Global Experience Baghdad, Iraq - March 2003 Simon has built his career as an on-the-spot television reporter covering the world's major global developments. Since 1992, he's been a "Special Correspondent" for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer", America's leading nightly news analysis program seen on the Public Broadcasting System.  You can view all of Simon's work for "The NewsHour" dating back to February 2000 by clicking here. Simon is also a "Contributing Correspondent" for The Fox News Channel, and both reports and analyzes international affairs for America's most-watched cable news outlet on a regular basis.  Simon has reported for Fox from a wide variety of international locations, including Iraq, Russia, South Africa, India, Turkey, Syria, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and his native Great Britain. Internationally, viewers can watch Simon's reports on Channel News Asia - the region's 24 hour news network.  Simon is Channel News Asia's US Bureau Chief, and you'll see him regularly reporting events from across the United States, and going on Special Assignment for Channel News Asia around the world. Simon can also be seen and heard regularly on the TV and radio news bulletins produced by South African Broadcasting, the African continent's leading broadcaster.  Simon began contributing to SABC shortly after South Africa's political transition, and he's reported events for South African audiences from all over the world. You can also regularly see Simon's reporting for Voice of America Television by visiting VOA News on the web. Doubts over Darfur Peace Deal In May 2006, the Government of Sudan signed a peace agreement with the largest rebel movement in the strife-torn western region of Darfur. The agreement envisions the deployment of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force to replace the 7,000-strong African Union force that has been outmanned and outgunned in Darfur. But even before the signatures on the peace deal were dry, top Sudanese government officials were questioning whether a United Nations force was really necessary. Simon travelled to Darfur, and filed this report on the agreement's prospects for VOA News. China Fuels Sudan's Growth By mid-2006, Sudan's economy was on track to notch up an annual growth rate of 14%. The oil-driven boom is being facilitated by investors from China, Malaysia and India, at a time when sanctions prevent US investors from entering the Sudanese market. The government in Khartoum is accused by the United States of sponsoring terrorism, and committing genocide in the strife-torn region of Darfur. Simon travelled to the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and supplied this report to VOA News. Inside the Arab Media: Over the past 15 years, the Arab media landscape has been transformed by the launch of the plethora of regional satellite television stations. Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and their competitors have helped shape opinion across the Arab world. And they've created enormous challenges for the previously-dominant state-run networks. Simon travelled to Jordan and Syria to produce this report, which also appeared on the US public radio special program “24/7: The Rise and Influence of Arab Media”. Verdict On The Saddam Trial The trial of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is being closely watched throughout the Arab world.  But if the United States hoped that the trial would help win the battle for hearts and minds in the region, it could be sorely disappointed.  In December 2005, Simon travelled to Jordan to assess the mood of people there about the criminal trial underway in neighboring Iraq.  Click here to watch this segment now! Syria Pushes Back Following the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Syrian government found itself in full-scale retreat.  The "Cedar Revolution" in Lebanon led to the hasty withdrawal of Syrian forces, ending a 15 year occupation of the country.  The UN prove into the assassination accused senior figures within the Syrian government of involvement in the assassination plot.  In December 2005, Simon travelled to Damascus to examine the Syrian government's response to the charges, and tried to measure the popular mood in Syria.  Click here to watch this segment now! The Kremlin vs. ABC News In August 2005 an unprecedented standoff ensued between one of the world's leading broadcast news organizations and the Russian government.  Following the transmission of a controversial broadcast interview with Chechen rebel fighter Shamil Basayev, the Kremlin accused ABC News of providing an uncritical platform to one of the world's most-wanted terrorists.  ABC insists the broadcast was presented in context, and refused repeated Russian requests to suppress the interview.  Simon analysed the standoff in this report which aired on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on August 5, 2005. Russia's "Loose Nukes" As diplomats from more than 180 nations met in New York to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Simon travelled to Moscow to assess the security issues that continue to dog the former Soviet Union's nuclear stockpile.  Securing Russia's nuclear assets against the threat of terrorist attack, or theft by organized criminal gangs, is still proving a tough goal to meet.   This segment aired on "The News Hour" on May 4th 2005, and production support for this report was provided by  The Stanley Foundation. Putin's Predicament In the year following his 2004 re-election, Russian President Vladimir Putin found himself accused of presiding over significant reversals on the path to democracy.  On the eve of the Russian leader's February 24, 2005 summit meeting with President Bush in Bratislava, Slovakia, Simon went behind the headlines to examine the state of reform in Russia.  Click here to watch this segment now! Inside Chechnya - Exclusive It's been more than 10 years since the Russian Army was first deployed in the breakaway southern region of Chechnya.  Today, the Russian government maintains that Chechnya is a crucial battleground in the global 'war on terror'.  In November 2003, FSN videographer Denis Levkovich was given an exclusive opportunity to spend a week "embedded" with Russian forces in the southern region.  Simon narrated this report, based on Levkovich's remarkable pictures, for "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer".  