Welcome to the Middle East Channel

Posted By Marc Lynch, Amjad Atallah, Daniel Levy Monday, March 8, 2010 - 10:00 AM Share

The world is hardly lacking for opinions about the Middle East. But quantity should not be mistaken for quality: Too much of the public debate about the issues of the Middle East is dominated by partisan bickering and poorly informed punditry.

Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel is something different: a vibrant and decidedly non-partisan new site where real expertise and experience take priority over shouting, where the daily debate is informed by dispassionate analysis and original reporting all too often lacking from the stale and talking-point-laden commentary that sadly dominates most coverage of the region today. Its contributors range from academics to former policymakers, from journalists on the ground to established analysts -- with an emphasis on introducing voices from Middle East itself. Most importantly, the Middle East Channel comes to you doctrine-free, open to political viewpoints of all kinds -- but demanding honesty, civility, and genuine expertise.

Our scope is broad: Israel and its neighbors, Iran's nuclear program and domestic politics, Iraq, Islamist movements, the Gulf, Turkey, and North Africa, and the struggle for reform and democracy. The Middle East Channel will highlight links between issues and areas of this diverse region of 400 million -- as well as provide a unique perspective on America's challenges there. We'll have regular interviews with Middle East and Washington players, sharp commentary on the news of the day, and original analysis of new ideas and trends in the region.

The Middle East Channel is edited by Marc Lynch of George Washington University and the Project on Middle East Political Science and Amjad Atallah and Daniel Levy, co-directors of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation. Lynch, who writes the Abu Aardvark Middle East blog on ForeignPolicy.com, is an expert on Arab media and politics and is the author most recently of Voices of the New Arab Public: Al-Jazeera, Iraq, and Middle East Politics Today. Atallah is an expert in the law of conflict and post-conflict situations and a former advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team. Levy was an advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and is a leading commentator on Israeli politics and Middle East peace.

You can follow the site on Twitter, sign up for our RSS feed, and subscribe to our twice-weekly email updates to get the latest on what's happening on the Middle East Channel and beyond.

Photograph by Moises Saman/Panos Pictures

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DAVID IN DC

6:02 AM ET

March 8, 2010

This will be pretty one-sided

If the articles reflect the slant of the editors.

JILLIANCYORK

7:58 AM ET

March 8, 2010

David, on the contrary, I

David, on the contrary, I think they'll be intelligent and informed. Offering that second side often means being full of propaganda. I trust that whatever "sides" are presented here, they will be well-informed, which is more than I can say for the New York Times.

DAVID IN DC

8:21 AM ET

March 8, 2010

I see

Thanks for demonstrating that my concern is well founded, at least in part. I don't share your viewpoint, and don't think it is a fact, that offering the views of one side in this conflict are "often propaganda" any more than offering the views of the other.

Also noted is that there was no question about the direction of the editors' bias.

If you want a good example, go to Steve Walt's blog and read his writings on Israel/Palestinian Territories/Arab states. No person of good faith can read that and conclude that it is anything but one-sided.

PISSEDOFFAMERICAN

8:33 PM ET

March 9, 2010

One sided?

Hmmm, well, that might just be a pleasant change from the hogwash narrative we have been fed for far too long now.

But are you really naive enough to think blogs like this get launched without a predisposed bias?

Besides, should the debate stray too far from the script, I am quite certain it will be picked up by the army of hasbarist propagandists that monitor sites such as this one in order to control, or, at the very least, derail the debate.

I don't expect much, to be honest. If the "think tank" mentality had much to offer in the way of constructive input, I doubt our country would be in the situation it now finds itself. But what the heck, it will be interesting to see the "experts" opining how to get us out of the mess they helped get us into.

JACOB BLUES

4:16 PM ET

March 8, 2010

How does one create an informative and objective discourse

in 140 characters or less?

CHARLIE_B

2:23 PM ET

March 9, 2010

No RSS feed?

Marc, Daniel, et. al.: How about an RSS feed? Thx.

FRED TASCHLE

6:49 PM ET

March 9, 2010

RSS Feed

I'm very happy to see the new site, and am only sorry to offer a technical suggestion here since I don't see any other place to do so.

The "author" field of the RSS feed should be fixed to show the author of the article, rather than the name of person who physically posted it to the site.

Thanks, and good luck.