Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter Peter Arnett has died. The 91-year-old’s death was announced by his family.
Peter was born November 13, 1934 in Riverton, New Zealand. He worked with the AP starting in 1962 until 1981, when he joined CNN. The journalist was known for his international war reporting, with a few controversies along the way.
Peter Arnett has died at 91
Peter served as a wire-service correspondent during the Vietnam war starting in 1962 until the conflict ended in 1975. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1966 for his war coverage during his stint at the AP.
Years later, Peter became well-known for his CNN reports on the Gulf War in 1991. After the majority of journalists were removed from Baghdad by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, he was one of the last remaining broadcasters in the country.
Along with covering fighting from the front lines, Peter obtained exclusive interviews with both Saddam and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. In 1995, he published his memoir, Live From the Battlefield: From Vietnam to Baghdad, 35 Years in the World’s War Zones.
Peter left CNN in 1999 after an inaccurate report. He recounted in 1971 that deadly nerve gas was used on deserting American soldiers in Laos a year prior. Even though the esteemed journalist was only reading the report, and it was not a story he created, his career was negatively impacted. CNN responded by retracting the story, and Peter’s career took the brunt of the damage.
He returned to war reporting in 2003 for NBC and in National Geographic, covering the second Gulf War in Iraq. However, Peter was let go after criticizing the American war strategy during an interview with Iraqi state TV. He then reinvigorated his career, providing war coverage for international outlets in Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium. In 2007, Peter joined China’s Shantou University as a journalism instructor. He retired in 2014.
Peter died December 17 of prostate cancer in Newport Beach, CA. He leaves behind his wife Nina Nguyen, and their children, Elsa and Andrew.
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