Leila Fadel

Credit NPR

Leila Fadel is the Cairo Bureau Chief for NPR.

Before joining NPR, she covered the Middle East for The Washington Post. In her role as Cairo Bureau Chief she reported on a wave of revolts and their aftermaths in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.

Prior to her position as Cairo Bureau Chief for the Post, she covered the Iraq war for nearly five years with Knight Ridder, McClatchy Newspapers and later the Washington Post. Her foreign coverage of the devastating human toll of the Iraq war earned her the George. R. Polk award in 2007.

Leila Fadel is a Lebanese-American journalist who speaks conversational Arabic and was raised in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

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5:32pm

Fri November 23, 2012
Middle East

Protests Erupt In Egypt After President Expands Powers

Originally published on Fri November 23, 2012 7:34 pm

Thousands of protesters flooded into the streets of Egypt on Friday — some in support of President Mohammed Morsi, others condemning what they called a vast power grab by the president that puts Egypt on the path to one-man rule.

4:45am

Thu November 22, 2012
Middle East

Egypt's President Plays Big Role In Gaza Ceasefire

Originally published on Sun November 25, 2012 10:02 am

Credit AP

The cease-fire between Hamas and Israel has been a political boost for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Islamist leader spent hours in meetings and on the phone with world leaders, including President Obama, and got results: a cessation of violence that puts Egypt back on the international map. But Morsi faces a test Thursday night, when negotiations on the details begin.

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4:42am

Fri November 16, 2012
NPR Story

Price Hikes Lead To Deadly Protests In Jordan

Originally published on Fri November 16, 2012 6:27 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Israel's neighbor Jordan had largely avoided the unrest sparked by the Arab Spring until now. Jordan's king has outlasted protests that have been much smaller than in other nations, but a government move to raise fuel prices sparked fresh protests and even calls for King Abdullah to step down. A protester who died in a clash with police has become a symbol of protesters' fury. NPR's Leila Fadel has the story.

UM QAIS: (Speaking foreign language)

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4:38pm

Thu November 1, 2012
Africa

Vigilantes Spray Paint Sexual Harassers In Cairo

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 9:15 pm

Over the recent four-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, more than 1,000 sexual harassment complaints were filed in Egypt.

President Mohammed Morsi has ordered an investigation, but some are not prepared to wait for the government and the police to act.

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1:33pm

Mon October 22, 2012
Africa

Will The '24-Hour City' Of Cairo Call It A Night?

Originally published on Tue October 23, 2012 6:54 pm

Credit Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

When the sun goes down, Cairo bursts to life. Men play backgammon and smoke water pipes. Young fashionistas meet friends for midnight coffees. Families go shopping with small kids in tow.

Life in the Egyptian capital is lived at night. Last year, one study rated Cairo the "most 24-hour city" in the world. New York City trailed far behind at No. 32.

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5:00pm

Fri October 12, 2012
Middle East

Cemetery For Hezbollah Martyrs Continues To Grow

Originally published on Sun October 14, 2012 8:29 am

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. In a cemetery in Beirut, Lebanon, new graves are appearing more frequently than usual. This isn't just any cemetery. It's where the martyrs of Hezbollah are buried. The Shiite militant group is backed by the governments of Iran and Syria. While it's not clear where these latest martyrs were killed, members of Syria's opposition accuse the group of sending fighters into their country to help its embattled government.

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5:28am

Mon September 24, 2012
Africa

Libyan Government To Disband Rogue Groups

Originally published on Tue September 25, 2012 9:08 am

Credit Mohammad Hannon / AP

Violent protests in eastern Libya have set in motion a movement to take back the nation from dozens of militias born from the revolt against strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Since the dictator's demise, Libya has been beholden to men with guns.

The transitional state is weak, and it depends on the militias to help secure the streets. The state has now promised to integrate the militias into the security forces.

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6:13pm

Thu September 20, 2012
Africa

Libyan Militiaman Says He Warned U.S. Of Dangers

Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 6:15 pm

Credit John Poole / NPR

Two days before the deadly Sept. 11 attack on Americans in Libya, three U.S. officials met pro-government militias working to provide security in the city of Benghazi.

In that meeting, which included the American economic and political counselors, Mohammed el Gharabi, a leader of a prominent militia, says he warned the Americans that the security situation in Benghazi was deteriorating.

Assassinations are becoming rampant; no one is safe, including militiamen like himself, he says he told the Americans.

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5:14am

Thu September 20, 2012
Africa

Libyan Group Denies Role In U.S. Consulate Attack

Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 8:36 pm

Credit Mohammad Hannon / AP

Ansar al-Sharia, the ultraconservative armed Islamist group accused of taking part in the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, denies it was involved. But the group's leadership stopped short of condemning the deadly attack. A top U.S. counterterrorism official says they are looking at the group in connection with the assault.

Ansar al-Sharia is one of the most powerful Islamist militias in eastern Libya. The brigade claims hundreds of men who fought, with U.S. and NATO support, to unseat strongman Moammar Gadhafi last year.

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7:56am

Sun September 16, 2012
Africa

Consulate Attack Preplanned, Libya's President Says

Originally published on Sun September 16, 2012 8:36 am

Credit Mohammad Hannon / AP

Libya's president says he believes al-Qaida is behind a deadly attack in eastern Libya that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other U.S. staffers.

In an exclusive interview with NPR in Benghazi, President Mohammed el-Megarif says foreigners infiltrated Libya over the past few months, planned the attack and used Libyans to carry it out.

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4:29pm

Fri September 14, 2012
NPR Story

More Protests Erupt After Weekly Prayers In Egypt

Originally published on Fri September 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

Protests, some deadly, erupted across the Muslim world today as anger spread over an amateur anti-Islam film produced in the U.S. American symbols - including embassies, schools and restaurants - were attacked. In Egypt, protesters took to the streets for the fourth straight day. Egyptian soldiers built a wall to protect the U.S. Embassy, and Islamist President Mohammed Morsi denounced the attacks.

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4:45pm

Thu August 30, 2012
Middle East

Egyptian Leader Stirs Tensions On First Visit To Iran

Originally published on Thu August 30, 2012 6:09 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi caused a diplomatic stir today in Tehran, opening a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. Morsi denounced the Syrian regime, calling it oppressive and illegitimate. That prompted an angry walk-out by the Syrian delegation. And Morsi's comments cannot have pleased the summit's hosts either. NPR's Leila Fadel reports.

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6:31am

Sat August 18, 2012
Africa

Egypt's New Leader Struggles To Fulfill Big Promises

Originally published on Sat August 18, 2012 9:58 am

Credit Khaled Desouki / AFP/Getty Images

Egypt's new Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, has made sweeping promises to the Egyptian people, saying he'll improve the quality of their lives during his first 100 days in office.

Morsi has been busy on several fronts, but he has only a few weeks left to fulfill those big pledges.

His promises have come in nightly radio broadcasts during the holy month of Ramadan. A decent loaf of bread is a demand for us all, he declared in one of those broadcasts, saying subsidized bread will be more widely available and of better quality.

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