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War Correspondent

Looking for something specific from Michael’s years covering the wars but not sure exactly when
it happened? Interested in checking out Michael's work but unsure where to begin?
This page will hopefully give you a starting point.

Items in
bold are of special importance.

2010
  • September 20 - part two of Australian Story
  • September 13 - part one of Australian Story doc about Michael
  • May 31 - interview on ABC Radio in Brisbane
  • May 13 - speaks to journalism students at Queensland University of Technology
  • April 30 - CNN offers a one-year medical leave of absence
  • April 27 - announcement that he is leaving CNN in order to deal with his PTSD
2009
  • December 18 - final appearance of 2009, discussing the death of a cartel boss
  • December 17 - profiles Roy Hallums, an American held captive in Iraq for almost a year
  • December 10 - back in Juarez, reporting on a bloody night of murder
  • December 2 - some blunt talk on what it will take to get out of Afghanistan
  • December 1 - uses the Magic Map to show where American troops are in Afghanistan
  • September 2-13 - reports from Afghanistan
  • August 12 - discusses the Afghan elections * also August 18 * and August 19 *
  • August 10 - a look at how the Mexican cartels are diversifying into other 'businesses'
  • August 10 - a BackStory interview about the situation in Iraq
  • August 6 - a profile of the head of the Sinaloa cartel, "El Chapo" Guzman
  • August 5 - a report on the Mexican drug cartel known as Los Zetas
  • July 31 - appears on Real Time with Bill Maher
  • July 30 - Witness to War
  • July 30 - transcript of his talk in Los Angeles * my interview *
  • July 24 - talks about the American soldier held hostage by the Taliban
  • July 15 - a series of bombings targets Christian churches in Baghdad
  • July 13 - the first international football game since 2003 * BackStory report *
  • July 9 - exclusive report from Pakistan regarding an offer to bring the Taliban to the table for negotiations
  • July 9 - a look at the release of Iranians held by US forces prior to the handover
  • July 4 - spends Fourth of July at FOB Hammer * more * BackStory report *
  • July 1 - discussion on Afghanistan and Iraq
  • June 30 - a look at one of the handover ceremonies * BackStory report *
  • June 29 - Sovereignty Day in Iraq
  • June 23 - International's BackStory airs a multi-part interview * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 *
  • May 21 - AC360 special, "Extreme Challenges: The Next 100 Days"
  • February 26 - prepared piece on the cartel war in Mexico
  • February 20 - first report from Mexico, his new 'beat'
  • February 10 - quoted in Thomas Ricks' book The Gamble
  • February 8 - appears on Fareed Zakaria GPS as part of a panel discussing Iraq
2008
  • December 16 - Obama's War in Iraq
  • December 15 - Iraqi journalist throws his shoes at President Bush in Baghdad
  • December 12 - interview in Men's Journal magazine
  • December 4 - contract workers imprisoned in Baghdad
  • November 28 - AC360 special "Extreme Challenges: President Obama" airs
  • November 17 - "Memo to the President" on Iraq
  • November 15 - some honest answers to what it's like to live/work in Baghdad
  • November 5 - morning-after reaction to the US presidential election
  • October 25 - MTV/IAVA Concert for Vets, "Back From the Battle" special
  • September 27 - what challenges will the next president face?
  • September 27 - discusses what the presidential candidates are not saying about Iraq
  • August 14-22 - reports from the Republic of Georgia after Russia invades
  • June 15 - part of a panel discussion on Fareed Zakaria GPS regarding the current status of Iraq and what is to come
  • June 13 - a new wrinkle in the Status of Forces Agreement negotiations: Iraq may decide to "go it alone"
  • June 12 - exclusive coverage of a treasure-trove of documents detailing the inner workings of al Qaeda in Iraq
  • May 29 - challenges the presidential front-runners to give him 20 minutes to give them a real picture of what is happening in Iraq
  • May 17 - reports on an American soldier who used a Holy Quran for target practice
  • May 13 - gains exclusive access to Sadr City during the siege
  • April 10 - interviews General Petraeus
  • April 8 - covers the Petraeus/Crocker hearings on Capitol Hill
  • April 7 - Iraq: Inside the Surge airs, his second special for International
  • April 3 - speaks at the Middle East Institute in DC
  • April 2 - speaks at Center for American Progress in DC
  • March 25 - in London, comments on Basra battles; birthday
  • March 21 - another appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher
  • March 20 - AC360 special "Shock & Awe: Five Years Later" airs
  • March 3 - looks back on the 2-day visit by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
  • February 26 - appears on AC360 and sums up the impossibility of a troop withdrawal from Iraq, no matter who wins the American presidential election
  • February 16 - hosts a 30-minute special for CNN/International, Pakistan's Vital Vote
  • February 12-18 - in Pakistan to cover the parliamentary elections
2007
  • December 7 - the Shia have their own 'uprising' in Baghdad
  • November 29 - the Sunni 'uprising' reaches Baghdad
