Baghdad bureau opens for blogging

The New York Times launches Baghdad Bureau this week. It’s “a blog supplementing the Reach of War coverage and focused on events inside Iraq” The New York Times Baghdad bureau is both home and office to between 7 and 10 western reporters, snappers and videographers along with a large Iraqi staff. The newspaper hopes the observations of both Iraqi and Western bloggers “will offer a rich portrait of a place that those of us who live here care about deeply,”

We talk with our Iraqi colleagues morning and evening about the problems they face in their neighborhoods, their dreams and those of their families. At night, staff members gather for dinner and discuss the news of the day: How close was that explosion heard this morning? Which military unit is finally going home? What is life really like in certain parts of the city and in the countryside? This blog is an attempt to include readers in our conversations. link

Here’s a who’s who inside the Baghdad bureau.