Michael Ware: "I Walk With Ghosts"

Former CNNer Michael Ware has written a stunning piece for Newsweek about the deaths of photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, both of whom he knew, and the emotional toll exacted on journalists who cover war:

I last saw Tim in Brooklyn. In what was the worst and darkest of all years for me, 2009, Tim lived a few doors down the hallway in a Williamsburg warehouse converted to a warren of lofts. For me, it was the first time since 9/11 that I’d attempted to live outside of war, and I hit New York like a meteor plunging to earth. Each day, I vanished a little bit more on that black living-room couch until I was transparent, if not invisible altogether. Writhing with a pain I couldn’t understand, I caused nothing but pain to those around me. And yet there was Tim.

The full column is online here: "To Walk With Ghosts"

(Michael has signed on to be a regular contributor to The Daily Beast, so hopefully we will be reading more from him in the future.)

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Michael Ware's next project

 

correspondent Michael Ware with a guard 

on the Iraqi front lines between Shorish and Kirkuk.

For those of you who wanted to know what it is Michael Ware will be doing now that he has left CNN, here are some details, courtesy of an Aussie newspaper. As you can well imagine, I am very excited about it and from what he has told me, this is going to be a film that will really give viewers a much better understanding of the Iraq war:

Frontline witness to brutality

4 Mar 11 @ 04:30am by Candice Holznagel

NEVER-BEFORE seen footage from the hands of al-Qaeda insurgents will bring the brutal truth of war to the big screen in a cinema film being produced by Brisbane journalist Michael Ware.

Ware, who spent his childhood days in Caloundra, is somewhat of a celebrity in the US after almost 10 years abroad bringing the reality of the Afghan and Iraq wars to the western world.

Kings Beach, where his family holidayed regularly, is a stark comparison to the life Ware went on to live.

As a Time magazine reporter and then with news organisation CNN, Ware reported from both within the US Army and as a man living among the insurgents.

His experiences, including being kidnapped and held at gunpoint, were gut-wrenching. 

``Straight after my kidnapping by al-Qaeda I didn’t leave my bedroom for three days,’’ Ware told ABC’s Australian Story last year.

``Every time I got into a car of any description, going anywhere… I immediately wanted to throw up.

``At the same time, I was under threat from Al Qaeda, they were specifically targeting me for something I’d published.

``We knew that there was a team coming to kill me.’‘

It was Ware’s ``stomach churning’’ experience in the battle of Fallujah which ``cleansed’’ him of the horrors of the kidnapping.

He was aboard the first US vehicles to enter Fallujah in 2004 and stood beside the soldiers in a darkened house, facing heavy fire from insurgents.

According to Ware’s parents, Gail and Len, who now reside in Caloundra, it was these experiences which took a toll on their son.

``It’s wonderful him being home, it’s just sad the reason that’s brought him home post-traumatic stress,’’ Mrs Ware told the Journal.

``I think he’s progressing well.

``I said to him that he should have come home earlier but he said the damage can be done in one year or the 10 years he was there.

``It’s a living nightmare.

``I don’t know if he will ever be the same person again.’‘

Mrs Ware is proud of her son, who has won numerous awards for his journalistic skills.

``No one else was doing what he did,’’ she said.

``He landed in Afghanistan and didn’t know a soul.

``What do you do, turn right, turn left or go ahead?

`He can just blend. Michael lived their lifestyle.’‘

Earlier this week, Ware was attending meeting after meeting to progress his film project.

He hoped the film, based on the war in Iraq, would be launched through the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival but either way it will hit the big screen next year.

``It’s based on the years I shot video, using things like the al-Qaeda videos the world has never seen,’’ Ware said.

``It’s the first time in history that we know of that a Congressional Medal of Honour has been caught on film.

``It’s the war documentary.

``It just happens to be set in Iraq.

``This really is a film that looks at the true nature of us.

``It’s one war seen through the viewfinder of one man.

``It will confront the psyche of 300 million Americans.’‘

Speaking in his passionate and zealous manner, Ware said the development of the film had turned into a form of therapy.

``I think at heart I am and will always be a journalist.