  • November 10 - "It truly is a blessing, the Iraq that I've returned to."
  • October 30 - speaking to the Middle East Institute in Washington DC
  • October 4-20 - covering the Rugby World Cup for CNN/I
  • September 14 - from the Green Zone; final day of AC360 week in Iraq
  • September 13 - reaction to the president's speech; burying the dead
  • September 12 - exclusive interview with the Iranian ambassador to Iraq
  • September 10 - the trip to Anbar
  • August 22 - no democracy for Iraq?
  • August 15 - massive truck bomb in northern Iraq kills more than 500 people
  • August 15 - footage from the Diyala River Valley embed
  • August 13 - sectarian killings are down
  • July 31 - back in Diyala for another embed
  • July 24 - President Bush says "al Qaeda" 95 times in a speech
  • July 19 - footage from Anbar about the Sunni uprising
  • July 12 - empowering the Sunnis
  • July 9 - the Iraqi government will not meet the benchmarks set by the US
  • July 1 - exclusive report about a Hezbollah bomb-maker caught in Iraq
  • June 28 - interviewed by Hala Gorani in Baghdad about the surge
  • June 20 - back in Baghdad, reporting during World Refugee Day
  • May 21 - in Brisbane, a discussion of media war coverage
  • May 1 - podcast (with Tommy Evans) about working in Baghdad
  • April 26 - why setting a date for withdrawal is a bad idea
  • April 25 - in NYC, first mention of the possibility of settling for less than democracy in Iraq
  • April 20 - back from an embed in Diyala
  • April 9 - on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, Muqtada calls for a 'Day of Unity'
  • April 5 - a report on the Mujahedeen-e-khalq
  • April 2 - reaction to the asinine internet rumor
  • March 29 - after a trip to Anbar, the first mention of tribal leaders again rising up against al Qaeda
  • March 27 - the start of Ware vs McCain
  • March 6 - trying to shut the CIA out of Iraq
  • February 21 - a harrowing look at daily life in Baghdad
  • February 15 - what is the Quds Force?
  • February 5 - revealing the terrorist in parliament
  • January 31 - back in Baghdad and interviewing Prime Minister al-Maliki
  • January 30 - AC360 special "Iraq: The Hidden Wars" airs
  • January 23 - Michael returns from holiday to give commentary on the State of the Union address
2006
  • December 29 - from Brisbane, comments on Saddam's execution
  • November 28 - shows tailfin of Iranian-made mortar fired from Sadr City last week
  • November 23 - Sadr City explodes in violence
  • November 22 - trip to one of Baghdad's morgues
  • November 2 - a look inside Sadr City
  • October 18 - highly controversial airing of the sniper video
  • September 20 - interviews al Qaeda in Iraq commanders; also first mention of oil sales being used to fund AQI
  • August 11 - convoy comes under attack
  • August 11 - UN-escorted convoy of civilians leaves Marjayoun, Lebanon
  • August 9 - reports from Zahle, Lebanon, in the Bekaa Valley
  • August 7 - a look at where the bombs fell
  • August 3 - bombardment continues
  • August 2 - after 48-hour ceasefire, bombing resumes while he is on-air
  • August 2 - video of his trip to Baalbeck in the Bekaa Valley
  • August 1 - Lebanese people running out of day-to-day supplies
  • July 31 - reports on al Qaeda in Lebanon
  • July 24-August 11 - covers the Israel/Lebanon war from the Lebanese side
  • June 8 - just one week after joining CNN, is interviewed from Brisbane on Zarqawi's death; reports continue on TSR, PZN, and AC360
  • May 21 - Time cover story, embedded with Marines in Ramadi (video shot during this will be shown in Michael’s report for CNN on September 27)
  • May 1 - Australian magazine publishes his gritty, grim reflection of reporting in Iraq
  • April 4 - again discusses insurgents' willingness to host American bases "akin to Germany and Japan"
  • March 12 - appears on 60 Minutes to discuss Battle of Tal'Afar
  • February 21 - appears on Frontline episode re the insurgency
2005
  • December 12 - the Sunnis offer a deal to stop AQI/Zarqawi
  • December 5 - thoughts on rolling back de-Baathification
  • December 5 - with the Blue Platoon in Ramadi
  • November 28 - "they are clearly lying, whether they know it or not"
  • September 26 - Battle of Tal'Afar [Time cover story]
  • August 22 - first in-depth article re Iran's influence -- shaped-charges, etc
  • February 28 - first mention of negotiations between US and insurgents, as well as willingness of insurgents to host American bases in Iraq
  • January 26 - bombing of Australian embassy across the street from al-Hamra Hotel (& Time house)
2004
  • November 24 - 33-minute radio interview conducted two weeks after Fallujah
  • November 22 - report on the second Battle of Fallujah [Time cover story]
  • September 27 - article about being grabbed by Zarqawi's men on Haifa Street
  • August 30 - Haifa Street becomes a killzone
  • July 6 - Brent Sadler's report on Michael receiving videotape from insurgents (Michael's own write-up is here)
  • July 5 - first long profile on Zarqawi; insurgents turning fundamentalist
2003
2002
  • November 18 - Afghanistan slipping out of US control
  • May 18 - interviewed at Sydney Fashion Week, reflects on cultural differences
  • March 25 - al Qaeda and Taliban fighters slip away to fight again
  • March 23 - crosses into Pakistan to meet Taliban
  • January 9 - hunting for Mullah Omar