Britain, France to Restrict Gulf News Coverage if War Breaks Out

Britain and France say they will restrict news coverage of their forces in the Persian Gulf region in much the same way the Pentagon plans to keep reporters on a short leash if war breaks out.

Philip Knightley, an author who has written extensively on the role of the war correspondent, said the new rules could lead to censorship on an unprecedented scale.

“If the war goes well, they’ll have Cable News Network at the front showing how marvelous everyone is doing,” said Knightley, author of “The First Casualty,” a history of war reporting.

“If it looks like we’re getting bogged down, I think you will see censorship in the West on a scale like you’ve never seen it before,” he added.

Under rules issued by the British Ministry of Defense, selected reporters will work in pools under constant military escort. The escort must be obeyed and has the authority to examine copy on the spot.

U.S. Defense Department guidelines require that journalists travel with military escorts in combat pools and submit their coverage to “security review” before release.

Gen. Raymond Germanos, chief of communication services for the French army, announced that French reporters would also be restricted to combat pools, made up of a small number of reporters representing TV, radio and print.

Free-lance reporting is prohibited under all three sets of rules, and the governments have warned against attempting to work independently.

With 34,000 military personnel in the region, Britain has the largest Western contingent there after the United States, which has about 360,000 troops. France has 10,000.

The British rules, like the American ones, prohibit combat pools from reporting anything but vague details of fighting.