Seymour Hersh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seymour Hersh
Hersh in 2009
Born	Seymour Myron Hersh (1937-04-08) April 8, 1937 (age 88) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Sy Hersh
Alma mater	University of Chicago (BA)
Occupation	Journalist, writer
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Sarah Klein ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	3
Awards	George Polk Award (1969, 1973, 1974, 1981, 2004) Pulitzer Prize (1970) National Book Critics Circle Award (1983) National Magazine Award (2004, 2005)

Seymour Myron Hersh (born April 8, 1937) is an American investigative journalist and writer. He became famous in 1969 for revealing the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. This event involved the killing of many unarmed civilians. For his work, he won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.

In the 1970s, Hersh reported on the Watergate scandal for The New York Times. He also wrote about secret U.S. bombings and the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) spying on Americans. Hersh has won many awards, including five George Polk Awards. He has written 11 books, often focusing on important political events.

Some of Hersh's later reports have caused debate. For example, in 2013, he claimed that Syrian rebels, not the government, used chemical weapons in Ghouta. In 2015, he offered a different story about how Osama bin Laden was killed. In 2023, he said the U.S. and Norway sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines. Hersh often uses anonymous sources, which some people have criticized.

Early Life and Education

Seymour Hersh was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 8, 1937. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Poland. His father changed their last name from Hershowitz to Hersh. As a teenager, Seymour helped at his family's dry cleaning shop.

He finished Hyde Park High School in 1954. He then went to the University of Illinois Chicago and later the University of Chicago. He earned a history degree in 1958. After working as a salesman, he briefly attended law school but left due to poor grades.

Newspaper Career

Hersh started his journalism career in 1959 at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He worked as a copyboy and then a crime reporter. In 1960, he joined the Army Reserve for three months. After that, he started a weekly newspaper in Illinois called the Evergreen Dispatch, but it did not last long. In 1962, he moved to Pierre, South Dakota, to work for United Press International (UPI). He reported on the state government and wrote about the Oglala Sioux people.

In 1963, Hersh joined the Associated Press (AP) in Chicago. In 1965, he moved to Washington, D.C., to report on the Pentagon. There, he became friends with famous journalist I. F. Stone. Stone's investigative newsletter inspired Hersh. He began to develop his own way of investigating. He would often leave official press briefings to interview high-ranking officers. In 1966, Hersh reported on the growing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He wrote about draft reform and the bombing of civilian targets.

In 1967, Hersh joined the AP's first special investigative team. He later left to become a freelancer. He wrote articles about the government's secret chemical and biological weapons programs. This research became his first book, Chemical and Biological Warfare: America's Hidden Arsenal (1968). His reporting helped lead to the Nixon administration ending the U.S. biological weapons program in 1969.

My Lai Massacre

In 1969, Hersh reported on the My Lai massacre. This was an event where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians. These included women, children, and elderly men, on March 16, 1968. A former soldier named Ronald Ridenhour first shared information about the massacre.

On October 22, 1969, Hersh got a tip about a soldier named Lieutenant William Calley. Calley was being charged with killing many civilians in Vietnam. Hersh found Calley's lawyer, who showed him documents. These documents said Calley was charged with killing 109 people. Hersh then interviewed Calley himself.

Hersh's first article about the massacre was careful and factual. It was first turned down by some magazines. Then, his friend David Obst helped sell the story to 35 newspapers. On November 13, the story appeared in major newspapers like The Washington Post. At first, people did not react much.

Other reporters then found out that the Army's investigation started because of a letter from Ronald Ridenhour. Hersh traveled to interview the soldiers Ridenhour mentioned. He found out that witnesses were told not to talk. He also learned the actual death count was much higher. On November 20, Hersh's second article was published worldwide. On the same day, photos of the massacre by Army photographer Ronald L. Haeberle were published. These photos caused great anger among the public and politicians.