``I’m exploring a new form of it.’‘

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Michael Ware has left CNN

Michael Ware has confirmed to me that he has left CNN, although he is not yet ready to disclose discussions about plans for his return to US television.

That said, he has other projects cooking as well. He is currently working very hard on something that I am confident everyone will agree will have been worth the wait. (This is not the book; that is still percolating. This is something new and very, very exciting.)

So, while he is hard at work elsewhere, I just wanted to take a moment to look back on the incredible work he did for CNN. This is just a small sample of where he has taken us while working for them, especially of his most important legacy as a reporter -- his astonishing coverage of the Iraq war. We were so fortunate to have such an honest voice on the ground to give us the truth behind the painful headlines.

(This clip is too large for Blogger, so please click here to watch it on my site.)

His voice may no longer be coming into our living rooms every day, but you can bet he won't stay silent for long!

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Michael Ware on Reliable Sources

On Reliable Sources recently Howard Kurtz took a closer look at Michael Ware's assertion the he witnessed war atrocities while in Iraq that CNN refused to air. Here's Kurtz's take on the subject:

We have the actual footage from the interview with Ware that aired on Australian television:



Ware also spoke about what he had witnessed in his interview with Men's Journal, January 09 issue.

If you haven't watched the two part Australian Story series with Michael Ware here are the links. After watching and reading Ware's reports for years it's riveting to see what was going on behind the scenes in his real life.

Part 1
Part 2




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Michael Ware as you've never seen him before...

On Monday, the program Australian Story showed the first installment of a two-part program about Michael Ware. For someone who has been intensely private about his personal life, it is an astonishing look at his life and work. (The photo above shows him with his son in 2002.) Here's a look at the beginning of the program:

If you want to watch the rest of the program it is available on my site (in a larger video format than Blogger allows!) The second part airs this coming Monday.

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Michael Ware to be featured on Australian television program

Australia's ABC network is doing a two-part program about Michael Ware, airing the next two Monday nights on the series Australian Story. Below is the 30-second promo currently airing, featuring several of the early video reports he did for them from Afghanistan in 2002-03:

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NYT reports Michael Ware back with CNN

This was just posted on the NYT blog ...

CNN Says It Supports Correspondent in War-Related Stress Case

By BRIAN STELTER

Michael Ware has spent so much of the past nine years reporting from war zones for Time magazine and CNN that he’s still a citizen of Iraq.

That experience, he says, left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. In an interview on Thursday, he said that CNN wanted him back in the field before he felt he was ready and, as a result, he was under the impression that he had been released from his contract. “I required further time off than I think CNN was able to give,” he said.

But there may have been a misunderstanding. On Friday CNN said that Mr. Ware is still employed by the network, disputing an unsourced report on a blog that he was no longer working for the network and that P.T.S.D. was a reason.

“We will continue to support him during this time,” the cable news network said in a statement. The network said it is “rightly regarded as an industry leader” in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and that it offers support services to past and present employees.

Mr. Ware’s agent, Richard Liebner, said, “They are clearly standing with him now.”

In a telephone interview from Brisbane, Australia, where he currently lives, Mr. Ware said he first met with a company psychologist two years ago to talk about post-traumatic stress. But he continued to report from conflict zones. At news outlets like CNN, deployment to dangerous locations is always voluntary.

In an interview, Mr. Ware talked openly about how hard it can be to return from war to home, calling the homecoming “beyond harsh.”

“It’s a struggle to learn how to fit back in,” he said, “and yet, that’s precisely what’s expected of you — to fit back in.”

He said he started a three-month book leave in February. Before long his bosses were itching to get him back in the field. “They wanted me back straight away,” he said. He submitted a request for further unpaid leave, apparently without citing P.T.S.D. as a reason. When that request was denied, Mr. Ware said he believed he had been effectively unemployed. But his agent said the CNN bosses were not fully aware of his current condition.

CNN said in the statement Friday, “We hope that when he is ready and able he will be back doing what he does best.”

Mr. Ware has talked publicly about his post-traumatic stress (though not on CNN’s airwaves) and he said he would continue to do so. And he certainly doesn’t rule out a return to conflict in the future.

