As the Iraqi military self-destructed over the last weeks, like cream rising to the top Kurdish Peshmerga forces assumed the role and responsibilities of protecting the lives of civilians of all ethnicities across the Kurdistan region.
But in doing so the Peshmergas’ lives have been jeopardized, not by the obvious fact of defending the borders of Kurdistan but by the dozens of media outlets that have followed these dedicated warriors into skirmishes and battles with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on the frontlines.
While the Peshmerga are internationally known for their fighting prowess and decades of war experience, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Peshmerga commanders need to remember they must also protect the lives of the frontline Peshmerga forces from “accidental intelligence leaks.”
The Peshmerga are constantly shown in the global media as the only success story in Iraq, given their discipline, combat readiness and their willingness to defend their regions against terrorism – unlike their Iraqi military counterparts.
While the Peshmerga should be hailed as a success story, having the media outlets follow these brave soldiers into battlefields where in-field interviews with low-ranking Peshmerga soldiers have become a norm, is indeed detrimental, counter-productive and could cause unexpected negative consequences for the Peshmerga forces and positions.
Media contact should be limited, controlled and properly appraised prior to release -- as the Peshmerga forces are on the frontlines waiting for war.
In one report by a reputable Western media outlet, an eager Peshmerga commander is seen with a battlefield map posted on a wall where he articulately explains all the known positions of ISIS and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the region surrounding Kirkuk.
The map is also well highlighted, labeled and shown on TV. The issue is that these battlefield plans and footage can be paused, reversed, reviewed, analyzed and disseminated by the enemy to further its tactical advantage.
In another such interviews, a low-ranking Peshmerga officer is asked who he thinks his enemy is. In plain English the officer replies, “I think all Arabs are the enemy.”
Such statements cannot be made by anyone wearing military insignia. This taints any gains made by providing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian Arab refugees food, education, and protection from terrorism, as they wait out the war in their respective regions. Furthermore, this type of interview is a public relations nightmare and cannot be accepted or afforded under any circumstances by any government.
Moreover, in other similar videos, the camera gets an “exclusive” look at the posts and military checkpoints manned by Peshmerga forces, which clearly states locations, the number of troops in each place and the types of weaponry available to them. This type of information could be advantageous to ISIS, and disastrous for the Kurdish troops in the fight. Furthermore, some videos also have additional sensitive intelligence information deliberately not mentioned in this article.
This kind of information provides a wealth of intelligence to ISIS (and others). It allows them to change their tactics, and rendering the Peshmerga forces’ defensive positions useless.
While addressing these concerns might seem “too restrictive” for a region trying to assert its young democracy, it is nevertheless necessary to protect the Peshmergas, as well as the civilians and regions they secure. Moreover, media restrictions would not be anything new, since the control of military information is largely practiced by all militaries.
The Kurdish Peshmerga should have media officers who are authorized to speak with journalists, and access to frontlines should be tightly controlled due to the reasons mentioned in this article. Furthermore, the media should be provided with footage that is less relevant to current operations, tactics, plans and locations.
Ala Jaff is a practicing police and security professional in Canada. He holds a Police Foundations diploma and a BA in Law. He is currently working towards his Masters degree in Criminal Justice, Governance and Police Science.