Hersh then interviewed Paul Meadlo, a soldier who admitted killing civilians on Calley's orders. Meadlo's mother told Hersh, "I sent them a good boy and they made him a murderer." Hersh's third article was published, and Meadlo was interviewed on the TV show 60 Minutes. The White House then admitted the massacre happened. The Army started an official investigation. Hersh interviewed many witnesses over the next three months.

Hersh's reporting made him nationally famous. It also increased opposition to the war in the U.S. However, some people in the press and government criticized him. They questioned his work and reasons. For his coverage, Hersh won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. He also won several other awards, including his first George Polk Award.

In 1970, a secret Army report on the massacre was leaked to Hersh. It showed that at least 347 civilians were killed. This was more than the Army had publicly said. This leak led to two articles by Hersh in The New Yorker in 1972. They claimed that officers had destroyed documents about the massacre. This information also formed the basis for his 1972 book, Cover-Up: The Army's Secret Investigation of the Massacre at My Lai 4.

The New York Times

In April 1972, The New York Times hired Hersh as an investigative journalist. After the Watergate scandal began, the Times wanted to catch up with other newspapers. Hersh reported extensively on the scandal. A key article by him in January 1973 revealed that secret payments were still being made to the burglars. This shifted the focus to the cover-up.

During 1973, Hersh wrote over 40 articles on Watergate. Many were on the front page. He revealed that the FBI failed to investigate a political operative. He also reported on leaks from grand jury testimonies. These leaks showed that the Committee to Re-Elect the President had made payments.

Hersh also helped reveal details about Operation Menu. This was the secret U.S. bombing of neutral Cambodia in 1969–1970. In 1972, he wrote that General John D. Lavelle was removed for ordering unauthorized bombings. This led to Senate hearings. Later, a major named Hal Knight confessed his role in covering up Operation Menu. Hersh learned of Knight's letter and detailed the cover-up in an article in July 1973. The next day, the Secretary of Defense admitted that the Air Force had flown thousands of raids over Cambodia. Hersh continued to investigate who ordered the cover-up. It was later revealed that President Nixon had ordered records to be falsified.

In 1974, Hersh planned to publish a story about "Project Jennifer." This was a secret CIA operation to recover a sunken Soviet submarine. After talking with the CIA director, Hersh agreed not to publish the story right away. This was to avoid causing an international incident. The Times published his article in March 1975, explaining the delay.

In September 1974, Hersh revealed that the CIA had spent $8 million to influence groups in Chile. This was to destabilize the government of Salvador Allende. Allende was overthrown in a military coup in 1973. Hersh wrote many follow-up articles on this story.

On December 22, 1974, Hersh exposed Operation CHAOS. This was a huge CIA program of domestic spying on anti-war groups. It was against the agency's rules. Hersh reported that files were kept on at least 10,000 Americans. The government later said the number was closer to 300,000. His articles led to investigations into the CIA and agency reforms.

In May 1975, Hersh revealed that the U.S. Navy was secretly collecting intelligence near the Soviet Union's coast. This spy program was called "Holystone." It had been going on for at least 15 years.

In 1976, Hersh moved to New York. He began working on bigger projects. He investigated Sidney Korshak, a lawyer with ties to the Chicago Mafia. He also investigated financial problems at Gulf and Western Industries. In 1979, he left the Times to write a book about Henry Kissinger.

In 1981, Hersh wrote an article about former CIA agents Edwin Wilson and Frank Terpil. They had worked with Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, to illegally export explosives. This led to reforms at the CIA.

Investigative Books: 1980s and 1990s

Hersh's 1983 book, The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House, was a best-seller. It took him four years to write and involved over 1,000 interviews. The book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. It covered Kissinger's role in Vietnam, the bombing of Cambodia, and other major events. The book also claimed that Kissinger had offered damaging information about Nixon to a Democratic candidate. This book is known for its detailed information and critical tone. It is believed to have prevented Kissinger from returning to a government job.

