DoD manual allows journalists to be held as 'belligerents'
DoD manual allows journalists to be held as
'belligerents'
Aug 26, 3:16 AM (ET)
By WENDY BENJAMINSON
WASHINGTON (AP) — New Defense Department guidelines allow
commanders to punish journalists and treat them as "unprivileged
belligerents" if they believe journalists are sympathizing or cooperating
with the enemy.
The Law of War manual, updated to apply for the first
time to all branches of the military, contains a vaguely worded provision that
military commanders could interpret broadly, experts in military law and
journalism say. Commanders could ask journalists to leave military bases or
detain journalists for any number of perceived offenses.
"In general, journalists are civilians," the
1,180 page manual says, but it adds that "journalists may be members of
the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or
unprivileged belligerents."
A person deemed "unprivileged belligerent" is
not entitled to the rights afforded by the Geneva Convention so a commander
could restrict from certain coverage areas or even hold indefinitely without
charges any reporter considered an "unprivileged belligerent."
The manual adds, "Reporting on military operations
can be very similar to collecting intelligence or even spying. A journalist who
acts as a spy may be subject to security measures and punished if
captured." It is not specific as to the punishment or under what
circumstances a commander can decide to "punish" a journalist.
Defense Department officials said the reference to
"unprivileged belligerents" was intended to point out that terrorists
or spies could be masquerading as reporters, or warn against someone who works
for jihadist websites or other publications, such as al-Qaida's
"Inspire" magazine, that can be used to encourage or recruit militants.
Another provision says that "relaying of
information" could be construed as "taking a direct part in
hostilities." Officials said that is intended to refer to passing
information about ongoing operations, locations of troops or other classified
data to an enemy.
Army Lt. Col. Joe Sowers, a Pentagon spokesman, said it
was not the Defense Department's intent to allow an overzealous commander to
block journalists or take action against those who write critical stories.
"The Department of Defense supports and respects the
vital work that journalists perform," Sowers said. "Their work in
gathering and reporting news is essential to a free society and the rule of
law." His statement added that the manual is not policy and not
"directive in nature."
But Ken Lee, an ex-Marine and military lawyer who
specializes in "law of war" issues and is now in private practice,
said it was worrisome that the detention of a journalist could come down to a
commander's interpretation of the law.
If a reporter writes an unflattering story, "does
this give a commander the impetus to say, now you're an unprivileged
belligerent? I would hope not," Lee said.
"I'm troubled by the label 'unprivileged
belligerents,' which seems particularly hostile," said Kathleen Carroll,
AP's executive editor. "It sounds much too easy to slap that label on a
journalist if you don't like their work, a convenient tool for those who want
to fight wars without any outside scrutiny."
The history of war is replete with tension between
military commanders and the journalists who cover them. War reporting is meant
to train an independent eye on combat - its horrors as well as its heroics, as
close as possible to the action without interference from commanders. That can
place journalists, who sometimes rely on the military for their own security,
at odds with officers who may see openness and access as potential threats to
their troops' security and to battlefield success.
The nature of the problem has evolved over time. In
conflicts like World War II, in which each side fought under generally accepted
rules like wearing uniforms, the U.S. military and the media worked out
guidelines for coverage, which included official censorship. Today's
battlefields in Iraq and elsewhere are more complex and fluid, with front lines
less well defined, greater ability for remote and instant communication, and
combatants who are not always distinguishable from civilians.
A system of "embedding" journalists with U.S.
military units was formalized during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, providing
a measure of security for the journalists while imposing security restrictions
and giving commanders control over the journalists' movements. It's unclear
whether the Pentagon's amended Law of War manual will change that relationship;
Pentagon officials insist it should not.
Journalists working for The Associated Press and other
news organizations have been detained or thrown out of embed arrangements for
stories, video or photographs that the military found unflattering, even before
the new manual was published on June 21. But the manual has raised concerns
that commanders would feel even more free to find fault with reporting — or
that other governments might use the U.S. rules to mistreat reporters working
on their soil.
The Law of War manual pulls together all international
laws on war applicable to the U.S. armed forces, and is designed as a reference
guide for the military.
Defense officials said the manual describes the law for
informational purposes and is not an authorization for anyone to take any
particular action regarding journalists. The manual also notes that journalists
captured by the enemy are supposed to be given the rights of prisoners of war
under the Geneva Convention.
"At a time when international leadership on human
rights and press freedom is most needed, the Pentagon has produced a
self-serving document that is unfortunately helping to lower the bar,"
wrote Frank Smyth, senior adviser for journalist security at the Committee to
Protect Journalists.
---
Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Robert Burns
in Washington contributed to this report.
Comments
Post a Comment