itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁International ▁Report ing ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁George ▁Pol k ▁award ▁with ▁colle ague ▁D ex ter ▁Fil kins ▁for ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁secret ▁wars ▁being ▁w aged ▁in ▁Pakistan ▁and ▁Afghan istan . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁article ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Pal ermo ▁said ▁that ▁M azz etti ▁and ▁David ▁S anger ▁were ▁ins u fficient ly ▁ske pt ical ▁of ▁anonymous ▁government ▁and ▁military ▁sources ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁they ▁co - w rote ▁in ▁the ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times . ▁Short ly ▁afterwards , ▁American ▁intelligence ▁ag encies ▁confirmed ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ' ▁reporting , ▁stating ▁public ly ▁that ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁military ▁had ▁struck ▁an ▁Isra eli ▁military ▁re actor . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Charles ▁Kaiser ▁c ited ▁a ▁story ▁written ▁by ▁M azz etti ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Hel ene ▁Cooper ▁and ▁Peter ▁Baker ▁" which ▁cred ul ously ▁adopted ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁former ▁Bush ▁administration ▁officials ▁who ▁were ▁des per ately ▁trying ▁to ▁conv ince ▁the ▁world ▁that ▁tort ure ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁that ▁Bin ▁L aden ▁had ▁been ▁located ." ▁ ▁The ▁P unt land ▁Government ▁( S om alia ) ▁critic ized ▁a ▁piece ▁by ▁M azz etti ▁and ▁Eric ▁Sch mitt ▁that ▁port rayed ▁the ▁P unt land ▁Mar itime ▁Police ▁Force ▁( P MP F ) ▁as ▁a ▁" private ▁army " ▁that ▁was