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Pentagon Brands 'Belligerent' Journalists As Legitimate "Enemy Combatant" Targets
The Pentagon has released an 1,176-page book of instructions on the "The Law Of War" detailing acceptable ways of killing the enemy. The manual also states that journalists can be labeled "unprivileged belligerents," an obscure term that replaces the Bush era "unlawful enemy combatant."
As The Washington Times reports, an eye-catching section deals with a definition of journalists and how they are expected to stay out of the fight -
"In general, journalists are civilians. However, journalists may be members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents."
While the Pentagon did not specify the exact circumstances under which a journalist might be declared an unprivileged belligerent, lumping terrorist writers with bona fide reporters prompted a civilian lawyer who opines on war crime cases to call the wording “an odd and provocative thing for them to write.”
Michael Rubin, a Middle East expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said the manual reflects today’s muddled world of journalism.
“It’s a realization that not everyone abides by the same standards we do,” said Mr. Rubin. “Just as Hamas uses United Nations schools as weapons depots and Iran uses charity workers for surveillance, many terrorist groups use journalists as cover.”
Mr. Rubin recalled that two al Qaeda terrorists posed as journalists to assassinate anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. Chechen Islamists went on missions with camera crews.
“Journalists are the new consultant. Anyone can claim to be one,” he said. “No American serviceman should ever be killed because a politician told them they had to take a foreign journalist at his or her word.”
The 1,176-page “Department of Defense Law of War Manual” explains that shooting, exploding, bombing, stabbing, or cutting the enemy are acceptable ways of getting the job done, but the use of poison or asphyxiating gases is not allowed.
Surprise attacks and killing retreating troops have also been given the green light.
But the lengthy manual doesn’t only talk about protocol for those on the frontline. It also has an extensive section on journalists – including the fact that they can be labeled terrorists.
“In general, journalists are civilians. However, journalists may be members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents,” the manual states.
The term “unprivileged belligerents” replaces the Bush-era term “unlawful enemy combatant.”
...
When asked what this means, professor of Journalism at Georgetown Chris Chambers told RT that he doesn’t know, “because the Geneva Convention, other tenets of international law, and even United States law – federal courts have spoken on this – doesn’t have this thing on ‘unprivileged belligerents’.”
This means that embedded journalists, who are officially sanctioned by the military and attached to a unit, will be favored by an even greater degree than before. “It gives them license to attack or even murder journalists that they don’t particularly like but aren’t on the other side,” Chambers said.
Even the Obama Administration’s definition of “enemy combatant” was vague enough, basically meaning any male of a military age who “happens to be there,” Chambers added.
* * *
The manual is the Pentagon's first all-in-one legal guide for the four military branches. Previously, each sector was tasked with writing their own guidelines for engagement, which presumably did not list journalists as potential traitors.
The Pentagon did not specify the exact circumstances under which a journalist might be declared an unprivileged belligerent, but Chambers says he is sure “their legal department is going over it, as is the National Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists.”
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Good article. It explains why the Ukraine is the worlds leader in killing journalists. The Kiev Coup government is puppeting USSA military doctrine.
With facts like this who needs conspiracy theories. Can you imagine the stuff they keep secret?
We've all fought for radical Islam when we were young and angry. But then we got a bit older, got a steady job and had a virtual child... started to do a bit of readin' on the interwebs and learned that all these 'terrists we used to like were really CIA the whole time.
Heil Amerika!
So embedded journalists are now terrorists?
So are domestic journalists if you are not embedded or recognized as friendly to the interests of the US Military.
In a civil uprising there will be domestic journalists who will be neutralized.
Their propaganda must flow and any discord or lack of unity causes weakness. The journalists are the Fifth Column.
No worries. They have been compiling a list of who is naughty and nice over at the NSA.
And I do not believe myself to be on the nice list.
Do you?
Hey Tom,
Unprivileged belligerents? Sounds like some commenters that Tyler banned.
“unprivileged belligerents”
Sounds like most of the citizens in the USA and the founding fathers.
It is Tyler's house after all.
I am, like you are, just a guest.
