Democratic presidential candidates from left, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee take the stage before the CNN Democratic presidential debate Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
I’m very pleased to let you know that Vivian Salama, AP’s current Baghdad bureau chief, will join us in early December as deputy political editor.Vivian brings a unique background in foreign policy, national politics and major breaking news, along with strong cross-platform experience, to the bureau and to our coverage of the 2016 campaign.She has worked as both a television and print journalist, focusing most recently on the Middle East and covering stories that include Egypt's historic presidential election, the resurgence of violence in Iraq and drone deaths in Yemen. As Baghdad bureau chief, she has served as senior reporter and also has led a team of reporters, photographers, video journalists and support staff covering the country.Before heading to the Mideast in 2003, Vivian worked as a producer for NBC and ABC News in New York, covering New York state and city elections, including Hillary Clinton's Senate race, as well as state elections in New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. On the day of the 9/11 attacks, she produced breaking news coverage for WNBC in New York. She also covered Michael Bloomberg's 2001 mayoral campaign and election, and the 2002 trial and conviction of Providence’s mayor for racketeering and corruption.In addition to strong reporting and writing, she is a talented editor, exceptionally skilled at identifying and pulling distinctive reporting angles out of the chaos of daily spot news.Vivian is from New City, New York. She is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey and holds a master's degree in Middle East and Islamic Studies from Columbia University.After moving to the Middle East, she was a freelancer for AP Television from 2004 to 2006. She went on to report in Pakistan, and then opened the Bloomberg bureau in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Vivian also has appeared as a commentator on BBC and NPR, among others, and has contributed to Newsweek, the Daily Beast, Rolling Stone and the Atlantic.Please join David and I in welcoming her to Washington.