Arnaud de Borchgrave
Encyclopedia
Arnaud de Borchgrave is an American journalist
who specializes in international politics.
Born in Belgium
to Audrey Dorothy Louise Townshend, daughter of Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend
, and Belgian count
Baudouin de Borchgrave d’Altena , head of Belgium's military intelligence
for the government-in-exile during World War II
, Arnaud de Borchgrave was educated in Belgium
, Britain
and the United States
. He served in the British Royal Navy
from 1942 to 1946, from the age of 15, after running away from home and using falsified papers on his age to enlist in the service. He gave up his title of nobility in 1951.
In 1947, he was appointed Brussels
bureau chief for United Press International
, and three years later he became Newsweek
s bureau chief in Paris
and then its chief correspondent. In 1953 he became a senior editor for the magazine. Osborn Elliot—former Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek—once said:
As a correspondent for Newsweek
, de Borchgrave secured numerous interviews with world leaders. In 1969 he interviewed both President Nasser
of Egypt
and Israel
i Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
. In October 1972, during the Vietnam War
, he was accorded his most famous interview, travelling to Hanoi
to speak with North Vietnam
ese Prime Minister and Politburo
member Pham Van Dong
. In that interview, Dong described a provision of a proposed peace deal as a "coalition of transition," which raised fears with the South Vietnam
ese that the deal involved a coalition government, possibly playing a role in South Vietnam's rejection of the deal.
Appointed Editor-in-Chief for The Washington Times
on March 20, 1985, de Borchgrave is currently Editor-at-Large of The Washington Times and United Press International
, as well as Project Director for Transnational Threats (TNT) and Senior Advisor for The Center for Strategic and International Studies
.
De Borchgrave is co-author with Robert Moss
of the best-selling novel The Spike
(1980). He is also a pundit for NewsMax for which he writes articles from time to time. He married his wife, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, great-granddaughter of Henry Villard
, in 1969, following two earlier marriages. Alexandra Villard is also a published author.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who specializes in international politics.
Born in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to Audrey Dorothy Louise Townshend, daughter of Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend
Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend
Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend KCB, DSO was a British Indian Army officer who led the ultimately disastrous first British Expedition against Baghdad during World War I, and was later elected to Parliament....
, and Belgian count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Baudouin de Borchgrave d’Altena , head of Belgium's military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
for the government-in-exile during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Arnaud de Borchgrave was educated in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served in the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
from 1942 to 1946, from the age of 15, after running away from home and using falsified papers on his age to enlist in the service. He gave up his title of nobility in 1951.
In 1947, he was appointed Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
bureau chief for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, and three years later he became Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
s bureau chief in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then its chief correspondent. In 1953 he became a senior editor for the magazine. Osborn Elliot—former Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek—once said:
As a correspondent for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, de Borchgrave secured numerous interviews with world leaders. In 1969 he interviewed both President Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
Levi Eshkol
' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
. In October 1972, during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, he was accorded his most famous interview, travelling to Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
to speak with North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese Prime Minister and Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
member Pham Van Dong
Pham Van Dong
Phạm Văn Đồng was an associate of Ho Chi Minh. He served as prime minister of North Vietnam from 1955 through 1976, and was prime minister of a unified Vietnam from 1976 until he retired in 1987.- Early life :...
. In that interview, Dong described a provision of a proposed peace deal as a "coalition of transition," which raised fears with the South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
ese that the deal involved a coalition government, possibly playing a role in South Vietnam's rejection of the deal.
Appointed Editor-in-Chief for The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
on March 20, 1985, de Borchgrave is currently Editor-at-Large of The Washington Times and United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, as well as Project Director for Transnational Threats (TNT) and Senior Advisor for The Center for Strategic and International Studies
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
.
De Borchgrave is co-author with Robert Moss
Robert Moss
Robert Moss, born in Melbourne in 1946, is an Australian historian, journalist and author and the creator of Active Dreaming, an original method for working with dreams and imagination.-Early life and education:...
of the best-selling novel The Spike
The Spike (1980)
The Spike is a 1980 spy thriller novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave and Robert Moss . Drawing on de Borchgrave's experience as a jet-setting Newsweek journalist and conservative Washington insider, it tells the story of a radical '60s journalist, Bob Hockney, who stumbles upon a Soviet plot for global...
(1980). He is also a pundit for NewsMax for which he writes articles from time to time. He married his wife, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, great-granddaughter of Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
, in 1969, following two earlier marriages. Alexandra Villard is also a published author.