occupied territories.

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The four days in Baghdad were filled from sunup to sundown. The Hotel Palestine – a 5 star – was really a 2 star. Some water, some electricity, not always at the same time. Telephone and laptop – forget it.

Perspectives
Remember we are not experts on anything and tried to go in with no pre-conceived notions. You can appreciate how difficult that is given the research we do, reading and TV. We tested what we thought we knew against what we experienced.

Security
We got our first taste of it as we approached Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). The Royal Jordanian airplane was painted white with no markings of any kind on it. Instead of gradually losing altitude, the plane literally went into a spiral over the airspace above the airport. This was to be sure that rockets from terrorists couldn’t hit us because we were over secure space. We were the only flight in and Miss New York-USA was on the flight because she was visiting and is of Middle Eastern origin. We only mention this, as she was apparently to stay for two weeks and left after three days due to fear.

The BIAP is very important and most of you will recall the heavy fighting that went on there during the war. The good news is that the terminal is intact and is in fact fairly attractive. The French built the BIAP in the 1980s (more on the French connections later). A van met us and another TV group from Italy and on the drive in we saw all the palm trees gone, lots of dirt having moved and of course military checkpoints. Our hotel and the one across the street (Sheraton) were completely secured by barbed wire, concrete barriers and streets being closed. Three American tanks stood guard and we were searched twice going in each time. We did not object as you might imagine.

Security has really had a negative effect on traffic as several major streets have been cordoned off, especially around the Green Zone. The GZ is about a 4 square mile area that encompasses the convention center, Al Rasheed Hotel, Saddam’s major palace and lots more. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is housed there along with many troops. Bremer offices there and the convention center entrance requires one to present passports twice, and be searched 3 times. There are concrete barriers, wire and huge round containers full of sand that act as barriers for car bombers. Of course, as you heard last week, that didn’t prevent mortar shell and rockets being tossed in there.

There is one other very important security issue and that concerns how many Iraqi citizens view the past and today. As in many dictatorships, security forces may kill or arrest dissidents, but they can monopolize crime for themselves. As a result, we are told that the streets were safe for children to play in. Now there are thieves everywhere and of course the threat of terror on a daily basis. Consequently, they tend to blame the U.S. for creating the insecurity, and it’s understandable if taken on the micro basis. The need for Iraqis to assume the responsibility for their own security is immediate and critical. The good news is that thousands of police and security personnel have been and are being trained in Iraq and here in Jordan. The bad news that we had not heard before is that over 600 Iraqi security personnel have been killed in the last year, which means they have had more casualties than the CPA. Yet there are still waiting lists for those who want to be policemen. One Iraqi screamed at us on camera that the CPA was not protecting their borders, as so many terrorists had come in. We wanted to say that we can’t patrol the Texas/Mexico border but we didn’t go there.

The US troops were polite, gracious and open. Our hotel was covered with 6 tanks and cordoned off. The boys kept 12-hour shifts, in the heat, in full combat gear, in their tanks. Some Iraqis insult them and throw stones. Most are glad the GI’s are there. Checkpoints into CPA and the Green Zone were rigid. There are five areas to get through, we were patted down, our bags and cameras were searched and then we went through electronic security.

One day we visited a Baghdad ghetto – 2000 years old, with holes in the wall, a latrine in the house off the kitchen with no door. Women crowded around us, offered us lunch, and told us their hopes and dreams. The youngest girl wanted to be an engineer, another a doctor and not wear the veil. When a rat fell from a hole in the ceiling we didn’t miss a beat. Everyone laughed, we were cool.

We visited the places where Saddam had huge statues of himself – now pulled down at almost all areas, and at a mosque (where I, Niki, had to cover up), and for lunch with our three Iraqi guides/body guards who stuck to us like glue while we got many stares, some of them extremely hostile – most of the Iraqi people were open and gracious. Still too many believe they are worse off now – short term not strategic – they want water and electricity and safety now. They had that with Saddam. And is freedom too inconvenient and difficult if you do not have life’s comforts? Right Now?!

Jordan – March 21-22, 2004
Between Iraq and a Hard Place – beautiful Jordan is surrounded by volatile countries. Not a democracy, its King and Queen still have a progressive, peaceful situation although there are under currents pushing for a more democratic environment.

Stay tuned for our visit with Queen Rania.

The Iraqi People
We liked them and for the most part felt they liked us. Given what they have been through with 35 years of oppression, the wars in Iran and Kuwait and then this, well it is easy to see why they would be both relieved and scared. Iraq is in our experience a typical third world country. Lots of poverty, not as clean as we would like, rundown buildings and makeshift business operations. By the same token, we were impressed by the relative lack of begging (most done by elderly women dressed head to toe in black). The kids we met at the French Village school on the BIAP grounds were unbelievable. You must see the video of the classroom and how the kids were learning English; Literally brings tears to your eyes that they are so good. If American classrooms were only half as good. Of course, this is one school.

