Jeremy Scahill

Early life

Scahill was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, by "social activist" parents, Lisa and Michael Scahill, both nurses. He graduated from Wauwatosa East High School in 1992.{{Cite web His father grew up on the South Side of Chicago, son of Irish immigrants in a Catholic family. He had planned to be a seminarian. Jeremy attended a few University of Wisconsin regional campuses and a local technical college before deciding that his "time would be better spent by entering the struggle for justice in this country." After dropping out of college, Scahill spent several years on the East Coast working in homeless shelters. He started his career as an unpaid intern at the nonprofit news program Democracy Now! of the Pacifica Radio network. While he was at Democracy Now!, Scahill learned the technical side of radio, and learned "journalism as a trade, rather than an academic study".{{Cite web |access-date = August 27, 2010

Discussing the roots of his activism, Scahill said: "I think we all have to remember something that Dan Berrigan, the radical Catholic priest, said about Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement. He said she lived as though the truth were true." And: "Victory is relative when you listen to the powerful. But we have a victory in our midst, because the entire world is on our side. So I say that we call for an end to the death penalty in this country, and we call for an end to the collective death penalty being meted out on the rest of the world by this criminal government."

He also worked in 2000 as a producer for Michael Moore's TV series The Awful Truth on Bravo.

Journalism career

Scahill became a senior producer and correspondent for Democracy Now! and remains a frequent contributor. Scahill and his Democracy Now! colleague Amy Goodman were co-recipients of the 1998 George Polk Award for their radio documentary "Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship", which investigated the Chevron Corporation's role in the killing of two Nigerian environmental activists.{{Cite web | access-date = January 2, 2013

In 1998, Scahill traveled to Iraq for Democracy Now! and Pacifica Radio, where he reported on the impact of the economic sanctions on Iraq and the "No-Fly Zone" bombings in Northern and Southern Iraq. An article in AlterNet has described Jeremy Scahill as a "progressive journalist".{{Cite news

In October 2013 Scahill joined with reporters Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras to establish an on-line investigative journalism publishing venture funded by eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar. The idea for the new media outlet came from Omidyar's "concern about press freedoms in the US and around the world." The Intercept, a publication of First Look Media, went live on February 10, 2014. The short-term goal of the digital magazine is to publish reports about information contained in documents disclosed by Edward Snowden concerning the NSA. According to editors Greenwald, Poitras, and Scahill, their "longer-term mission is to provide aggressive and independent adversarial journalism across a wide range of issues, from secrecy, criminal and civil justice abuses and civil liberties violations to media conduct, societal inequality and all forms of financial and political corruption."{{Cite web | access-date = February 10, 2014 | archive-date = February 10, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140210072141/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/10/welcome-intercept/ | url-status = dead

On November 30, 2013, Scahill refused to participate in a Stop the War Conference in London unless Syrian nun Mother Agnes was dropped from the symposium. Mother Agnes eventually pulled out.{{Cite web

Scahill criticized the US government's decision to charge WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act of 1917 for his role in the 2010 publication of a trove of Iraq War documents and diplomatic cables. Scahill tweeted: "This is about retaliation for publishing evidence of U.S. war crimes and other crimes by the most powerful nation on Earth. It's a threat to press freedom."

On May 9, 2019, the intelligence analyst Daniel Everette Hale was arrested for leaking classified information to a reporter.

In July 2024, Scahill left The Intercept, along with Ryan Grim, to co-found Drop Site News.

Works

Kosovo conflict

In 1999, he covered the Kosovo conflict, reporting live from Belgrade and Kosovo itself.{{Cite web

In 1999, the Scahill and Goodman's documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship was also awarded one of the prizes of the Overseas Press Club. The keynote speaker was a major supporter of the Kosovo War, Richard Holbrooke, who, to the applause of 300 attendees, announced that the building of the Radio Television of Serbia had been bombed by NATO. The bombing left 16 media workers dead. The only protesting voices at the ceremony were Scahill and Goodman who wanted to ask Holbrooke questions, but he refused. They then rejected the prize. In 2019 Scahill apologized to the victims' family members in the name of the US government, calling the bombing a war crime.{{cite news | trans-title = Killed RTS workers have no dignified memorial | trans-title = UNS: American journalist apologized for his state for bombing RTS

After Slobodan Milosevic's death in 2006, Scahill accused the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of practicing "victors' justice" and being "a poor substitute for a true international court."{{Cite web

War on terror

Between 2001 and 2003, Scahill reported frequently from Baghdad for Democracy Now! and other media outlets. As the Iraq invasion began, Scahill appeared frequently on Democracy Now!, often co-hosting with Amy Goodman.{{Cite web

