Abdel Bari Atwan

Abdel Bari Atwan was born on 17 February 1950 in Deir al-Balah, a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.[1] His parents Zilfa and Muhammad Atwan lived in Isdud. He was one of their 11 children. After receiving his primary school education at the camp, his schooling was continued first in Jordan in 1967, and then in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1970 he entered Cairo University where he studied journalism and received a diploma in English-Arabic translation. After his graduation, he started work as a journalist, initially with the Al Balaagh newspaper in Libya, then with Al Madina in Saudi Arabia. In 1978, he moved to London, where he has lived since then, and assumed a job with Asharq Al Awsat, a Saudi-owned international daily. In 1980, he set up the London office of Al Madina and in 1984 returned to Asharq Al Awsat.

In 1989, Al Quds Al Arabi was founded by expatriate Palestinians and Abdel Bari Atwan was offered the job as editor-in-chief, which he held until 2013.[1] The paper is known for its Arab nationalism and advocacy of the Palestinian cause. It has been banned and censored repeatedly in several Arab countries for vocal criticism of what the paper alleges is their autocratic rule and excessive deference to Israel and the United States. As editor of Al Quds Al Arabi, Abdel Bari Atwan became a public figure; he is a regular guest on Dateline London on BBC World, Sky News, Al Jazeera English and CNN World, as well as on several Arabic-language networks. He has contributed articles to British newspapers including The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, and The Herald (Glasgow). He is a columnist for Gulf News.

He has written four books. Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate was published by Saqi Books and the University of California Press in 2015. Atwan has also contributed chapters and essays to several academic and specialist books and journals.

Known for his lively delivery, Atwan regularly gives talks and lectures around the world at a variety of events and venues from the Edinburgh Festival to Harvard University.

In 1996, Abdel Bari Atwan interviewed Osama bin Laden. He had to travel through the mountains, dressed in Afghan clothing. He later called the experience his "most frightening trip". His impression of bin Laden was that he is "a phenomenon, extreme".[2][3] Atwan stayed in the caves for two days, sleeping in primitive conditions in sub-zero temperatures.[2]

In his book, The Secret History of al-Qa'ida Atwan states, "I do not endorse or in any way support al-Qa'ida's agenda" and "I utterly condemn the attacks on innocent citizens in the West".[4]

In a scheduled visit to the Brisbane Writers Festival in September 2007, Atwan's visa was reported as being blocked[21] by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Subsequently, this turned out to be over-enthusiastic reporting. According to ASIO, Atwan's application had been delayed by the Australian Intelligence for less than four weeks, ASIO said "It is false to suggest it's anything to do with the media campaign or conspiracy theories, We had to seek some additional information. Dr Atwan's application was treated like everybody else's".[22]

Following an October 2003 article in which Atwan claimed that the U.S. is to blame for the Arab world's hatred of it, a Yemenite journalist and columnist for the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Munir Al-Mawari, stated: "The Abd Al Bari Atwan on CNN is completely different from the Abdel Bari Atwan on the Al Jazeera network or in his Al Quds Al Arabi daily. On CNN, Atwan speaks solemnly and with total composure, presenting rational and balanced views. This is in complete contrast with his fuming appearances on Al Jazeera and in Al Quds Al Arabi, in which he whips up the emotions of multitudes of viewers and readers".[23]

In response to Atwan's legitimization of the Mercaz HaRav shooting in March 2008, Lior Ben-Dor, a spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in London, said: "The problem is that when addressing the British public, he tends to hide his true opinions and ideology – his support for terror and the murder of civilians. This article reveals Atwan's real colors, a supporter of fundamentalism and terror, and hence he should be treated accordingly".[1]

On 9 July 2013, Atwan stated in his final editorial at Al-Quds Al-Arabi that he was resigning from his two posts as editor-in-chief and as chairman of the board. Entitled "Dear Readers...Goodbye until we meet soon, God Willing", his editorial explained that external pressures had influenced his decision. He chronicled his own journey and the reasons behind the unprecedented success of Al Quds Al Arabi.[24] He stated that over a period of a quarter of a century, he had received death threats from the "Arab, Foreign, and Israeli security services". He insisted that he had never compromised on his ideals and took pride in his profession, "leaving with his head held high".[24][25]

• The Secret History of Al-Qa'ida, Abdel Bari Atwan, Little Brown (2006), ISBN 978-0-349-12035-5
• A Country of Words: The Life of Abdel Bari Atwan: A Palestinian Journey from the Refugee Camp to the Front Page, Abdel Bari Atwan, SAQI (25 September 2008), ISBN 978-0-86356-621-9
• After Bin Laden: Al-Qa'ida, The Next Generation, Abdel Bari Atwan, SAQI (10 September 2012), ISBN 978-0-86356-419-2
• Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate, Abdel Bari Atwan, University of California Press (8 September 2015), ISBN 978-0-52028-928-4

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