“I still miss war,” he said. 
 


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Michael Ware leaves CNN

We won't be seeing any more of Michael on CNN...

In addition to having taken a break recently in order to work on his book, it is no secret that he has been grappling with PTSD, brought on from the hellish years he worked in Baghdad. I was told that, unfortunately, when he needed more time off in order to deal with things, his request was denied. So he will not be returning.

While it is a huge loss for us (and for CNN) I am extremely relieved that he chose to take care of his own needs first. And while I sincerely hope that he will return to US television someday on another network, it is far more important that he gets the care he needs.

His work for CNN over the past four years has been an astonishing and brutally honest look at the causes and results of war. Not easy subject matter to watch… but he made us care. His urgency and passion burst through our television sets and made us pay attention, made us want to understand.

Personally, I will never forget the first time I heard him, speaking with Anderson Cooper via telephone to discuss Saddam Hussein’s trial as well as an article he had just written about an embed he had been on in Ramadi. It wasn’t even five minutes of airtime, but it was riveting. When it was announced that he would be joining CNN, I was delighted, because it meant we would be getting even more insight from him. And that we did — he worked like a stevedore, appearing on CNN at all hours of the day and night to make sure that we knew what was really going on in Iraq. As a viewer, you could tell that it mattered to him that the American people understood the issues in this far-away war of ours. He didn’t give a damn about the politics; he cared about what the grunts were going through and what the innocent Iraqi citizens (whose blood, he had to keep reminding us, is no less valuable than ours) were suffering.

His work was always insightful and informative, and on the too-rare occasions when he was able to do longer-format programs for them, it was like being in a classroom. He knew the material cold and presented it in a way that made it easy to comprehend. He is far from the average buffed-and-polished pretty boy posing for the camera. He’s real. He’s a guy — sorry; a bloke — you’d want to sit down and have a beer with, to ask how he’s doing and how he copes with all the craziness he reports on. And want to ask more about what he knows, what he’s seen, what he’s witnessed … no matter how unpleasant the answers would be to hear.

And exactly how does a news organization justify (to themselves, even!) not giving their war correspondents whatever they need in order to deal with their wounds, whether they are visible ones or not? If ABC had treated Bob Woodruff so callously, there would have been hell to pay. I don’t doubt they wanted him back in the field ASAP — doubly so after losing Christiane Amanpour — but don’t force him to make a choice between getting better and getting paid. That just sucks. Surely it would be better to have him off the air but still yours once he is ready to come back than to have him off the air and someone else’s upon his return? So not only has CNN made a callous move here, they have made a stupid one, as well.

What a tremendous asset he has been to CNN. And how foolish they are to lose him. Especially when the ratings are plummeting and the number of columns about how quickly they are losing stature are multiplying. Although, truly, ratings should not enter into these decisions, and none of us really expect corporations to display a modicum of decency or fairness anymore… Still.

When I first heard the news, I was angry at their foolishness. Now, I’m just sad. They blew it. Their loss will be another network’s gain.

I will, of course, continue to keep track of whatever work he does -- his book or other writings, or if he makes appearances here or in Australia.

When I started my site, he was working for Time magazine. I was delighted when he transitioned to CNN, knowing that it meant we would get more of his remarkable work. And now there will be a new chapter in his career to look forward to ... but only after this brief intermission.

Thanks, Mick ... be well.

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Michael Ware to speak in Houston next week

Michael Ware will be speaking at an event in Houston on January 28 during the Australia Week celebration. According to the literature, Michael's keynote address will be titled "Conflict in Crisis" --

CNN Iraq correspondent Michael Ware has worked in crisis situations for many years. He shares his insights on putting crisis in context and learning how to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

More details are available here.


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Thursday's AC360

Anderson Cooper will anchor from San Diego this Thursday night after the discovery of a tunnel from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico. The tunnel, which was not complete on the US side, is approximately 850 feet long and began under a false floor in a bathroom. Equipped with an elevator to take smugglers down to the tunnel, it was headed towards a US warehouse.Anderson Cooper will have exclusive access to the tunnel, which was apparently intended for human and drug trafficking.AC360° Correspondent, Michael Ware will update on cartel violence which is still happening at a record pace.National Geographic special correspondent Lisa Ling will also provide reports on drug trafficking.


