BBC to let armed guards accompany reporters in hot spots

LONDON -- Two days after a gun attack on a BBC team in Saudi Arabia, the British broadcaster said yesterday it had changed policy to let armed bodyguards accompany reporters in areas of extreme danger.

A cameraman was killed and a correspondent critically wounded in Sunday's drive-by shooting in Riyadh, fueling the debate about how far reporters should go when putting their lives on the line. A BBC spokesman said armed guards would be deployed only as an exceptional measure. "This is very much a last resort in exceptional circumstances such as high-risk war zones, like areas of Iraq where you literally can't go without armed protection," he said. "Certain areas in Iraq are so wild and lawless that you really need armed protection in order to be able to report."

The BBC stressed, however, that Saudi Arabia, where cameraman Simon Cumbers was killed and security correspondent Frank Gardner injured, is not a war zone and would not be considered dangerous enough to justify armed protection. A spokeswoman later added that the decision had not been influenced by the attack on Sunday. "It's a decision that has taken place prior to this incident following lengthy discussions among BBC news management."

The Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists urged media groups to provide more protection for their staff.

"The targeting of journalists by ruthless terrorists presents media with its greatest challenge," IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said. "We cannot bow to the intimidation of cold-blooded and ruthless killers, so we must face up to the reality that in this new climate of terrorism, more actions must be taken to protect our people because we can be sure more attacks will take place."

Broadcaster CNN said it has been providing armed protection for its reporters in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. "In the past year, things have been ramped up to an extremely dangerous level for journalists," said Nick Wrenn, CNN's managing editor for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. "Journalists are being deliberately targeted in some areas, like Iraq. Journalists are no longer seen by some elements as impartial, neutral observers, but as part of the problem and therefore a legitimate target."