By email. I won't miss it.
This week
If you've been a regular follower of FRONTLINE over the years, you know
that producer Martin Smith has reported several times on one of
America's most important allies, the troubled nation of Saudi Arabia.
Late last year he returned there, and in this week's program, "House of
Saud," he presents a fascinating look at a nation where tradition and
modernity are in violent collision.
We hope you'll be able to watch it Tuesday night. In the meantime,
Martin wanted to share with you a story, and some pictures, that you
won't be seeing in the broadcast --
-----
"I had good reason to fear this trip. Before leaving, I had asked
co-producer Chris Durrance to prepare a chronology of recent events. A
few days before our flight, he handed me 25 typed pages. It was mostly
a chronology of anti-American violence.
After arriving, one of the first things we noticed was no westerners
were on the streets or in the restaurants. We wondered how difficult it
was going to be to work, especially if we wanted to escape occasionally
from the mindful eyes of our official Ministry of Information guides.
One such occasion I will not soon forget. Some Saudi friends (unofficial
guides we met through contacts outside the country) invited us to see
what young restless Saudis do out of view of the police and their
elders. We drove about 90 minutes into the desert. By late afternoon,
we were driving over large amber sand dunes, passing Bedouin
sheepherders huddled around fires and white-robed Saudis taking their
afternoon prayers. Then, suddenly, we came to where hundreds of cars
were parked just below the crest of a large dune. We stopped and began
hiking to the top.
What we saw was both comic and hellacious. Scores of jeeps, SUV's, dune
buggies, and a few Mercedes and other sedans were racing wildly up and
down the face of the dune. Young boys were hanging out of the windows,
or sitting atop pick-up cabs shouting and whooping. Radios blared a
blend of Western and Arabic rock and roll. It was many accidents
waiting to happen. Cars tried to climb until they slid sideways as the
sands gave way beneath them. Some nearly capsized. There were many
narrow misses and surrounding the whole spectacle were hundreds of
Saudis crowding the edges, daring the drivers to come closer, cheering
and laughing.
(View photos: pbs.org )
We began filming and most of the young men (women would never be allowed
at such an event) were friendly. But as the sun went down,it became
progressively rowdier. One young man was playing bull fighter amidst the
racing cars as the crowd egged him on. I followed my cameraman Nick
Hughes around carrying gear he might need and somehow, we wandered into
what quickly became a hostile mob. It started innocently enough with
boys kissing the lens as we filmed, clowning for the camera. But soon we
were being jostled; someone tried to grab the camera, another was
pulling the tripod from my hands.
Nick turned to me and suggested we slowly move away. As we did, the
crowd, having its fun, continued to push and shove us. Soon they were
throwing sand and shouting I don't know what. I wondered if it was going
to get worse and what we could do. We kept moving as best we could,
trying to head back up and over the dune to where we remembered parking.
In the midst of a crowd of some 200 young men, I became separated from
Nick. I wondered where our Saudi friends were. Suddenly I hear a loud
yell and a car door slam. Then I see the crowd parting, kids diving out
of the way, and a car speeding up the dune with Nick inside. I start to
run behind it and get about 50 yards, breathless, up the dune when I
spot my Saudi friend next to his car. "Come here, Martin." My head and
shoulders are covered with sand.
The crowd bordered on violent. Had we reacted by returning a shove I
fear everything would have escalated quickly out of control, giving them
an excuse to punch back. Nick kept his cool. Two young Saudis had seen
what was developing and mercifully threw him and the camera into their
car. The momentary commotion allowed me to escape up the slope.
Needless to say we didn't mention the adventure to our official guides
at the Ministry of Information." -- Martin Smith
We hope you will be able to watch "House of Saud"
Tuesday, Feb. 08 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings) and
after the broadcast visit our web site where you'll be able to read
analysis on the prospects for reform in the kingdom, and explore
FRONTLINE's in-depth interviews with members of the Al Saud royal
family, Saudi officials, reformers and religious leaders. Plus, take the
opportunity to share your opinion on this report at
pbs.org
Louis Wiley
Executive Editor |
