"We have tried to overthrow the governments of 36 countries": Jonathan Kwitny Interview (1987)

Jonathan Kwitny was an investigative journalist who made a name for himself in the 1980s with his groundbreaking reporting on corruption and malfeasance in the world of international finance and politics. One of his most important works was the book "The Crimes of Patriots," which was published in 1987.

The book delves into the shadowy world of covert operations and espionage, particularly in the context of the Cold War era. Kwitny focuses on the activities of a group of American businessmen who were involved in supplying weapons and other support to anti-communist forces in various countries around the world. However, Kwitny argues that many of these businessmen were not motivated by any kind of patriotic or ideological beliefs, but rather by a desire for personal profit and power.

Kwitny's reporting is meticulous and exhaustive, drawing on a wide range of sources and interviews with key players in the events he describes. He paints a picture of a world in which shady deals and backroom machinations were the norm, and in which ordinary people were often used and discarded by those in power.

One of the key figures in the book is a man named Richard Secord, a former Air Force general who became a central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal. Kwitny argues that Secord was part of a network of businessmen who were using their connections in the intelligence community to further their own interests, often at the expense of the United States government and the American people.

Overall, "The Crimes of Patriots" is a powerful indictment of the way that power and money intersect in the world of international politics. Kwitny's reporting is fearless and uncompromising, and his insights into the workings of the intelligence community and the global arms trade remain relevant to this day.

Jonathan Kwitny (March 23, 1941 – November 26, 1998) was an American investigative journalist.
Biography

Kwitny was born in Indianapolis.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in 1962, and a master's degree in history at New York University in 1964.[1] Kwitny was married twice. His first wife, Martha Kaplan, a deputy New Jersey state attorney general, with whom he had two daughters, died in 1978.[1] His second wife was the poet Wendy Wood Kwitny, with whom he had two sons.[1] Jonathan Kwitny died of stomach cancer in 1998.[1]

His awards included the George Polk Award for television investigative reporting and the University of Missouri School of Journalism's honor medal for career achievement. Kwitny was also the author of several books on subjects which ranged from the Nugan Hand Bank scandal to a biography of Pope John Paul II.
Career

Kwitny's career in journalism began as a reporter for the Perth Amboy News Tribune in 1963.[2] In 1971 he joined The Wall Street Journal, where his articles frequently appeared as front-page features.[1] In 1987, together with producer Tom Naughton, Kwitny created a half-hour news program for New York's WNYC-TV called The Kwitny Report.[3] The show was carried on the PBS network and won the Polk Award for television investigative reporting in 1989,[4] but was canceled that same year.[5] At the time of his death, he was working for the Gannett newspaper company.[1]

Kwitny was the author of a number of non-fiction books, including a biography of Pope John Paul II. When Kwitny met John Paul in the Vatican for a private audience in 1998, the Pope's first comment to him was, "I have read your book."[6]
Works
Books

The Mullendore Murder Case (1974). On the murder of Oklahoma rancher E.C. Mullendore III.
Shakedown (1977). A novel.
Vicious Circles: The Mafia in the Marketplace (1979). On Mafia involvement in white-collar crime. Extract via FBI.
Endless Enemies: The Making of an Unfriendly World (1984). On U.S. foreign policy.
The Crimes of Patriots: A True Story of Dope, Dirty Money, and the CIA (1988). On the Nugan Hand Bank scandal.
Acceptable Risks (1992). On unapproved treatments for AIDS.
The Super Swindlers: The Incredible Record of America's Greatest Financial Scams (1994)
An update of The Fountain Pen Conspiracy (1973)
Man of the Century: The Life and Times of Pope John Paul II (1997). ISBN 978-0805026887.

Book reviews

"Reinvestigating Watergate: The Elusive Glow of Truth." Review of Secret Agenda, by Jim Hougan. Wall Street Journal (Jan. 3, 1985), p. 9.

References

Saxon, Wolfgang (November 28, 1998). "Jonathan Kwitny, 57, Author And Prize-Winning Reporter". The New York Times. pp. C16.[1]
Weinberg, Steve (February 1999). "Guts and accuracy--the Kwitny trademarks". The IRE Journal. Investigative Reporters and Editors. 22 (1): 9–10.[2]
Kubasik, Ben (October 14, 1987). "TV Spots". Newsday. Long Island, NY. p. B11.
"1989 George Polk Award Winners". George Polk Awards: Past Winners. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
Gerard, Jeremy (March 8, 1990). "Dinkins Appoints a New Head of WNYC". The New York Times. p. C22.[3]

Kwitny, Jonathan. "My Visit With the Pope". Slate Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2012.

Further reading

"John Paul II & the Fall of Communism," by Jane Barnes & Helen Whitney. PBS Frontline (Sep. 1999). Critical of Man of the Century.
"PBS: The Decline & Fall of 'Public' Broadcasting," by Tara Gadomski and Esben Kjaer. Consortium News. On the cancellation of The Kwitny Report.

External links

Jonathan Kwitny at Spartacus Educational
Personal file at the FBI via Internet Archive

Authority control Edit this at Wikidata
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Categories:

1941 births1998 deathsAmerican male journalists20th-century American journalistsAmerican investigative journalistsThe Wall Street Journal peopleWriters from IndianapolisMissouri School of Journalism alumniNew York University alumniGeorge Polk Award recipientsDeaths from cancer in New York (state)20th-century American non-fiction writers20th-century American male writers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Kwitny