Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent Peter Arnett has died at the age of 91, US media has reported.
Arnett won the international reporting prize in 1996 for his Vietnam War coverage at the Associated Press (AP). But he was also well known for his work at CNN, having become a household name while reporting on the first Gulf War.
His career spanned decades and covered several conflicts in countries including Iraq, Vietnam, and El Salvador.
The New Zealand-born journalist died on Wednesday surrounded by family and friends in California, his son told reporters. He was receiving hospice care for prostate cancer.
Arnett first worked for AP as a wire-service correspondent in Vietnam from 1962 until the war's end in 1975, often accompanying troops on missions. He recounted a harrowing moment in 2013, detailing witnessing a soldier being shot while he paused to read a map.
The journalist left AP in 1981 to join CNN, where he became widely recognized for his reporting on the Gulf War. Arnett was one of the few Western reporters to stay in Baghdad during the war. His live broadcasts often included the sounds of missiles and air-raid sirens, showcasing the chaos of the conflict.
In 1997, he became the first Western journalist to interview Osama Bin Laden at a secret hideout in Afghanistan, a few years before the September 11 attacks. Arnett's fearless reporting led to his dismissal from NBC after a controversial interview on Iraqi state television, but he quickly rebounded with a position at the Daily Mirror.
Born in 1934 in Riverton, New Zealand, Arnett later became an American citizen and lived in southern California since 2014. Former colleagues praised his legacy, noting that his storytelling and bravery set a standard for future journalists.
Arnett is survived by his wife, Nina Nguyen, and their children, Andrew and Elsa.