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Michael Ware -- Afghanistan issues

Domestic finally got Michael Ware on the air Wednesday night. On Campbell Brown's program, he discussed the bombings in Afghanistan and Pakistan; on AC360 he took part in a panel discussion (with David Gergen and former CIA/current Time magazine analyst Bob Baer) about All Things Afghanistan, including the revelation that Karzai's brother is on the CIA payroll. Both clips are posted on my site:

CB

AC360

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Michael Ware talks about Baghdad bombings

Michael Ware appeared on International three times yesterday to talk about Monday's twin suicide bombings in Baghdad and the overall situation in Iraq. For some reason, Domestic has not had him on, but the clips from International are available on my site:

World Report (w/Jonathan Mann)
World Report (w/Jim Clancy)
International Desk (w/Isha Sesay)

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New plan for Afghanistan?

Last night, John Roberts (sitting in for Campbell Brown) hosted a conversation with Michael Ware and Gloria Borger about the future of the US's commitment to the war in Afghanistan. As President Obama gets new advice from his generals on the ground, will politics or reality be the deciding factor?

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Earlier in the day, Wolf Blitzer interviewed Thomas Ricks about the new team leading the American effort in Iraq. Things not sounding great there...

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And Mohammed Jamjoom filed a report about medical clinics in Baghdad that are being run on solar power as a way to deal with the still-spotty supply of electricity in the city:

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What's next for Afghanistan?

One of the best panels on Afghanistan was hosted by Anderson Cooper Monday night -- Peter Bergen, Rory Stewart, and Michael Ware:

An additional report that Michael Ware prepared in Afghanistan aired Tuesday on NewsRoom, exploring the idea of bringing the warlords on board to prevent a resurgence of the Taliban and al Qaeda:

Ivan Watson reported on an incredible archeological find in Istanbul. Hard to believe that anything of this scope had been 'overlooked' for all these years! Naturally, it is causing problems:

That's it for this week -- see you Monday!


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Ware in Afghanistan

As part of AC360's week in Afghanistan, Michael Ware spent a week in Kandahar. Not in a military embed, but just him and his crew -- producer Thomas Evans and cameraman Samad Qasiri -- dressing like the locals and trying not to attract too much attention.

They produced three prepared pieces in addition to giving a lot of analysis throughout the week. Here are the three pieces, including one where a pick-up truck carrying Michael and Samad hit an IED:

On yesterday's Fareed Zakaria GPS, Michael discussed the situation on the ground in Afghanistan as well as possible avenues for America to take now. In the second segment, he discusses the IED incident:

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Where in the World...?

MONDAY: Michael Ware was in Kabul; Anderson Cooper and Peter Bergen were at Patrol Base Jaker in Helmand Province; Rob Marciano was in Cocoa Beach, Florida; Jill Dougherty was in Cincinnati; Gary Tuchman was in Claremont, North Carolina. Suzanne Malveaux was in for Wolf Blitzer; Lisa Sylvester was in for Lou Dobbs; John Roberts was in for Campbell Brown; Erica Hill co-hosted AC360 from New York.

TUESDAY: Wolf was in New York.

WEDNESDAY: Ivan Watson was in Istanbul. Fredricka Whitfield was in for Heidi Collins; Campbell was pre-empted for the president's speech.

THURSDAY: Ali Velshi was in Scranton, Pennsylvania; John King was in Portland, Maine. Carol Costello was in for Kiran Chetry; Kitty Pilgrim was in for Lou.

FRIDAY: Ali was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Carol was in for Kiran; TJ Holmes was in for Rick Sanchez; Kitty was in for Lou; John King was in for Anderson.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY: ...everyone was where they were supposed to be!

It was a terrific week of coverage from Afghanistan, something no other network could do at such length. Anderson has tweeted that he is back home, Sanjay and his producer both tweeted from Dubai yesterday on their way back. Neither Michael nor Tommy tweet, but hopefully they are heading somewhere for some well-deserved rest as well!

And now I'm off to watch the Bills on Monday Night Football!