While writing the book, Hersh revisited his reporting on Edward M. Korry, the U.S. ambassador to Chile. In 1974, Hersh had reported that Korry knew about the CIA's efforts to cause a coup. Korry denied this. Hersh later published a correction in 1981.

In August 1983, Hersh wrote an article claiming that former President Gerald Ford made a secret deal before Nixon resigned. The deal allegedly gave Ford the presidency in exchange for pardoning Nixon.

Hersh also wrote two other important books. In 1986, The Target Is Destroyed examined the 1983 shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 by the Soviet Union. He reported that the U.S. knew the Soviets thought they shot down a military plane. He claimed the U.S. then made it seem like the Soviets deliberately killed civilians. In The Samson Option (1991), Hersh wrote about Israel's nuclear weapon program. He argued that Israel sought nuclear weapons from its beginning. He also claimed Israel received U.S. aid in the 1973 Yom Kippur War by threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Hersh's 1997 best-seller, The Dark Side of Camelot, about John F. Kennedy, was controversial. It was criticized because some claims were based on fake documents.

In 1998, Hersh published Against All Enemies: Gulf War Syndrome. This book was about Gulf War syndrome, a chronic illness affecting many returning American troops. He suggested that smoke from a destroyed weapon depot might be a cause.

Later Investigations

Hersh in Cairo in 2007

Starting in 1993, Hersh became a regular writer for The New Yorker magazine. In 1993, he claimed that Pakistan had developed nuclear weapons with U.S. approval. In May 2000, he wrote a long article called "Overwhelming Force." It described an alleged massacre of Iraqi troops during the 1990–1991 Gulf War. Hersh interviewed many people, including soldiers who saw the killings. He claimed that General Barry McCaffrey had ignored cease-fire orders. In July 2001, he investigated an illegal oil deal involving Mobil.

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Hersh focused on U.S. policy in the Middle East. He reported on U.S. intelligence failures before 9/11. He also wrote about the Saudi royal family's alleged support for Osama bin Laden. President Bush reportedly called Hersh "a liar" for some of his reports. During the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Hersh reported on missed chances to capture Taliban leaders. He also wrote about a U.S.-backed airlift that accidentally carried Taliban fighters.

Iraq and Abu Ghraib

After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Hersh questioned the Bush administration's claims. These claims were about Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. Hersh reported that claims about Iraq getting nuclear materials were based on fake documents. He also said that the Bush administration pressured intelligence agencies.

On April 30, 2004, Hersh published the first of three articles in The New Yorker. These articles detailed the U.S. military's abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. A short piece about this had appeared on the CBS News program 60 Minutes II two days earlier.

Hersh had obtained a secret report from an Army investigation. He claimed the abuse came from a top-secret program. This program was authorized by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. It allowed killings, kidnappings, and interrogations of important targets. He said this program was extended to Iraq's prisons to get information.

As the scandal grew, Rumsfeld offered to resign, but Bush refused. Hersh's reporting brought him national and international attention. He won many awards, including his fifth George Polk Award. A book based on his reporting, Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib, was published in 2004.

In July 2005, Hersh claimed the U.S. secretly helped Ayad Allawi in the January 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election.

Iran

In a January 2005 article, Hersh wrote that Iran was the next U.S. target in the Middle East. He claimed that secret U.S. missions had entered Iran to gather intelligence on nuclear and missile sites. In April 2006, Hersh alleged that the Bush administration was planning a military attack on Iran. He said the Pentagon considered using bunker-buster nuclear weapons. He also claimed U.S. troops were entering Iran to contact anti-government groups. Hersh wrote several more articles on this alleged plan.

In August 2006, Hersh claimed the U.S. was involved in Israel's attacks on Hezbollah in the 2006 Lebanon War. He said this was a "prelude" to a U.S. bombing of Iran. In March 2007, he claimed the U.S. and Saudi Arabia were secretly supporting Sunni extremist groups. This was to fight the influence of Shiite Iran and Syria.

