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Gareth Porter, the Washington-based journalist, has won the prestigious Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism for 2012 for his investigation of US "killing strategy" in Afghanistan, including the targeting of people through their mobile phones.

The judges said: "In a series of extraordinary articles, Gareth Porter has torn away the facades of the Obama administration and disclosed a military strategy that amounts to a war against civilians."

The Martha Gellhorn Prize is given in honor of one of the 20th Century's greatest reporters and is awarded to a journalist "whose work has penetrated the established version of events and told an unpalatable truth that exposes establishment propaganda, or 'official drivel,' as Martha Gellhorn called it."

Previous winners include Robert Fisk of the Independent, Nick Davies of the Guardian, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, and the late Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times (special award).

Those short-listed for this year's prize were Amelia Gentleman of the Guardian for her articles about Britain's "forgotten people," the elderly and young offenders, described by the judges as "unique and eloquent"; and Phil Hammond and Andrew Bousfield for their "stunning" special investigation in Private Eye, "Shoot the messenger: How NHS whistleblowers are silenced and sacked."

The Martha Gellhorn Trust judges are: Dr. Alexander Matthews, John Pilger, James Fox, Jeremy Harding, Cynthia Kee and Shirlee Matthews.

For information: Dr. Alexander Matthews sandyandshirlee@phonecoop.coop