He has been the lead Middle East specialist writer for the BBC News website since 2003, with the job of bringing clarity and understanding to the complex and globally significant developments taking place in this troubled region. He has first-hand experience working in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel and the Palestinian territories during their periods of greatest crisis in the last decade. Martin is one of the few non-Arab reporters who is fluent in the Arabic language and is therefore able to work without an interpreter or English speaking informants. He is also an accomplished photographer.