From: Tina Haas
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 4:39 PM
To: 'Connie Nichols'; 'Charlie Nichols'; 'Meredith-yahoo'; 'John Haas'
Subject: CNN Middle East Reporter
If you have been watching CNN's coverage of the Middle East conflict, you have seen a reporter who lives in our neighborhood. Her husband and Len Al play tennis, and they're close with our neighbors, the Kick's. Her children, one with whom Olivia occasionally plays, were in Lebanon for the summer with family. Their girls are about 9 and 7 years old. Now they are trying to get them out. Octavia just went to Cypress and is reporting from there. Ironically, we watched her on TV today while eating at a Lebanese restaurant near Len Al's office. It's quite the conflict, and it makes more of a impact on you when you know people who are caught up in it.
Take care,
Tina
Octavia E. Nasr
Octavia Nasr is CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs. In this capacity, she serves as an on-air and off-air analyst across all of CNN's worldwide services. She appears regularly on CNN/U.S., CNN International and CNN Headline News as a guest/expert on issues ranging from Middle East politics and current affairs to Osama Bin Laden tapes. She also contributes to a weekly segment on CNN Pipeline that focuses on current Arab affairs by providing audiences with an in-depth analysis of issues affecting the Middle East.
Based at CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta, Nasr serves as the point person coordinating coverage between all CNN networks and Arabic news and entertainment channels such as Al-Arabiya, Al-Jazeera, Abu Dhabi TV and Al Hayat-LBC.
Before her present position, Nasr served as the anchor and head of newsgathering for World Report, CNN’s longest running program and the world’s only news show that features reports from the perspectives of international broadcasters. She is the recipient of World Report's "Achievement Award" for the year 2003.
Most recently, Nasr reported on the prophet Mohammed cartoon controversy and the reaction that swept the world. She also reported extensively on Iraq, tracking down that country’s insurgency, analyzing their many messages, websites and videos. She has filed reports on the attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces as well as the historic Iraqi elections and Saddam Hussein trial. She also followed reaction to the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal and the reaction to the images in the Arab and Muslim world.
In 2005 Nasr traveled to Lebanon and Syria to report on The Cedar revolution and its regional repercussions. During that trip she co-produced a series of reports for CNN’s flagship program Anderson Cooper 360°.
Nasr played a pivotal role during CNN's Operation Iraqi Freedom coverage, analyzing Arab networks news. She managed the 15-member Arab desk and coordinated all Arabic translations for the network. She also served as executive producer and anchor of CNN's popular segment "Arab Voices" which aired several times a day throughout the war providing CNN domestic and international audiences with an inside look into Arab media and culture.
Nasr's experience and deep knowledge of the Middle East put her in the spotlight during CNN's coverage of September 11th and its aftermath. Shortly after the attacks, she spent months traveling in the Middle East region coordinating on-air appearances and forging exclusive newsgathering deals with media partners.
Nasr anchored CNN World Report and CNN International's World News from 1993 to 2003. Among the major stories she covered live were the Bosnian war, the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the Sarin gas attack in Japan, and every major step of the Middle East peace process.
Nasr joined CNN in 1990 and served as an editor on the international assignment desk coordinating coverage of the first Gulf War. Before joining CNN, Nasr was a war correspondent for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. She reported from the front lines of the civil war during Lebanon's most dangerous times for journalists. She was the first woman reporter to be granted an interview with Hezbollah spiritual leader Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. Her reputation for being fair and objective won her accolades and opened doors for her to the different warring factions, government and opposition leaders at the same time. Her journalism career began in 1985 as an assistant news director at LBC. She was later promoted to executive producer of news.
Nasr earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts from the Lebanese American University. Before moving to the United States, she taught journalism and TV production classes at Notre Dame University in Lebanon. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French.