Souad Mekhennet

Souad Mekhennet is a national security correspondent for The Washington Post and has reported on terrorism for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and NPR. Born in Germany to a Turkish mother and a Moroccan father, she spent part of her childhood in Morocco before her family returned to Frankfurt. Her reporting often focuses on radical Islamic movements and terrorist organizations, providing deep investigative insights into their activities.

Mekhennet's career in journalism began shortly after the September 11 attacks. She has been on the front lines, often risking her safety to uncover critical stories about radicalization and terrorism. Her work has led her to break major news stories, including the identification of the ISIS militant known as ‘Jihadi John’. She was also part of the team that investigated the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi and has been recognized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for her role in solving the case of a most-wanted Nazi war criminal.

A 2013 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, Mekhennet researched the long-term strategies of terrorist organizations post-Arab Spring. She has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, a testament to her significant contributions to global journalism. She authored the memoir "I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad," which was longlisted for The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and named one of the top five non-fiction books of 2017 by The Washington Post. Her other notable works include "The Eternal Nazi: From Mauthausen to Cairo, the Relentless Pursuit of SS Doctor Aribert Heim."

Currently, Mekhennet continues her work at The Washington Post and occasionally for German TV channel ZDF. She remains committed to education, teaching at institutions such as Harvard University, The City University of New York - School of Journalism, and the University of Hamburg. Mekhennet holds degrees in international relations, political science, sociology, psychology, and history from the University of Frankfurt, Germany. She also trained at the Henri-Nannen School of Journalism in Hamburg and took classes at the City University of New York - School of Journalism.