Yet as Fromkin points out in the documentary, the new map of the Middle East was drawn to advance and protect Western political and economic interests, not to recognize the ethnic and religious diversity of the region. The artifical construct ignored the history and traditions of the region. That failing was further compounded by the installation of pro-Western leaders. As a result, the new boundaries and European influence essentially ensured there would be sufficient fuel for civil strife and regional wars for decades to come. Callaghan's message is that any hope for the future of Iraq or the Middle East as a whole requires abandoning the map created and imposed by Great Britain and France after World War I.
In addition to the documentary, the DVD provides unedited excerpts from the interviews with Fromkin and the other authors, helping provide further insight into the background and history of decisions and events that directly affect the world yet today. Fromkin also provides a small, although perhaps not wholly encouraging, bit of consolation. Historians can all speculate as to what might have happened had some other arrangement been reached on the Middle East during and following the war. Yet, Fromkin asks in the documentary, isn't it possible it could have produced worse results?
Regardless, it is fruitless to attempt to grasp Middle Eastern issues without some perspective on how that region as it exists today came into existence. Blood and Oil is not as detailed on the ethnic and religious issues as it is on the Great War in the region. Still, it provides viewers with a background essential to understanding the historical underpinnings of current and recent events in Iraq and throughout the Middle East and assess for themselves the role World War I continues to play on today's global stage.
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