DATE=7/21/99
TYPE=REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
NUMBER=5-43923
TITLE==ENGLAND / COMBAT COURSE
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=HEREFORD, ENDGLAND
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: JOURNALISTS WHO ENTER WAR ZONES ARE INCREASINGLY AT RISK
OF LOSING THEIR OWN LIVES. IN 1994, SO FAR THE WORST YEAR FOR
JOURNALIST KILLINGS, 115 REPORTERS DIED WHILE COVERING CONFLICTS
IN RWANDA, ALGERIA, BOSNIA AND RUSSIA. FOLLOWING A REQUEST FROM
A BBC JOURNALIST FOR SPECIAL TRAINING, THREE RETIRED OFFICERS OF
BRITAIN'S ELITE S-A-S FORCES -- THE SPECIAL AIR SERVICE -- HAVE
DRAWN ON THEIR EXPERIENCES TO TRAIN JOURNALISTS NOT TO MAKE
WHAT COULD BE FATAL MISTAKES. CORRESPONDENT EVE CONANT WHO
VISITED SOUTHERN ENGLAND TO ATTEND THE S-A-S COURSE, KNOWN AS
"SURVIVING HOSTILE REGIONS" FILED THIS REPORT.
TEXT: THE ONE-WEEK COURSE COVERS TOPICS RANGING FROM THE MULTIPLE
USES OF BULLETPROOF VESTS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SNIPER RIFLE
AND A KALASHNIKOV, AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU OR A JOURNALIST
COLLEAGUE STEPS ON A LANDMINE. THE MEDICAL TRAINING, LED BY
RETIRED SAS PARAMEDIC PAUL BROWN, IS TAUGHT USING CASE BY CASE
SCENARIOS.
/// BROWN ACT ///
THE DOORS OPEN, YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE DOWN IN THE CORRIDOR,
SCREAMING. YOU'RE IN THE GARDEN. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING
YOU'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT? THIS IS BASIC STUFF, FIRST
THING YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER..
Q: WHETHER OR NOT TO GO IN?
A: BECAUSE OF WHAT?
Q: MORE MINES, MORE EXPLOSIVES.
A: BECAUSE OF DANGER TO YOU. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IF YOU GET INJURED AS WELL.
/// END ACT ///
TO ILLUSTRATE HIS POINT HE PLAYS A VIDEO TAKEN BY A SWEDISH
CAMERAMAN WHO WAS SHOT IN THE LEG WHILE FILMING IN ZAIRE.
THE VIDEO, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NEWS STORY BUT IS NOW USED AS
A TRAINING FILM FOR HOW TO SURVIVE WAR ZONES, BEGINS WITH A
RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH A ZAIREAN MAN.
/// NATURAL SOUND FROM VIDEO ///
VOICES: ARE YOU FROM RWANDA ORIGINALLY OR ARE YOU FROM
ZAIRE?
NATURAL SOUND: EXPLOSION AND THEN GUNFIRE... KEEP NATURAL SOUND
UNDER NEXT GRAPH ///
THE CAMERAMAN IS SHOT. EVEN AS GUNMEN CONTINUE TO FIRE AT THEM,
A SWEDISH CORRESPONDENT IS ABLE TO APPLY A TOURNIQUET TO THE
CAMERAMAN'S LEG TO PREVENT HIM FROM BLEEDING TO DEATH.
THE FOUNDER OF THE COURSE, ANDREW KAIN, ANOTHER RETIRED SAS
SECURITY SPECIALIST, FOCUSES ON MILITARY ISSUES IN WAR ZONES. HE
BEGINS HIS LECTURE BY UNLOADING BULLETS ONTO THE CLASSROOM TABLE.
/// ACT KAIN, WITH NATURAL SOUND OF BULLETS ON TABLE///
"SO THE ONES ON THE RIGHT ARE HIGH VELOCITY, ON THE LEFT
ARE LOW VELOCITY. CAN ANYONE SEE THE DIFFERENCE?"
/// END TRACK ///
BY THE END OF THE COURSE, THE JOURNALIST PUPILS KNOW HOW TO CRAWL
THROUGH THE GRASS TO SEARCH FOR LANDMINES -- IF SUCH A NEED
ARISES. THEY ALSO LEARN WHERE TO HIDE WHEN ARMIES START TOSSING
SHELLS AND MORTARS IN THEIR DIRECTION.
TO MAKE SURE THE CLASSROOM LECTURES ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD, THERE
IS A FIELD TRIP, DESIGNED BY PARAMEDIC PAUL BROWN TO BE THE TYPE
OF TRIP YOU'D NEVER WANT TO TAKE.
/// ACT BROWN ///
OK, YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING JOURNALIST COLLEAGUES, YOU
DECIDED TO GO AS A GROUP BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
SAFER. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE OTHER
VEHICLE, THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF AN EXPLOSION. THE VEHICLE
WENT INTO THIS FARMYARD, THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF A BANG,
YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT IS NOW. THREE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES
ARE IN THE CAR. SO ITS UP TO YOU WHAT YOU DO.
/// END ACT ///
THE QUIET ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE IS DISRUPTED BY THE SHOUTS OF LOCAL
WOULD-BE ACTORS, WHO ARE ACTUALLY PARAMEDICS, PRETENDING TO BE
TRAPPED IN A CAR.
/// SOUND OF SHOUTING ///
MY LEG! BE CAREFUL... SHOUTING, GROANING...
///KEEP NAT RUNNING UNDER NEXT GRAPH///
ALTHOUGH THEIR INJURIES ARE NOT REAL, THE STRESS FACTOR IS. THE
JOURNALISTS USE THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS TO TEND TO THE FAKE
WOUNDS, AND TO MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE DANGER. ALTHOUGH IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN A REAL SITUATION, THE
TRAINING INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACT
EFFECTIVELY NEXT TIME SOMEONE REALLY DOES GET INJURED IN THE
FIELD. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/KL
21-Jul-99 10:58 AM EDT (1458 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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