If you threw a house party, and there was an unruly guest, will you allow it or will you show him the door?
Personally I'd show him the door.
However on the same line of thought I am not living in the United States as a guest.
Actually the People are Sovereign and the Government is supposed to exist to serve the interests of the Public.
The Government is supposed to be the servant of the people. But that has been subverted and the public is treated as the servants to the Government.
Commenters get banned here? all'b damned.
If they said something worth being banned from zerohedge then they must have been that divorced from reality, a.k.a. reich propagandist a.k.a. Unprivileged Protaganist
Unless you are someone with your actual name on your own website or writing articles that get any kind of circulation, i wouldn't worry too much about it. They are going to have their hands too full to worry with rounding up commenters on blogs like this. Every major city basically on fire due to the rioting pavement apes will be consuming most of their attention, and I think most on here are probably aware of the future enough to not live inside of a major city. 1-2% of the US population is still between 3-6 million people, thats a lot to try to round up, and I would be surprised if there weren't a good number of cops and govt workers on 'the list' as well.
Although just to be on the safe side, Id like to go on record stating that I support everything our NSA and banker overlords are doing...
What you publish here is read by tens of thousands of people here, greenskeeper carl, whether you realize that or not.
Furthermore your comments are read by a lot of "wrong" people.
Most will not even bother to click an arrow.
Do you click arrows on every comment that you read? Of course not.
On a similar note I published a comment on a National Association of Rocketry website about how to tear apart an Aluminum Can served to me after boarding an Airplane, after going through a TSA Checkpoint at the airport...
I pointed out that the "Security Measures" are ludicrous and ridiculous.
The US Government RESPONDED by having me STRIP SEARCHED the next time I boarded a flight...and I had an Air Marshall accompany me on that flight.
Do you really believe that your comments have no impact? Do you really think that your anonymity protects you? You are deluding yourself.
Why do you think that I post my actual Name and physical Street Address without fear, here, online? They already know it.
I am not afraid of them. They already have that clue as well.
(It is far too late to "go dark". They already know who you are.)
If you fear them then they have already won without even having to put up a fight.
STOP FEARING.
Edit...Some idiot junked yuor post? That is damned craziness.
(But now you do know that it was read. They cannot remove the arrow although they can change it to an uparrow.)
I have to go with Tall Tom on this. We are only strangers to each other. They know who all the players are. Trolls and shills and cat herders too along with each of our info. Tom might be more safe in the open. Makes me wonder about some of the old posters and nail guns.
Hey Tom,
I'm trying to make some rockets that will be used to deliver a little yellow cake to 'A Party'. Do you know how I can balance the ~100 kilo payload? I'm just having a few problems with the stabilizers. You may know of some .mil satellites that I can use for as guidance relays? Just for about 44 minutes of flight time.
Also I'm home brewing the solid rocket fuel but people in my neighborhood are mad about my 'trials'. I'm using ALICE, but everyone is so uncool when I start asking to purchase nanoscale particles of aluminum. Where can I find it? I know that you know.
and i send them care packages of Girl Scout Cookies when i can...dont forget me!
and I support their Meta Data mining, and BIG Data long term storage, and Experimental Research, even if they are jerkoffs, dweebs, and authoritarian stooges, as well as, fascist motherfuckers, eh.
In CANADA, the NSA dorks are CSEC dweebs.
Horseshit.
The first "terrorist" attacks on America started just a few years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Muslim pirates (Barbary Pirates) we raiding American merchant ships in the Med, plundering the cargo and taking the crews as hostages.
The very first overseas war approved by Congress (not declared, approved) was against the Barbary Pirates. Thus, the first and second Barbary Wars.
The very first time the America flag was raised in victory on foreign soil was, again, against Muslims in what is now known as Libya.
Thus, the line from the Marines' Hymn, "To the Shores of Tripoli..."
Towel heads have been waging jihad against non-Muslims for well over 1000 years.
Anyone who blames ALL that we are experiencing now on the boogie man CIA, fat bankers and Jews are either incredibly ignorant of history or just plain liars.