In a June 2008 article, Hersh alleged that Congress secretly approved $400 million for covert operations against Iran. This was to undermine Iran's nuclear plans and government. He also claimed Vice President Dick Cheney discussed ways to create a reason for war with Iran. Hersh later said one idea discussed was a false flag operation. This would involve U.S. Navy SEALs pretending to be Iranian patrols.

In May 2011, Hersh claimed the U.S. lacked clear proof that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. He cited a classified intelligence report. In November 2011, he questioned a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He argued there was "no definitive evidence" of a weapons program.

In April 2012, Hersh alleged that the U.S. trained members of an Iranian dissident group. This group was called Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK). He claimed the U.S. provided intelligence for their assassinations of nuclear scientists.

Syria and Chemical Attacks

In 2003, Hersh traveled to Damascus, Syria, and interviewed President Bashar al-Assad. He interviewed Assad several more times. In February 2008, Hersh questioned claims that a Syrian facility bombed by Israel was a nuclear reactor. A later report in 2011 said it was "very likely" a secret reactor.

On December 8, 2013, Hersh published an article titled "Whose sarin?" It claimed the Obama administration "cherry-picked intelligence" on the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013. This attack killed hundreds of civilians. Hersh alleged that U.S. intelligence found that al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda branch, could also produce sarin gas. He cited an expert who said the rockets used were improvised. In a second article in April 2014, Hersh claimed al-Nusra conducted the attack with help from Turkey. He said it was a false flag operation to draw the U.S. into the war.

A United Nations (UN) report concluded that sarin was used at Ghouta. However, it did not say who was responsible. Other experts disputed some of Hersh's claims. They said the "improvised" rockets were used by the Syrian Army earlier. They also questioned the difficulty of al-Nusra producing sarin.

In December 2015, Hersh alleged that the Joint Chiefs of Staff sabotaged Obama's support for rebels. He claimed they sent U.S. intelligence to other militaries. This was to help Assad defeat ISIS.

On June 25, 2017, Hersh's article "Trump's Red Line" was published. It claimed the Syrian Air Force's April 4, 2017, attack at Khan Shaykhun was not a sarin attack. He said it was a conventional bombing that hit a building with chemicals in its basement. This created "effects similar to those of sarin." He also claimed President Trump's missile strike was done despite U.S. intelligence confirming a conventional bombing. Other experts again criticized Hersh's claims. A joint UN–OPCW panel later found it was a sarin bombing by the Syrian Air Force.

Killing of Osama bin Laden

In a September 2013 interview, Hersh said the U.S. account of the May 2, 2011, raid that killed Osama bin Laden was "one big lie." He claimed both the Obama administration and Pakistan lied. He also said American media was afraid to challenge the administration.

On May 10, 2015, Hersh published a long article called "The Killing of Osama bin Laden." It gave a different account of the raid. The official story was that bin Laden was found through interrogations. It also said Pakistan did not know about the operation. Hersh reported that bin Laden had been held prisoner by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) since 2006. He claimed a former Pakistani intelligence officer told the CIA his location in 2010. Hersh also said top Pakistani military officials knew about the operation. He alleged that bin Laden was assassinated. The article claimed Pakistan kept bin Laden for leverage against al-Qaeda. It also said Pakistan agreed to give him up for more U.S. military aid.

Hersh's article was heavily criticized by other reporters. However, some details were supported by other journalists. For example, Carlotta Gall of The New York Times reported that a high-level ISI member told her Pakistan was hiding bin Laden.

Nord Stream Pipeline and Ukraine

On February 8, 2023, Hersh published an article claiming the September 26, 2022, sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines was done by the U.S. He said it was a secret CIA operation ordered by President Joe Biden, with help from Norway. The article, based on one anonymous source, claimed U.S. Navy divers planted mines. These mines were later set off remotely. The alleged reason was to reduce Russia's economic influence in Europe.

At the time, no one knew who was responsible for the attack. Western countries had not officially blamed Russia. Hersh's report received much attention in independent and European media. In Russia, state-owned media picked up his report. Russia's representative cited Hersh at a UN Security Council meeting. He called for an independent UN investigation.

