Claude Salhani

Claude Salhani (March 25, 1952 – August 13, 2022) was born in Cairo. He was a Lebanese, French and American photographer for United Press International (UPI) and Reuters news agencies, later head of UPI Photos and UPI Foreign Desk Editor as well as policy expert and author, best known for his photographic reportage of the 23 October 1983 Beirut barracks bombings on the United States Marines. During his journalism career, Salhani covered Black September, the Lebanon Civil War, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Dhofar War (Oman), the Iran–Iraq War, the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Gulf War, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Czech Velvet Revolution, and the Iraq War (Operation Enduring Freedom) as well as the wider Middle East, Europe, and Africa. 1975 ). In the early 1990s, he moved to Washington, first to head US operations for Sipa Press and then to rejoin UPI as head of Photos through the rest of the 1990s and in 2000 international editor. He also served as editor for the Middle East Times and the Washington Times. and American Foreign Service Association. He also appeared on C-SPAN television. He was a mentor to many photographers and journalists, including UPI and Reuters colleagues Martin Sieff,

Since the 1970s, Salhani's photos, editorials, and personal recollections also became sources for other books on history and policy, as well as for his own memoir, Black September to Desert Storm (1998).

In 1995, US Ambassador David D. Pearce called him "one of the premier photographers of the war in Lebanon." In 2022, UPI colleague Martin Sieff called him "the Willie Mays of journalism – he could – and did do everything well." and David Petraeus and Nigel West's 2016 Spycraft Secrets.

Salhani contributed personal photos to US military historians including former US Marine Benis M. Frank in his 1987 book U.S. Marines in Lebanon, 1982-1984 and former US Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer in his 2003 book Warrior Soul.

Works

Books Books (Non-Fiction) Authored Black September to Desert Storm : A Journalist in the Middle East (1998) While the Arab World Slept: The Impact of the Bush years on the Middle East (2009) Islam Without a Veil: Kazakhstan's Path of Moderation (2011)

Books (Fiction) Authored Inauguration Day: A Thriller (2015)

Articles Articles for UPI "The other Sept. remembrance" (2002) "Analysis: What is Plan B in the Iraq War?" (2003) "Iraq: One year Later" (2003) "Analysis: Preparing the post-Arafat Era" (2004) "Politics & Policies: Iran a Clear Danger" (2005) "Analysis: Today They Killed My Friend" (2005) "Jordanian Role Larger Than First Reported" (2006) "Intelligence Summit Takes Flak" (2007) "Analysis: Outsourcing war is good business" (2007)

Articles for The National (UAE) "Al Jazeera's historic role in Arab political change becomes a news story in itself" (2011) "Hamas cools to Syria as the Arab Spring's tally mounts" (2011) "Fighting an old war on terror requires new coordination" (2011) "Turkey takes a leading role in the region but not everyone applauds" (2011)

Articles for the Washington Times "Lebanon on a Tinderbox" (2006) "Kazakhstan assumes presidency of Europe security group" (2010) "Kazakh official warns against quitting Afghanistan" (2010) "Kazakh crackdown on media exposes vulnerabilities" (2010) "Revolt in Central Asia" (2010) "Key player in nuclear, Afghan security" (2010) "Is Iran behind an attempted coup?" (2010)

Articles for the Cato Institute "The Syria Accountability Act: Taking the Wrong Road to Damascus" (2005)

Articles for Foreign Service Journal "Resolving the Palestine Question" (2003)

Articles for The National Interest "Olmert's Secret Weapon: Prime Minister Deployed a Boomerang" (2006) "Live from Lebanon" (2006)