David Ignatius

Washington, D.C.

Columnist covering foreign affairs Education: Harvard College; Kings College, Cambridge David Ignatius writes a twice-a-week foreign affairs column for The Washington Post. Ignatius has written 11 spy novels: “The Paladin” (2020), “The Quantum Spy,” (2017), “The Director,” (2014), “Bloodmoney” (2011), “The Increment” (2009), “Body of Lies” (2007), “The Sun King” (1999), “A Firing Offense” (1997), “The Bank of Fear” (1994), “SIRO” (1991), and “Agents of Innocence” (1987). “Body of Lies” was made into a 2008 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

Ignatius joined The Post in 1986 as editor of its Sunday Outlook section. In 1990 he became foreign editor, and in 1993, assistant managing editor for business news. He began writing his column in 1998 and continued even during a three-year stint as executive editor of the International Herald Tribune in Paris. Earlier in his career, Ignatius was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering at various times the steel industry, the Departments of State and Justice, the CIA, the Senate and the Middle East.

Ignatius grew up in Washington, D.C., and studied political theory at Harvard College and economics at Kings College, Cambridge. He lives in Washington with his wife and has three daughters. Honors & Awards:

2018 Finalist team, Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
2018 George Polk Award
2010 Urbino International Press Award
2013 Overseas Press Club Award for Foreign Affairs Commentary
Lifetime Achievement Award, International Committee for Foreign Journalists
Legion D'Honneur awarded by the French government
2004 Edward Weintal Prize
2000 Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary
As The Post’s foreign editor, Ignatius supervised the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

Latest from David Ignatius

Opinion

How Trump came to the brink of deploying active-duty troops in Washington

As divisive as the president's response to the crisis that followed George Floyd’s death has been, it could have been worse

Jun 5, 2020

Opinion

Why Mattis and Mullen toppled their bridge of silence

Abuse of the armed forces was the tipping point.

Jun 4, 2020

Opinion

Trump’s weak attempt to outsource strongman rule to the military

The military is a precious asset that can’t be squandered in a misguided effort to “dominate” public protest.

Jun 2, 2020

Opinion

This former intelligence official was a hero. He’s now the target of a brutal campaign by MBS.

Two of Saad Aljabri's children are being held in Saudi Arabia, effectively hostages in an attempt to lure the one-time security official back to Riyadh.