NBC Opening Middle East Bureau In Beirut

NBC News is opening a Middle East Bureau based in Beirut, Lebanon, Steve Capus announced today.

Richard Engel, who has spent the last 3+ years covering Iraq for NBC, has been named Middle East correspondent and Beirut Bureau chief. NBC says “the choice of Lebanon was strategic. Its airports are well connected to the rest of the Middle East. It is a hub for many international media outlets, and is home to a dynamic mix of religious and ethnic groups that make it particularly sensitive to changes in the region.”

The announcement does not affect the Baghdad bureau, according to NBC. Engel was a rotating reporter, and the network will continue to rotate correspondents in and out of Baghdad. Engel is joined by Jim Maceda right now, and Mike Boettcher is rotating in later this week. “Engel will continue to cover Iraq on assignments,” the press release says…