Name Clayton Swisher | ||
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Books The Truth About Camp David: The Untold Story About the Collapse of the Middle East Peace Process Nominations British Academy Television Award for Best Current Affairs People also search for Adrian Billing, Richard Belfield, Naji Tamimi Profiles | ||
Al jazeera s clayton swisher on the spy cables
Clayton E. Swisher is an American journalist and author, currently working as the Manager of Investigative Journalism for the Al Jazeera Media Network in Doha in Qatar.
Contents
- Al jazeera s clayton swisher on the spy cables
- Investigative journalism
- Career
- The Palestine Papers
- The Arafat case
- Early Life
- Publications
- References
He is the author of two non-fiction books on the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Investigative journalism
Career
Swisher is currently the head of the Al Jazeera Investigative Unit, based at the network's headquarters in Doha. He has worked for Al Jazeera English, and other parts of the Network, since 2007.
The Palestine Papers
In 2011, Swisher obtained thousands of confidential documents of the Israeli–Palestinian negotiations and helped break the story for Al Jazeera. These documents became known as the "Palestine Papers," and are the largest ever leak of confidential documents related to Israeli–Palestinian negotiations. The leak led to the temporary resignation of Dr. Saeb Erekat, Chief PLO Negotiator.
The Arafat case
In 2012, he delivered the documentary investigation: What Killed Arafat? It won the 2013 CINE Golden Eagle Award for best Investigative Journalism and was nominated for other awards.
The nine-month investigation revealed high levels of radioactive Polonium-210 in articles left behind by Yasser Arafat, the first President of the Palestinian National Authority. This led to a French criminal investigation and the exhumation of Arafat's body. The secondary investigation, conducted by experts from France, Switzerland, and Russia, reached differing conclusions. The Swiss team said the elevated levels of Polonium and lead on Arafat's clothing, and that the time frame of his illness and death were consistent with ingesting Polonium. However, the French and Russian scientists said the Polonium on his clothing was of "natural environmental origin" and that Arafat had died of natural causes.
Early Life
Swisher is the son of Mary King Swisher and James Marion Swisher, Jr. He grew up in Michigan and later in New Castle, Pennsylvania where he played football for Neshannock High School In 1995, Swisher enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
From 1999-2002, Swisher served as a special agent with the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. He served as a bodyguard for Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, as well as other internationally protected persons, including the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Publications
In 2004, Swisher's first book, The Truth About Camp David, was published to favorable reviews in Foreign Affairs and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In 2011, Swisher's second book, The Palestine Papers: The End of the Road? was released, examining the themes of the more than 1,600 leaked documents on the Israeli–Palestinian negotiations, that Swisher had obtained for Al Jazeera.