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Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

I write about U.S. national security, with a particular focus on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas. I have written extensively on security matters in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Europe.

I have been a reporter at The New York Times for 40 years — starting as a news assistant and working my way up to cover the U.S. military, counterterrorism and other national security issues for more than three decades. I have covered every conflict involving the U.S. military since the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and reported extensively from Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East. I have shared four Pulitzer Prizes. I got my start reporting on local education at the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Wash.

I am the co-author of “Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda.” I earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Williams College, studied in Madrid for a year and was a journalism fellow at Stanford University. I was born in Minneapolis and reared in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Keeping my sources protected is a top priority for me, especially during sensitive or high-risk stories. I strive to be accurate and fair in my coverage, no matter what the subject. And, like all Times journalists, I follow the standards in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

I don’t back away from difficult stories, and will give subjects a chance to comment and express their side of a story.

I do not participate in politics, nor do I make political donations. I am always careful to identify myself as a reporter for The Times in news-related conversations.

Latest

  1.  

    The Stark Reality of Israel’s Fight in Gaza

    Israel has failed to achieve its two primary goals of the war, while the suffering of Palestinians erodes support even among its allies.

    By Julian E. Barnes, Adam Goldman, Eric Schmitt and Adam Rasgon

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    Ukraine’s Race to Hold the Line

    The days of lightning battlefield breakthroughs may be over. With Russia preparing to make a big push, the Ukrainians can do little but dig in.

    By Josh Holder, Eric Schmitt and Thomas Gibbons-Neff

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