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Freedom and Death in Afghanistan

Yesterday Atia Abawi reported on the rescue of New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell (above, left) who was abducted by the Taliban on Saturday. His Afghan translator, Sultan Munadi (above, right), was killed during the rescue, as were a British soldier and two Afghan civilians:

This morning Atia updated the situation, especially the protests surrounding the death of Sultan Munadi:

Yesterday on International's BackStory, Michael Holmes talked with Michael Ware about the Farrell rescue and the general state of events in Afghanistan, especially the IED that Ware's truck hit last week. (This piece is so long that I had to shrink it to pass Blogger's size limits, so it may look a bit funky):

During their time in Kandahar, producer Tommy Evans filmed a BackStory piece as well:

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This morning Cal Perry reported on five bombings in Iraq as the attempts to reignite the sectarian violence:

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Yesterday Ivan Watson reported on the aftermath of a horrendous flash flood in Instanbul. It is stunning to see the damage -- cars and trucks were just twisted into unrecognizable heaps of metal:

Christiane Amanpour will be the guest on The Colbert Report next Tuesday, 9/15.

And that's all for me this week!

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Abawi, Bergen, Ware on Afghanistan

Atia Abawi was on yesterday with a look at General Stanley McChrystal and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry touring sites in Eastern Afghanistan to check on the progress in hearts-and-mind-winning projects there:

Peter Bergen (in Kabul) spoke with Erica Hill Friday about the NATO airstrike on Friday that killed scores of civilians:

Michael Ware was on The Situation Room this afternoon and discussed the election situation (still a mess) and the devolving situation with the Kabul-Kandahar roadway, which had been such a success for the American mission:

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Nic Robertson reported from Tripoli about the possible deal between Libya and Great Britain to release the Lockerbie bomber:

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Phil Black had a recorded report about corruption in the Iraqi government:

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On Friday's BackStory clip for NewsRoom, Michael Holmes showcases the work Sara Sidner did in order to get an interview with the Dalai Lama:

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Where in the World...?

I missed last week's WITW because I was moving, but I tried to fill in the blanks by looking through the transcripts for the days I was not able to record the programming...

MONDAY 8/24: Phil Black was in Penteli, Greece; Dr. Sanjay Gupta was in Dublin; Richard Quest was in New York City. Suzanne Malveaux was in for Wolf Blitzer; Lisa Sylvester was in for Lou Dobbs.

TUESDAY 8/25: Ed Henry was in Santa Barbara, California (but phoned in to discuss Ted Kennedy's death); John King was in Oklahoma City. Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa was in for Lou. At 1:20amET Domestic took the International feed to cover Ted Kennedy's death; John Roberts went on the air at 2:12amET; Kiran Chetry was on at 3:53amET.

WEDNESDAY 8/26: John King was in Boston; Christiane Amanpour was in Washington. Wolf was on with Heidi Collins. Lisa was in for Lou. The HBO documentary "Teddy: In His Own Words" aired from 7-9pmET.

THURSDAY 8/27: Anderson Cooper was in New Orleans. Lisa was in for Lou.

FRIDAY 8/28: Rob Marciano was in Mystic, Connecticut; Cal Perry was in Islamabad. Carol Costello was in for Kiran; Wolf and Anderson were both in New York City.

SATURDAY 8/29: coverage pre-empted for Ted Kennedy funeral.

SUNDAY 8/30 (per transcripts): Phil Black was in London. Brianna Keilar was in for Don Lemon at 6 & 7pmET, Don was on at 10pmET.

MONDAY 8/31 (per transcripts): Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa in for Lou.

TUESDAY 9/1 (per transcripts): Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa in for Lou.

WEDNESDAY 9/2: Sean Callebs was in Brunswick, Georgia; Rob was in Sunland, California; Reynolds Wolf was in Lake View Terrace, California; Betty Nguyen was in Cabo San Lucas; Ali Velshi was in Chicago; Cal Perry was in Baghdad; Michael Ware was in an unspecified location in southern Afghanistan. Suzanne was in for Wolf; John Roberts was in for Campbell Brown.