Scahill has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, the former Yugoslavia, | access-date = January 3, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120717022604/http://www.selvesandothers.org/view57.html | archive-date = July 17, 2012 | url-status = dead post-Katrina Louisiana, | access-date = January 3, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071114170438/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05%2F09%2F16%2F1222257 | archive-date = November 14, 2007 | url-status = dead and elsewhere across the globe. Scahill is a frequent guest on many programs, appearing regularly on The Rachel Maddow Show,{{Cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090526094755/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#34266945 | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 26, 2009 | access-date = January 2, 2013 | access-date = January 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121218235018/http://www.democracynow.org/topics/jeremy_scahill/1 | archive-date = December 18, 2012 | url-status = dead He has also appeared on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, The Daily Show,{{Cite web and July 21, 2011 (when the video was uploaded to YouTube).

| access-date = January 3, 2013 | archive-date = August 1, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130801063754/http://www.zcommunications.org/the-miami-model-by-jeremy-scahill | url-status = dead

He has been a vocal critic of private military contractors, particularly Blackwater Worldwide, which is the subject of his book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. The book received numerous accolades, including the Alternet Best Book of the Year Award, a spot on both the Barnes & Noble and Amazon lists of the Best Nonfiction Books of 2007, and notable mention in The New York Times.{{Cite news

Scahill's work has sparked several Congressional investigations. In 2010, Scahill testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on the United States' shadow wars in Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere:

As the war rages on in Afghanistan and—despite spin to the contrary—in Iraq as well, US Special Operations Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency are engaged in parallel, covert, shadow wars that are waged in near total darkness and largely away from effective or meaningful Congressional oversight or journalistic scrutiny. The actions and consequences of these wars is seldom discussed in public or investigated by the Congress. The current US strategy can be summed up as follows: We are trying to kill our way to peace. And the killing fields are growing in number.{{Cite web }}

In July 2011, Scahill revealed the existence of a CIA-run counterterrorism center at the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, and reported on a previously unknown secret prison located in the basement of the U.S.-funded Somali National Security Agency, in which—according to a U.S. official—U.S. agents interrogated prisoners.

When the public became aware of President Obama's "Kill List",{{Cite news | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120718003308/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46979738/ns/msnbc-up_with_chris_hayes/#47658344 | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 18, 2012 In 2019, he argued that Donald Trump probably represented "the best hope that we've had since 9/11 to end some of these forever wars."

''Blackwater''

Scahill's first book, The New York Times bestseller Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army,{{Cite web | access-date = January 2, 2013 | archive-date = October 31, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131031135924/http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/perseus/book_detail.jsp?isbn=156858394X | url-status = dead

Scahill exposed the presence of Blackwater contractors in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and his reporting sparked a Congressional inquiry and an internal Department of Homeland Security investigation.{{Cite web

''Dirty Wars''

Scahill's book Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield was published by Nation Books on April 23, 2013. The main premise of the book is Obama's continuation of Bush's doctrine that "the world is a battlefield" and relying on missiles and drone strikes, JSOC to carry the bulk of the covert operations and targeted killings of suspected terrorists. Scahill expands on this theme by covering topics such as the assassination of U.S. citizens, namely Anwar Awlaki and his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki, and the lack of accountability of U.S. special forces, such as the Gardez massacre,{{Cite web | access-date = August 6, 2013 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304203618/http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/home-mainmenu-289/6238-made-in-america-the-gardez-massacre | url-status = dead

The book was released around the same time as a 2013 American documentary directed by Richard Rowley based on a screenplay written by Scahill and David Riker. Scahill both produced and narrated the film. Dirty Wars premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013 and was released in four theaters on June 7, 2013. The film was nominated for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, ultimately losing to 20 Feet from Stardom.{{Cite web | access-date = January 28, 2014

Abdulelah Haider Shaye

Scahill has been an advocate for imprisoned Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye. Scahill's March 13, 2012 article in The Nation states that President Obama leaned on Yemen to keep Shaye in jail because of his reporting on the 2009 Al Ma'jalah bombings—Shaye described remnants of U.S. Tomahawk missiles, although the United States initially denied involvement.{{Cite news | access-date = July 19, 2012 | archive-date = June 7, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230607221939/https://theworld.org/2012/04/prominent-yemeni-journalist-lands-in-jail-us-wants-him-to-stay-there | url-status = dead | access-date = March 16, 2012

Israel's invasion of Gaza

Scahill has been a fierce critic of Israel's military response in Gaza since the October 7 attacks. Writing for The Intercept, Scahill argues that the October 7 attacks were a result of a 75-year campaign by Israel, of ethnic cleansing and apartheid in Gaza. According to him, the primary agenda of Benjamin Netanyahu has long been "the absolute destruction of Palestine and its people".

On October 19, 2024, in a guest appearance on MSNBC with anchor Ayman Mohyeldin, Scahill said that MSNBC had people on its network who promoted Israeli propaganda.