In short, there is plenty of money for palaces and guns but an infrastructure that is rotten to the core. Of course the war damage was also a problem but there is remarkable progress just to keep old equipment running until it can be replaced (We have great footage of makeshift wiring). Most money being spent goes to Iraqi contractors except for the big oil repair/pipeline issues being done by KBR (Brown & Root/Halliburton). Speaking of oil, production is already back to pre-war level, in spite of outdated equipment in various states of disrepair. Fixing pipelines blown up by insurgents goes on continuously. Perhaps the most important aspect of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) not being reported is the community outreach activity. We spent a day with a unit that is working on four projects: agriculture assistance, a police station, a medical center and schools, all of which are located on BIAP property. In order for Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) to re-open (hopefully this summer), it must have a functioning police center and medical center. All the equipment, antiquated as it was, was looted during the war. We visited the remodeled medical center and its old employees who are eager to return to work. By far the most impressive effort we witnessed was the school at French Village. French Village is a small community of modest houses built to house French employees who built the airport. Most residents today also worked at BIAP. At The Girl’s School, we saw a project of CPA’s community activity division, from remodeling to providing playground equipment to mentoring the kids. The troops (mostly reservists) are making a real difference in tomorrow’s Iraq. Wait until you see the video. There is still a sentiment among some Iraqis that the Americans and CPA are here to stay. We were told of two occasions that the CPA was behind the Shia Mosque bombing on March 2 that killed hundreds on a Holy Day. Their reasoning is that this will mean the occupation must continue. A huge issue is the rumor mill as a primary means of communication (miscommunications). Apparently Saddam’s Iraq was always alive with rumors since the press was controlled. And, speaking of the press, there are about 200 publications posing as newspapers. Obviously we couldn’t read them, but you can imagine the obvious mock of journalistic standards. In fact, we were inadvertently caught up in an Iraqi news media walkout. Colin Powell stopped in unexpectedly and did a press briefing with Paul Bremer. A newspaper person made a statement condemning CPA for apparently killing two Iraqi journalists in an insurgent intense area north of Baghdad. He then led a dignified walkout of Iraqi press. We hurried around the corner with a camera and began interviewing the leader. Security ran the entire group out of the convention center and then out of the Green Zone. Powell carried on, saying the incident would be investigated. Of course, the walkout led CNN’s news coverage along with the deaths of the journalists who were apparently driving next to terrorists.

Security
On Saturday afternoon following our tour with the community activity unit, we went to the terminal to check on how to get to the airport on Sunday to catch our plane. David Shoe of Airport Ops said we should go back to our hotel, pack our bags and return to BIAP as soon as possible as trouble was expected in the city due to the one year anniversary of the war. We were to return and meet Mike Sutton at Checkpoint One, then be escorted to a mobile home to spend the night safely. Dan Ritchie of Custer Battles got us good food, a clean room and access to the Internet. We were very well cared for and then taken to the terminal the next day. From our perspective the troops/contractors were just super, and they definitely looked after our safety. That night rockets were launched into the Green Zone injuring several people. Another rocket landed near our now departed hotel, killing 2-3 Iraqis.

History
On the segment we’ve decided to do on Iraq, we believe that its history is essential to understanding the events of the last year, the last 15 years and Saddam’s reign. While we intend to make use of historical and background footage, we also have video of certain landmarks that help tell the story of Iraq’s history. During this segment a viewer will get information covering Babylon to Saddam and beyond. Presently we also think we can introduce additional, and perhaps more accurate, reasons for the war beyond the news media’s incessant focus on the “Search For WMD.” To give a couple of examples, during WWI the British “liberated” Iraq. The intrigue among British, French and Russian interests itself would make quite a story, but again the important thing is to show the changes which eventually led to Saddam, and then led to his demise.

To Leave or Not To Leave, That is the Question
Rather, the questions are “when to leave,” “how to leave,” and “what and who should stay behind?” We won’t try to focus here, but our sense is that the Iraqis want us gone sooner than later, yet don’t want us to go. If that sounds contradictory, it’s because it is. Many blame the CPA for the violence, the traffic, the lack of security, and believe that all will improve when we leave. They seem to think that just voting will lead to good government. In our minds they are still in the unconscious incompetent mode – they don’t know that they don’t know. The ideas of “institutions”, the rule of law and the right to vote, are not widely known. The interim constitution just signed, however, does have a bill of rights and provides that Islam can be a source of law, not the source of law.

Instead of heading over with CNN and others we found the spot with the best view…TV.

CNN, Fox and Al-Jazeera had the fire going hot. Apparently a car bomb, number of dead unknown…the usual story except now in our own backyard.

This was our first day in Baghdad—to say it was a blast would be too much of a pun. We went to the site the next day, took pictures of the several square blocks that were completely devastated, buildings in shambles, cars twisted and burned out. This busy neighborhood housed a hotel, many small shops and homes. Life went on children played around the wreckage, storekeepers swept up glass and tanks guarded all the streets. We talked to a couple who lived there and whose house was blown away. We got a feel for how Americans are viewed and many are glad we are here.

We had the good fortune of interviewing Gen. Kimmitt just after he finished a live interview with Diane Sawyer and we also interviewed Bremer’s aide and spokesman, Dan Senor.

The folks here have been great to us, and yes, it is dangerous, but we are as safe as can be expected.