"Anyone who blames ALL that we are experiencing now on the boogie man CIA, fat bankers and Jews are either incredibly ignorant of history or just plain liars."
The liar is you, asshole.
Muslims are not the enemy.
If you disagree with that statement, you are quite simply a moron, and/or useful idiot.
"Unprivleged?"
Seriously? So now it's a "privledge" not to be on the govt's hit list?
JFC - next, instead of a list of folks targeted for droning, we'll all be presumed drone-worthy and the list will only be those VIPs with the "privlege" of life. I guess it'll be shorter that way.
The founders weep in their graves.
well it's an arbritrary thing ---so I guess each of us can make a personal list of "unprivledged" or "unworthy" or just plain "suitably killable"
"Oops, sorry. Looks like we nailed someone of privilege there. Was he handicapped?"
"Just mentally."
If you don't now understand that you're living in the Fourth Reich; then you're willfully ignorant.
Sieg Heil, Herr comrade.
Sprechen ze Deustche?
Der Fuhrer ist Obama.
Die juden ist swine.
I do not speak German. So it is the same as it ever was...
========
Instead of hoping that the State where you reside secedes why do you not elect to exercise your right as a SOVEREIGN and secede?
Take some personal responsibility and opt out. Resist that which oppresses you.
This "legal right" is fictitious. No one ever has legal sovereignty as a person.
Hm.. Wait a minute.
Then, what about all those Zionist Foreign Agents posing as congressmen and senators? What about all those Fascists posing as Government Officials? What about all those Rabid Nazis posing as Battlefield Military Contractors? What about all those International Terrorists posing as Military Advisors (Ukraine, ISIS, Saudi Arabia, Tel Aviv, ... you name it)?
I mean, ... WTF ???!!!
WHY DO WE PUT UP WITH THIS SHIT ?
Although previously unwritten, we've already seen this policy in action in Iraq. Cops have their throwdown guns, I wonder if we will see throwdown cameras, notepads, and the like, in the future?
Fun bedtime reading!
Speaking of journalists,
NYPost critic calls for Gone with the Wind ban:
http://tinyurl.com/pqhqea8
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journalists can be labeled "unprivileged belligerents"
Can we start with Rachel Maddow? The entire Salon.com team? Chris Matthews?
You can place them on your list but they are on the NSA nice list.
White list, its called whitelisting(nothing to do with race btw).
Tell the pentagon we'd like the Rothschilds ZWO syndicate to stop borrowing our army for illegal wars.
Its about time they dealt with those terrorists....... You iz either with us or again us or as in Brian Williams case you become a "combatant journalist" of the highest order of bravery......
You see silly peasant, we wrote a LAW with our magic pen, therefore it is okay for us to do it.
It's not really legal unless you can enforce the legality ??? I think-- I mean what are laws for anyway?
brian williams, lulz
A sign the military is getting wise to the fact that the Pentagon has been taken over by the banksters.
One wonders the ethical source
Jewish “Law” and The Killing of Civilians:
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/why-religious-zionism-not-judaism-is-th...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/does-jewish-law-justify-killing-civilians/
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/10/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
http://www.loonwatch.com/2013/09/the-top-five-ways-jewish-law-justifies-...
Israeli Troops Ordered to Kill Civilians on Sight During Gaza Invasion:
http://news.antiwar.com/2015/05/04/israeli-troops-ordered-to-kill-civili...
The only way I wouldn't junk your post was if each of those links lead to pictures of amazing titties.... *Spoiler Alert* There are NO titties in the links
What an idiotic rejoinder.
Gatekeeping, are we?
The links pertain to Israel's justifications for killing civilians.
Well, non-Jewish ones.
This isn't new, and the author of the links is Jewish
As is the author of this one:
http://www.alternet.org/story/148016/how_to_kill_goyim_and_influence_peo...
enjoy.
At issue is if "Israelification" doesn't work just at the level of domestic law enforcement/security
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/12/from-occupation-to-occupy-the-israelificat...
But at the more high level "kill muslims for Israel's right wing" level.
If you and your fellow gatekeepers are worried - perhaps you're worried about the wrong thing.
