Papers Prepare Scribes For Biochemical War

By: Joe Strupp As the United States prepares to invade Iraq, military correspondents are bracing for biological and chemical threats far beyond what they've endured in other war zones, with many training to protect themselves from biochemical weapons on the battlefield. At the same time, many remain frustrated at the continuing lack of cooperation with the Pentagon and fear it will severely restrict their access to information -- and troops -- when the fighting begins.

While few newspapers have nailed down specific plans for covering the probable U.S. invasion, editors and reporters say it will create headaches unlike anything they've seen in years.

"This war will be much faster-moving and chaotic," predicted Tom Ricks, a 10-year combat correspondent for The Washington Post, in comparing it to the Persian Gulf War and last year's conflict in Afghanistan. "It's likely to be a far messier war." Said Michael Gordon, a longtime military correspondent for The New York Times, "If there is a war with Iraq, it seems likely that access will be limited. People will essentially be sitting in a briefing room."

Among the chief concerns for those who hope to get closer to the battle is the danger of biological and chemical weapons from Saddam Hussein's forces. "You never know what is being carried, and where, over there," Ricks said. "Biological weapons are never entirely destroyed -- they are only dispersed."

Such worries have already prompted increased training. Several papers have sent reporters to courses conducted by Centurion Risk Assessment Services, based in Andover, England. "We have been wanting to do this for a while but could never schedule it," said James F. Smith, foreign editor at The Boston Globe, which is sending four of its eight overseas reporters through bio-terrorism-protection training there. "We want them to be able to anticipate every scenario."

At The Christian Science Monitor in Boston, editors have sent six of their eight foreign correspondents through Centurion bioterrorism training since April, said International News Editor Dave Scott. The Chicago Tribune plans to send reporters for bioterrorism safety lessons as well. "We have to see what the best equipment is for them and have them learn how to use it," said Timothy J. McNulty, assistant managing editor for foreign news.

Despite the fears, however, no reporters have sought to be left out of any likely battle assignments, editors told E&P.

The Pentagon's restrictive policies, meanwhile, remain worrisome. "I'm concerned that it might be the most limited access we have ever seen," said John Hendren, a military writer in the Washington bureau of the Los Angeles Times. The Pentagon, in fact, could use biochemical-warfare concerns as an excuse to keep journalists away from the battlefield.

One response has come from a group of journalists forming a new association. Military Reporters and Editors (MRE), which claims to have enlisted 30 dues-paying members since its launch several months ago, hopes to create strength in numbers that will improve access to defense information and allow journalists closer coverage in battle zones.

"Like all good ideas, this one started in a bar," James G. Wright, president of MRE and assistant metro editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, said of the new group formed during dinnertime chats at an April military-issues conference at the University of Maryland. "There was a lot of discussion about problems we've had over access, and it all came back to having an association to help."

The group is still organizing its board of directors, but has scheduled a two-day conference for Nov. 15 and 16 in Washington, D.C. "I can also see a newsletter being created, probably on the Internet, a Web bulletin board, a way to keep in touch across the globe," said Wright, who oversees the P-I's military coverage. He compared the approach to that of the Investigative Reporters and Editors, which has grown into a significant force in recent years.

Veteran military journalists, such as Michael Gordon, said anything that will ease restrictions on press access to news or combat areas is welcome. MRE organizers also are seeking to give military writers outside the nation's capital a better link to the Pentagon. For those who cover military bases in dozens of cities and small towns, U.S. Defense Department contacts can be difficult to make.

"The biggest frustration is trying to track where our [local] people are going," said John Diedrich, military reporter for The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., which is home to numerous military facilities. "We have big problems just getting basic information."

Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for media operations, declined to comment on MRE's complaints, but he issued a statement that defended the Pentagon's press relations and read, in part, "We are committed to providing the greatest access possible to journalists."