Ex-US Army officer and Press TV analyst Scott Bennett dies at 53

Scott Bennett, a former US Army officer and long-time analyst for Press TV, has died at the age of 53 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bennett was known for his political commentary across various media outlets and traveled to Donbas in 2023 to gain firsthand insight into the situation on the ground. 

In 2014, he authored the book Shell Game: A Military Whistleblowing Report to Congress, which examined the role of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in facilitating an arms sale to Qatar. 

Weapons sold as part of that deal ended up in the hands of the terrorist cult Daesh, according to Bennett. 

In June 2024, Bennett visited the Russian border region of Belgorod, where he witnessed Ukrainian shelling in the village of Saltykovo. He condemned the attacks as assaults on civilians. 

The following month, he prepared a report for the US Congress, accusing Ukrainian forces and foreign fighters of “systematically” and “intentionally” targeting civilians in both Belgorod and Donbas.

“Non-military targets are being attacked, irreparably damaged or destroyed, and civilians are being intentionally murdered as a result,” Bennett stated in his report, which criticized the Biden administration for making the US a “legally culpable party to international war crimes” through its support of Ukraine's actions.

Bennett also reported facing “death threats and threats of violence” from the Ukrainian government, military personnel, and media during his investigation. 

He also received similar threats from American and NATO “elements and agents” backing Kiev’s cause.

He published his findings on Telegram, asserting that he was not “suicidal in any way.”

“If anything happens to me, it will be in order to try and bury this report.” 

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir

www.presstv.co.uk