It originally aired on January 22nd 2004.  Click here to watch this segment now! Russia's "Managed Democracy" On December 7 2003, Russians went to the polls in Parliamentary elections that saw  parties loyal to President Vladimir Putin enjoy a triumphant victory.  In the 3 years since he succeeded Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin, President Putin has moved steadily to expand his power base.  His supporters call his policy one of "managed democracy".  His critics contend that he's moved aggressively to limit freedoms in the country by jailing prominent businessmen and academics and restricting open society reforms.  Simon's report on the political situation in Russia to "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on December 5, 2003.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! Iraq Special - Part One:  After The Fall Six months after Saddam Hussein's ouster, Simon and an FSN production team returned to Baghdad to assess the changes wrought by the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.  In a two-part series that originally aired on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer", they revisited many of the Iraqis they'd met with just half a year previously.  Part One, which first aired on October 28 2003, examines the changes that Saddam's fall brought to every single Iraqi life.  Click here to view the story in Real Player!   Iraq Special - Part Two:  Dangerous Neighborhoods Seven months after Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party were swept from power by the US-led invasion, the issue of security over-rode all other concerns in the minds of most Iraqi people.  With a crime wave spiralling out-of-control in Baghdad, and with political violence scarring the nation, Simon examines the struggle to bring stability to postwar Iraq and the toll the continued violence is taking on everyday Iraqis and efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation.  This story originally aired on PBS on October 29, 2003.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! Syria At a Time of Change Shortly after the US swept Saddam Hussein's regime from power in Iraq, the Ba'ath Party government in neighboring Syria found itself threatened with "regime change" by some in the US government.  Simon and an FSN production team visited Damascus and the disputed territory of the Golan Heights, and their story originally aired on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on May 2nd, 2003.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! Baghdad Braces For War In the days leading up to the US-led invasion of Iraq, Simon and an FSN production team travelled to Baghdad to examine the city's preparations for war.  This story originally aired on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on March 11th, 2003.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! The War Next Door As US-led forces pressed ahead with their campaign to effect "regime change" in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the citizens and government of neighboring Jordan viewed the military action with growing concern.  As protests mounted in the capital Amman, Simon filed this report for "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on March 31st, 2003.  Click here to view the story in Real Player!   Al Qaeda's Home Town In the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks on America, it became apparent that the German city of Hamburg had served as a significant base of operations for the Al Qaeda cell that plotted and carried out the terrorist plot.  A year on, Simon visited Hamburg and found a surprising and dangerous rift emerging between US and German investigators.  This story originally aired on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on October 25th, 2002.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! US-German Relations In October 2002, Simon travelled to Berlin to explore the frayed relationship between the US President GeorgE Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.  Following the German Chancellor's refusal to support military action against Iraq, the two men stopped speaking to one another for nearly 6 months.  Originally aired by "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on October 29th, 2002, Simon examines the parlous state of Washington-Berlin ties.  Click here to view the story in Real Player! An Intractable Conflict In August 2002, Simon filed a series of reports for "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" from Pakistan, India and the disputed territory of Kashmir. In this report, originally aired on August 19th, 2002, he explores the roots of the conflict in Kashmir, and travels to the Line of Control that separates Indian and Pakistani forces. Click here to watch this segment now! Epidemic Devastates Britain In March 2001, Foot and Mouth disease swept Britain, threatening to decimate the country's farming communities. Tourism was also badly hit as foreign visitors stayed away from Britain, frightened by images of burning carcasses and counties under quarantine. "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" dispatched Simon to Wales to compile this special report. Click here to watch this segment now! Threat to Free Speech In early 2001, the new Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in an unprecedented crackdown on Russia's fledging free press. Simon supplied "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" with the most extensive coverage of the crisis carried by any US broadcast network. Click here to watch this segment now! Global Analysis In addition to his work for "The News Hour", Simon can also be seen regularly on several other leading networks.  His reporting appears on "Special Report with Brit Hume" on the Fox News Channel;  he has also offered regular analysis of international events on "Buchanan and Press" and other programs on MSNBC;  on "Capital Report", the nightly news analysis program seen on CNBC; and on Court TV. 2002 News Review 2002 US News Review   From his base in Washington DC, Simon provides daily coverage of events in the United States to "Channel News Asia", the continent's Singapore-based 24-hour English language news network.  At the end of 2002, Simon reviewed the major events of the year in this report which originally aired on December 13th 2002.  Click here to watch this segment now!