THURSDAY 9/3: Betty was in Constitucion, Mexico; Ali was in Madison, Wisconsin. Fredricka Whitfield was in for Heidi; Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa was in for Lou; John Roberts was in for Campbell. AC360 went to two hours to cover the Michael Jackson funeral.

FRIDAY 9/4: Rob was in Auburn, California; Nic Robertson was in Tripoli (above); Peter Bergen was in Kabul. Fredricka was in for Heidi; Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa was in for Lou; Rick Sanchez was in for Campbell; Erica Hill was in for Anderson (who was en route to Afghanistan).

SATURDAY 9/5: Brooke Baldwin was in for Betty; Richard Liu was in for Don.

SUNDAY 9/6: John King broadcast State of the Union from the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. Brooke was in for Betty; Richard was in for Don.

*phew!* Well, that was a whole lot of moving around! Hopefully this week will be somewhat quieter. Don't forget AC360 is in Afghanistan all week, with Anderson Cooper, Michael Ware, Sanjay Gupta, and Peter Bergen all reporting on the situation on the ground there.

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Famine in Kenya

Hello from beautiful LA! Had a very ... interesting ... week moving, but all is well now. I missed several days of recording, but I have grabbed a couple clips from CNN.com to share.

David McKenzie reported today on the situation in Kenya, where aid agencies cannot keep up with the need for food:

Prior to finishing her rotation in Baghdad, Arwa Damon filmed a report about an Iraqi woman on death row:

So yesterday I got the TiVos fired up, and Suzanne Malveaux did a report on Laura Ling and Euna Lee's capture at the North Korean border, as reported in the LATimes. Following that, she spoke with Cal Perry (who had just arrived in Baghdad) about how reporters stay safe while in war zones:

Finally, Michael Ware was on AC360 last night, reporting from Afghanistan:

Next week AC360 will be live from Afghanistan all week. Here is the promo currently running:

More on Monday! If you're in the US, have a great holiday weekend!

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Anderson Cooper to Broadcast from Afghanistan

CNN has released more information on Anderson Cooper's upcoming trip to Afghanistan:

“Live from the Battle Zone” offers first-hand look at fight against the Taliban Reports to air on AC 360 Throughout the Week of September 7; with a Special Hour to Air on Saturday, September 12

Anderson Cooper will anchor Anderson Cooper 360° from Afghanistan the week of September 7th to mark the eighth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Cooper will be embedded with US troops fighting on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Cooper will be joined by CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who will be embedded with the US military and covering battle field trauma surgery. Terrorism expert and CNN’s national security analyst Peter Bergen will join Cooper in Afghanistan and CNN correspondent Michael Ware will also file reports from the field. Anderson Cooper 360° airs weeknights at 10pm ET on CNN and CNN International.

Pieces from throughout the week will culminate in an hour special premiering on Saturday at 8pmET and re-airing at 11pm and on Sunday at 2amET on CNN. Additionally, www.AC360.com will feature a multimedia look at Anderson Cooper 360° Afghanistan trip.

Photo credit: CNN.com

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Saturday Scoop

Jeffrey Toobin has an article in The New Yorker this week titled "The Wrong Guys". Click here for the article.

KC Confidential has an article on Ali Velshi and his road trip with the CNN Express. Click here for the article.

Howard Kurtz has an article in The Washington Post about Robert Novak called "The Heart of the 'Prince of Darkness'".





Dana Bash was mentioned in Washingtonian.com's Blogger Beat: Capital Hill Style article. Here's a link to the full article.

"Top style mavens on the Hill: 'Dana Bash always looks great. And Congresswoman Jane Harman is an inspiration. I would love to raid her closet.'"

TVNewser has an article on Michael Ware on what it's like being a war correspondent and how it feels to be in Brooklyn.





VanityFair has an article on Larry King titled "Mourning with Larry" and talks about how during the month of June Larry became "America's grief counselor." Click here for the article.


Twitter Pictures:

@sanjayguptacnn workin' out

@sanjayguptacnn in an interview

@sanjayguptacnn in a Bureau of Investigation for his AC360 report

@joneilnyc getting ready to shoot David Mattingly

Josh Levs in the newsroom

http://twitpic.com/er2v1

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