Härter als #Landesverrat: Journalisten als ‚illegale Kämpfer‘?

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Mit einem Leitartikel in der New York Times (immerhin vom Editorial Board und nicht von einem einzelnen Kommentator) ist am (heutigen) Montag in der US-Medienlandschaft ein Thema hochgekommen, das seit Juni bekannt war, bislang nur ein paar Fachleute interessierte, aber in den nächsten Tagen vermutlich auch in Ihrer Tageszeitung steht: Mit der Veröffentlichung seines neuen Law of War Manual (Handbuch zum Kriegsvölkerrecht ist die hoffentlich korrekte Übersetzung) hat das US-Verteidigungsministerium für den Umgang mit Medien eine neue, wenig erfreuliche Perspektive eingebracht: Journalisten, heißt es dort, könnten auch als unprivilegierte Kriegsteilnehmer (unprivileged belligerents) angesehen werden – ein Begriff, der die bisherigen unlawful combatants (illegale Kämpfer) ablöst und bislang Teilnehmer an Auseinandersetzungen bezeichnete, die nicht regulären Streitkräften angehören, wie zum Beispiel die Aufständischen in Afghanistan. Und Ihnen deutlich weniger Rechte einräumt.

Was nun einen Journalisten zum illegalen Kämpfer macht, ist nicht so recht definiert. Und das trägt zur Besorgnis der Redaktionsführung der New York Times bei:

The Defense Department earlier this summer released a comprehensive manual outlining its interpretation of the law of war. The 1,176-page document, the first of its kind, includes guidelines on the treatment of journalists covering armed conflicts that would make their work more dangerous, cumbersome and subject to censorship. Those should be repealed immediately.

Journalists, the manual says, are generally regarded as civilians, but may in some instances be deemed “unprivileged belligerents,” a legal term that applies to fighters that are afforded fewer protections than the declared combatants in a war. In some instances, the document says, “the relaying of information (such as providing information of immediate use in combat operations) could constitute taking a direct part in hostilities.” (…)
Allowing this document to stand as guidance for commanders, government lawyers and officials of other nations would do severe damage to press freedoms. Authoritarian leaders around the world could point to it to show that their despotic treatment of journalists — including Americans — is broadly in line with the standards set by the United States government.

In der Tat lesen sich Teile des Manual (hier komplett zum Herunterladen) als eine direkte Aufforderung, Berichterstattung aus Kriegsgebieten möglichst zu verhindern:

In general, journalists are civilians. However, journalists may be members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents. (…)
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. To avoid being mistaken for spies, journalists should act openly and with the permission of relevant authorities. Presenting identification documents, such as the identification card issued to authorized war correspondents or other appropriate identification, may help journalists avoid being mistaken as spies.
States may need to censor journalists’ work or take other security measures so that journalists do not reveal sensitive information to the enemy. Under the law of war, there is no special right for journalists to enter a State’s territory without its consent or to access areas of military operations without the consent of the State conducting those operations.

Der Begriff unprivileged belligerents wird auch erklärt:

“Unlawful combatants” or “unprivileged belligerents” are persons who, by engaging in hostilities, have incurred one or more of the corresponding liabilities of combatant status (e.g., being made the object of attack and subject to detention), but who are not entitled to any of the distinct privileges of combatant status (e.g., combatant immunity and POW status). (…)
This manual generally uses the term “unprivileged belligerent” (instead of, e.g., “unlawful combatant,” “unlawful belligerent,” “unprivileged combatant,” etc.) to refer to persons who are subject to one or more of the liabilities of combatant status, but are not entitled to receive its distinct privileges. (…)

Die ganze Art der Bezugnahme auf Journalisten, das sehe ich genau so wie die Kollegen der New York Times, schafft nicht nur Probleme für die Konflikte, in denen US-Streitkräfte involviert sind. Sondern ist auch eine wunderbare Ausrede für, sagen wir problematische Regime aller Art:

The manual’s argument that some reporting activities could be construed as taking part in hostilities is ludicrous. That vaguely-worded standard could be abused by military officers to censor or even target journalists.
Equally bizarre is the document’s suggestion that reporters covering wars should operate only with the permission of “relevant authorities” or risk being regarded as spies. To cover recent wars, including the civil war in Libya in 2011 and the war in Syria, reporters have had to sneak across borders, at great personal risk, to gather information. For the Pentagon to conflate espionage with journalism feeds into the propaganda of authoritarian governments. Egypt, for instance, has tried to discredit the work of Western journalists by falsely insinuating that many of them are spies.
Even more disturbing is the document’s broad assertion that journalists’ work may need to be censored lest it reveal sensitive information to the enemy. This unqualified statement seems to contravene American constitutional and case law, and offers other countries that routinely censor the press a handy reference point.

(Vorsorglich der Hinweis: Auch bei diesem Thema bin ich mir bewusst, dass das von Teilen meiner Leserschaft grundsätzlich anders gesehen wird. Ich hoffe trotzdem darauf, dass eine möglicherweise kontroverse Debatte hier nicht emotional geführt wird – sonst sähe ich mich gezwungen, für diesen Thread die Kommentare auf moderiert zu schalten.)

(Archivbild: Iraqi reporters from Mosullia TV interview U.S. Army Capt. Kenneth Cook (2nd R) from 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division Military Transition Team (3-5-2), with an interpreter, while the U.S. Army assists the Iraqi army from 3-5-2 in handing out school supplies at Somer Primary School, in Domiz Somer, Mosul, Iraq on Oct. 9, 2008 – U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Sarah De Boise)