Awards and recognition

Scahill has won numerous awards, including the George Polk Award (twice),{{Cite web | access-date = January 2, 2013 | access-date = January 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192639/http://www.nfcb.org/awards/PDF/2003winners.pdf | archive-date = October 29, 2013 | url-status = dead In 2013, he was awarded the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize, one of the richest literary awards in the world.{{Cite web | access-date = March 6, 2013

Selected writings

• "Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater" | This article appeared in the May 8, 2006 edition of The Nation
• "Blackwater's Private Spies" | This article appeared in the June 23, 2008 edition of The Nation
• "Mercenary Jackpot" | This article appeared in the August 28, 2006 edition of The Nation
• "Washington's War in Yemen Backfires" | This article appeared in the March 5–12, 2012 edition of The Nation
• "Blowback in Somalia" | This article appeared in the September 26, 2011 edition of The Nation
• "The CIA's Secret Sites in Somalia" | This article appeared in the August 1–8, 2011 edition of The Nation
• "Osama's Assassins" | This article appeared in the May 23, 2011 edition of The Nation
• The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program, book by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of The Intercept{{Cite book | author1-last = Scahill | author1-first = Jeremy

References

References

1. O'Neill, Patrick. (October 10, 2007). "Author Jeremy Scahill discusses how Blackwater is changing how war is waged".
2. "Jeremy Scahill Remembers His Longtime Friend, Father Daniel Berrigan: "The Man was a Moral Giant"". Democracy Now!.
3. Scahill, Jeremy. (2007-06-22). "Confronting empire".
4. [http://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/jeremy-scahill Jeremy Scahill. Speaker Profile and Speaking Topics], apbspeakers.com; accessed December 7, 2015.
5. "Hussein Replaces Iraqi Ambassadors".
6. [http://www.democracynow.org/2013/12/5/there_is_a_war_on_journalism '"There is a War on Journalism": Jeremy Scahill on NSA Leaks & New Investigative Reporting Venture'], [[Democracy Now!]], December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
7. [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/oct/16/pierre-omidyar-ebay-glenn-greenwald 'Pierre Omidyar commits $250m to new media venture with Glenn Greenwald'], [[The Guardian]], October 16, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
8. [https://thenextweb.com/media/2014/02/10/the-intercept-the-first-online-publication-from-ebay-founder-pierre-omidyar-is-now-live/ 'The Intercept, the first online publication from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, is now live'], The Next Web, February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
9. (February 16, 2017). "Sparks fly over Maher's booking of provocateur Yiannopoulos". AP News.
10. (May 24, 2019). ""This is about attacking journalism": Press freedom defenders on Assange espionage charges". Salon.
11. (8 April 2021). "Daniel Hale, CITIZENFIVE". Emptywheel.net.
12. (2024-07-08). "Scahill and Grim Launch New Media Outlet With The Intercept's Support".
13. "Let's talk about Israel's nukes".
14. "ISR issue 14 - Jeremy Scahill reports from Kosovo".
15. "Oil Is Our Damnation - The Progressive".
16. "Scahill on Osama's Assassination - Video - In These Times".
17. New York: Nation Books, 2007. {{ISBN. 1-56025-979-5 (hardcover); revised and updated edition, 2008. {{ISBN. 1-56858-394-X
18. (10 December 2014). "The CIA's Secret Sites in Somalia".
19. (January 22, 2019). "Donald Trump Is a Liar — but He May Represent Our Best Hope to End the U.S. Forever Wars". [[The Intercept]].
20. "Nation Books". Nation Books.
21. "Jeremy Scahill: The Secret Story Behind Obama's Assassination of Two Americans in Yemen".
22. (April 5, 2010). "After denials, US admits Feb. killing of Afghan women".
23. [https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/white-house-stands-by-obama-push-for-yemeni-journalist-to-remain-behind-bars/ White House Stands By Obama Push for Yemeni Journalist to Remain Behind Bars], ABC News, Retrieved 2012-05-04.
24. (February 7, 2024). "Netanyahu's War On Truth".
25. (October 20, 2024). "Voices Against 'Extermination Campaign' in Gaza Call Out to the World: 'This Has to Stop!'".
26. "In the days following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the war in Gaza has not come close to slowing down. @AymanM talks to @jeremyscahill about what the assassination means for the conflict and its influence on ceasefire talks.".
27. "Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater".
28. (June 5, 2008). "Blackwater's Private Spies". The Nation.
29. "Mercenary Jackpot".
30. (February 15, 2012). "Washington's War in Yemen Backfires".
31. (September 7, 2011). "Blowback in Somalia".
32. (December 10, 2014). "The CIA's Secret Sites in Somalia".
33. (May 4, 2011). "Osama's Assassins".