For her services to journalism, Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. The award was announced on the occasion of the Queen's official birthday, and Amanpour was one of a select number of public and private British citizens to be honored with this prestigious award.

Established in June 1917 by King George V, the CBE is one of five medals that make up "The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire," which recognizes outstanding contributions in the service of the country and the honoree's profession. Amanpour is among a small number of journalists to have been awarded a CBE.

"I am proud to be part of this tradition," Amanpour said. "I am stunned and delighted to be recognized in this wonderful way for my work, and of course for being a True Brit!" Amanpour, born of British/Iranian parentage, has reported from areas including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans.  

Amanpour's assignments have ranged from exclusive interviews with world leaders to reporting on the human consequences of natural disasters or covering events from the heart of war zones.  She has received wide acclaim and numerous awards for her work, particularly for her extensive coverage of conflicts in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. Her recent work has focused on a series of highly acclaimed long-form programs including two award-winning documentaries: WHERE HAVE ALL THE PARENTS GONE?, a powerful film examining the plight of the more than one million children orphaned to AIDS in Kenya, and IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BIN LADEN, a two-hour exploration of the life of the world's most-wanted terrorist.

For a full biography on Christiane Amanpour, please go to http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/amanpour.christiane.html.

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