Lastly - I havent and don't really intend to focus on Israel in my comments.
You probably would find it counterproductive to antagonize me if and when I do.
It is clear you didn't read the links. I recomment jpegworld for titties {not too much bullshit}.
Calm down the links are good.... We know they have been killing civilians forever and the media just doesn't care
But, I have not had enough random smut links today in my browsing... I took out my titty frustration on you...
I have a solution to all of this hate and killing
How do you define a journalist? Hey look a journalist!! Get him!!!! Deploy the drones, release the hounds...
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman?
Those are actors.
But the journalist actually writes and publishes for mass audience reading...
LIKE YOU...HERE...on Zerohedge.
Perhaps you may do it avocationally. But there are plenty of avocational journalists.
So are you on the naughty list?
Or are you privledged enough to be on the nice list?
Awaken kulaks
Don't forget the Kraken.
We can photoshop Taylor Swift sucking a iTunes horse dick, while getting anal fucked by a goat.
or a Zune™ horsedick
Government Axiom #5: Being nothing but a criminal syndicate of theft and violence, governmnet must always stay vigilant as to who knows their true substance, and prevent thought and speech of it.
Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..
Ditto Zion.
Whew...good thing bloggers (and posters to blogs) aren't journalists. I feel safer.
/sarc off
"Propaganda Edition".Special Chapter by Victoria "Fuck the EU" Nuland.Dick-Head Cheney as special consultant.
war on journalists
truth is treason
Yep. This is full fucking retarded fascism right here. No conspiracy, right in the open.
It's starting to look more and more like the old Soviet Union instead the USA.
Stalinizing (Joseph Stalin) the government agencies. Secret police and brown-shirts.
Pretty soon there will applause signs when Obama speaks. If you don't clap with the rest of the comrades when the sign illuminates you'll be hauled off and put in jail. Like it was in the communist countries/North Korea.
You are already in much worse conditions....
In general, y'all ZH bitchez are civilians....
I heard the American army uses a computer algoritm to determine whether a target is legal ( conforms to international law ).
Can anybody confirm this ?
when TSHTF, it's gonna be incomprehensibly ugly who winds up shootin' who.
Michael Rubin, by the way, is a truly despicable Israel Firster neocon warmonger type... I suppose as may be gleaned by his association with the AEI..
Wolfowitz
John Yoo?
Bolton?
Rubin is not to be taken seriously, by anyone.
http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Rubin_Michael
I presume he found the UN report on Israel's last assault on Gaza to be "biased".
But he sure believes everything they said about all the hospitals and schools and UN posts and ambulances being chock full of rockets because there was evidence kinda sorta..of rockets being at one school, or "near" it... and of course, Israel's government would never, ever lie, now would they?
http://www.thenation.com/article/180783/five-israeli-talking-points-gaza...
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/11/dissecting-idf-propaganda-the-numbers-behi...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelgaza-conflict-...
http://www.sott.net/article/282755-Debunking-Israels-11-main-myths-about...
I do not, for the record, think Hamas is anything but a horrid terror squad whose idiotic use of rockets, themselves war crimes, has provided an excuse time and again for Israel to punish the people of Gaza.
Best thing they could do would be to give up every single rocket they have. Engaging Israeli civilians is both wrong and counterproductive.
Besides - Israel has the biggest PR machine on earth.
When any institutions very name is a blatantly transparent LIE one tends to appropriately discount, to zero, any written or verbal pronouncement emanating from it.
Fuck the US government. Fuck them all.
Orwell nailed it.
I guess Michael Hastings was a "belligerent journalist".
Chris Hedges had best not go back to war correspondence reporting.... after his lawsuit agaist Obama I see a bulleyes painted on his back!
Define journalist? Cuz belligerent kinds means upity. Like most people that think for themselves. Or post anything worth reading.
Perhaps with this bit of further info Chris Hedges et al may want to rebring their law suit....
USSR circa 1950. And we know what happened there.
I'm sure a terrorist could pose as a soldier of the opposing forces too - so now what, shoot your own uniforms?