President Obama gave his first televised interview last night, but his audience was far from home. Instead, Obama chose to speak to the residents of the Middle East via the Dubai-based television network Al Arabiya. He did his best to show that Americans are not the enemy and pledged to extend a hand to the Muslim world. For the reaction to this interview we turn to BBC Correspondent Jon Leyne in Tehran, Iran.

Watch the President's interview on Al Arabiya:

President Obama had a second busy day in office. He immediately named former Senate majority leader George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East and former United Nations ambassador Richard Holbrooke as envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. This move makes it clear foreign policy is a priority for the new President. We're joined by Daniel Levy director of the Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation for his take on these appointments. Mr. Levy was a member of the official Israel negotiating team at the Oslo B and Taba talks in 1995.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a frequent (and loud) critic of the United States. Despite his dislike for the country, the nationalized oil business that props up the nation's economy sells billions of dollars of oil to the U.S. Due to Chavez's bombastic personality, many big oil companies don't bother drilling in Venezuela anymore. But now that gas prices have plunged, Chavez is gently cozying up to companies like Chevron and Shell to see if they'd like to return to Venezuela. For more on this turn of events, we are joined by Simon Romero who is covering this story for the New York Times from Caracas, Venezuela.

Read Simon Romero's article, Chávez Allows West to Make Oil Bids as Prices Plunge, in today's New York Times.

The video below is one of Chavez's more outspoken moments at the United Nations.

Senator Hillary Clinton goes before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today for confirmation hearings. For insight into what we might expect if Clinton takes the reins as Secretary of State, The Takeaway turns to Washington Post Group syndicated columnist Maria Cocco, who has covered Senator Clinton since 1993.

For more on the President-elect's cabinet selections, check out our guide to his inner circle.

The American economic boom couldn't have happened without China's willingness to buy up American debt. While the American economy has hit a road bump (or maybe a pothole), China has been able to avoid the same market turmoil. Until now. With a downturn in its own economy, China isn't interested in acquiring any more American debt and that is having a profound impact on our ability to borrow. New York Times' reporter Keith Bradsher is following this story in Hong Kong.

This weekend, President Bush weighed in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Vice-President Dick Cheney also made the rounds of talk shows to express support for Israel. As Israel continues its ground offensive in Gaza, there is increasing speculation that they timed their actions against Hamas to benefit from the last few days of the Bush administration. To explain why, Scott Shane, a reporter in the Washington Bureau of the New York Times joins us.

Read Scott Shane's article in the New York Times.

At least three people have been killed in the most recent suspected American missile strike along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. According to security officials, the attack targeted Taliban headquarters in the Waziristan region, a mountainous area in the northwest corner of Pakistan. It's the second missile strike in the region in as many days. Charles Haviland, a correspondent for the BBC in Pakistan, joins The Takeaway to discuss.

Have you been to Waziristan? Tell us what it is like.

The latest conflict in Gaza, and the challenges it poses to the Obama Administration, is the latest data point on a long line of history between the United States and the Middle East. Policy decisions there have profound implications on our global alliances, govern the price of oil, make or break presidencies, and draw us into war. Joining The Takeaway to explain what can we draw from our history in the region is Patrick Tyler, former reporter for The Washington Post and New York Times and author of A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East—from the Cold War to the War on Terror.

This morning U.S. and Iraqi officials had a ceremony to officially recognize the new U.S.-Iraq security pact. This pact, which is considered a landmark in restoring Iraq’s independence, requires all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. For a look at what the pact's implications are for Iraq's future and the new role of U.S. forces (key words: baby steps), The Takeaway turns to Campbell Robertson. Mr. Robertson is the Iraq war correspondent for our partner The New York Times and is in Iraq and watched this morning's ceremony.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas rages in the aftermath of a six month truce, which expired earlier this month. Today marks day four of what Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, describes as a “war to the bitter end.” As of Monday the death toll had topped 360 with 1400 wounded. For an assessment of how this will end and what America’s responsibility will be under an Obama Administration, we are joined by Daniel Levy. Mr. Levy is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation. Mr. Levy was a member of the official Israeli delegation to the Taba negotiations with the Palestinians in January 2001, and previously served on the Israeli negotiating team to the "Oslo B" Agreement from May to September 1995, under Prime Minister Rabin.

With rumors that Senator Hillary Clinton will accept the key position of secretary of state in President-elect Obama’s Cabinet, the nation is starting envision what American diplomacy will look like after President Bush.