Some of the article's claims were criticized by writers using public information. They disputed details about the ships and planes involved. Hersh replied that location data could be faked. In March 2023, The New York Times reported that new intelligence suggested a "pro-Ukrainian group" was responsible. Hersh then claimed this account was a false flag story created by the CIA.

In April 2023, Hersh alleged that Ukrainian government figures had stolen at least $400 million of U.S. aid. This aid was for diesel fuel. He claimed they bought cheap diesel from Russia.

Other Statements

Speeches

Hersh speaking at the Institute for Policy Studies in 2004

In a 2005 interview, Hersh said he sometimes changes details in his speeches. This is to protect his sources. He said he cannot change what he writes, but he can change what he says.

In a March 2009 speech, Hersh claimed the Bush administration authorized a secret program. This program allowed the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to locate and kill targets. He called it an "executive assassination ring." In a January 2011 speech, Hersh claimed that some military leaders saw the U.S. wars in the Middle East as a "crusade."

Use of Anonymous Sources

Hersh is well-known for using anonymous sources. His biographer called it his "trademark." While working at the Pentagon, he found many secret military sources. His colleagues noted that he often did not name his sources. His articles on the Watergate scandal also used many unnamed sources. His editor at The New York Times warned him about using too many anonymous quotes.

Critics often accused Hersh of having a left-wing bias. Hersh replied that he gets his stories from "good old-fashioned constitutionalists." He said he does not judge people based on their politics. Henry Kissinger criticized Hersh's 1983 book. He said it used "third-hand hearsay" and "self-serving accounts." Hersh's 1986 book, The Target Is Destroyed, also relied heavily on unnamed sources. His 1991 book, The Samson Option, was similar.

Hersh's 1997 book, The Dark Side of Camelot, used few unnamed sources. However, it faced controversy over forged documents. This led to strong criticism from many in the media.

Hersh's articles for The New Yorker were checked by editors and fact-checkers. The editor, David Remnick, said he knew the identity of all of Hersh's sources. Hersh's reporting on the Middle East after 9/11 again drew criticism for unnamed sources. Remnick defended Hersh, saying unnamed sources are needed in intelligence reporting. Hersh said his stories were an "alternative history of the war." He believed they were "overwhelmingly right."

Hersh's reporting outside The New Yorker has been criticized for less editing. His 2013 article on the Ghouta chemical attack was rejected by The New Yorker. He said the editor "didn't feel it was strong enough." Critics say Hersh sometimes uses information from "cranks." Hersh replied that he relies on people who have their own reasons for sharing information. He said a lot of intelligence work is finding connections.

Criticism of Hersh's sources continued with his 2017 article on the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack. This article was rejected by another magazine. His 2023 article on the Nord Stream sabotage was self-published. It relied on a single anonymous source. Some people wondered if his source was Russian-speaking.

Personal Life

Hersh married Elizabeth Sarah Klein, a doctor, in 1964. They have three children.

Awards and Honors

Hersh has received many awards for his journalism:

• 1969: George Polk Special Award for reporting on the My Lai massacre.
• 1970: Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for reporting on the My Lai massacre.
• 1973: George Polk Award for reporting on Operation Menu.
• 1974: George Polk Award for reporting on Operation CHAOS.
• 1975: Hillman Prize for Newspaper Reporting.
• 1981: George Polk Award for reporting on arms sales to Libya.
• 1983: National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction for The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House.
• 1984: Hillman Prize for Book Reporting.
• 1992: Investigative Reporters & Editors Award for The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy.
• 2004: National Magazine Award for Public Interest for articles on the Bush administration and the Iraq War. George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting for reporting on the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.
• 2005: National Magazine Award for Public Interest for reporting on the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.
• 2009: International Center for Journalists Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism.
• 2017: Sam Adams Award.

See also

In Spanish: Seymour Hersh para niños