Q&A With Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera English’s Correspondent in Cairo

"Ayman Mohyeldin’s first job in journalism was answering phones and getting coffee for the Today show during 2001’s Summer of the Shark. But after 9/11, Mohyeldin, who was born in Egypt to an Egyptian father and a Palestinian mother and later immigrated with his family to Detroit, found his Arabic-language skills and familiarity with the region in high demand. As a correspondent for NBC, CNN, and then Al Jazeera English, he was embedded with U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan and was the only English-language reporter inside Gaza during Israel’s air strikes in 2008. Mohyeldin has been stationed in Cairo since the protests started. He was reporting from the top of Al Jazeera’s building when state police tried to cut off the live feed on January 28. He was handcuffed and blindfolded by the Egytian army when trying to enter Tahrir Square. And he helped announce Mubarak's ouster on live television just moments ago. At 2 a.m. in Cairo last night, Mohyeldin talked to Intel about what the protesters were looking for from President Obama, the difference between Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic, and why Anderson Cooper getting punched in the head might not be the biggest part of the story."

Read this most interesting Q & A from New York, with one of the real reporters [as distinct from some of the American reporters more intent to make themselves part of the story] who was on the ground doing such a great job for Al Jazeera.

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