Brian Whitaker is a journalist for the British newspaper The Guardian since 1987 and its Middle East editor from 2000-2007. He has a degree in Arabic from the University of Westminster. He was formerly a Ph.D. candidate in Middle Eastern studies, but did not complete the degree. He also runs a personal non-Guardian related web site Al-Bab.com about politics in the Arab world. He regularly contributes to the Guardian's Comment is Free (CIF) section on controversial matters related to the Midle East and Islam for which he has also received criticism.