Danger Zone
Religion is an extra issue for Jewish soldiers, journalists in Iraq.
MICHAEL J. JORDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New York City
is now well known that just
before Daniel Pearl's captors in
Pakistan slit his throat last year,
they forced the Wall Street
Journal reporter to admit his Jewish
faith.
Less known is that the faith of the
American pilots captured by Iraq dur-
ing the first Gulf War reportedly also
animated their torturers.
"What is your religion?" a beaten,
bloodied and blindfolded Marine
Capt. Michael Craig Berryman was
asked, according to testimony from
Jan. 28, 1991. "Baptist," he replied.
"No, you are a Jew!" they screamed.
The beatings grew more savage,
says Berryman: "They just went
crazy."
Neither the pilots nor Pearl,
according to those familiar with his
case, were captured because of their
real or perceived Jewishness.
Nevertheless, for the countless jour-
nalists and soldiers now in Iraq who
are Jews, recent history indicates that
their faith carries added risk in case
of capture or imprisonment.
There are crucial distinctions
between soldiers and journalists in
hot spots. Soldiers are obeying orders,
going where they are sent, while jour-
nalists are there willingly. And sol-
diers are combatants, whereas jour-
nalists are not.
In March, the British Ministry of
Defense agreed to allow Jewish sol-
diers to erase religion from their dog
tags, out of concern in the British
Jewish community that they may be
singled out for harsher treatment.
In the first Gulf War, U.S. Jewish
soldiers were encouraged to shield
their identity and classify themselves
on their dog tags as "Protestant B,"
an internal code to let military chap-
lains know the person was Jewish.
The military has made no conces-
sions this time, Major Tim Blair, a
Pentagon spokesman, said. "We're not
looking at this from the perspective
of any specific religion, but from
international law regarding prisoners
of war," Major Blair said. "We now
have 4,000 or so enemy Iraqi prison-
1
ers, and we're giving them proper
treatment according to the Geneva
Conventions, if not better. And we
expect the same humane treatment
from the Iraqis who have our
POWs."
Lawsuit Filed
The Geneva Conventions, adopted in
1949, state that "members of armed
forces who have laid down their
Columbia's Federal District Court,
several POWs describe how they were
not only accused of concealing their
religion, but had their pants yanked
down and genitals inspected.
"The Iraqis were apparently
unaware that many American males
are circumcised, regardless of their
religious beliefs," Moore said.."It was
also reasonably clear to those subject-
ed to this offensive treatment that if
they'd been Jewish, they would. have
1997-2001.
"There has to be a careful balance,
because you want to preserve the
security of your forces," Scheffer said.
"You may want to suggest they not
wear a religious object, whether it be
a cross or Star of David — not insist-
ing on it but recommending it. It
might be a matter of common sense
and security, that religion not be
broadcast through jewelry."
The greater risk for Jewish soldiers
is no secret to their families. "It's a
big concern," said Allan Rubin,
whose son, Daniel, 21, is a Marine
currently in Iraq. "We talked to him
and said he has to be extremely care-
ful about it."
Their son, though, sports a Star of
David tattoo on one of his shoulders.
Said his father: "He kept telling us
not to worry, that the Iraqis better
watch out because he's 6-feet-two-
inches and could kick their butts."
Judy Ledger is likewise concerned
for her son, Matthew Boyer, who is
also a Marine in Iraq. The 24-year-
old's dog tag clearly states his religion
as Judaism. Says Ledger: "When it
comes to POWs, I just think Daniel
Pearl — that's all I can think about."
War Correspondents
Ilana Boyer and her fiance, Gary Wert, at Ft. Jackson, S. C, in May 2002. Wert is
now deployed in Kuwait. Boyer remains stateside.
arms" shall "in all circumstances be
treated humanely, without any
adverse distinction founded on race,
color, religion or faith."
It is this passage, among others,
that lawyers for 17 American POWs
— and 37 of their family members
— contend the Iraqis violated in the
first Gulf War.
In their $610 million lawsuit
against the Republic of Iraq, which
co-counsel John Norton Moore says
will soon come before the District of
been subjected to greater danger and
greater torture."
"If we are to deter such outrageous
behavior in the future, we have to
bring it to the world's attention and
ensure that this sort of action is pun-
ished."
How to protect Jewish soldiers is a
tricky situation because no one wants
the U.S. military to treat its soldiers
differently based on religion, says
David Scheffer, the U.S. ambassador-
at-large for war crimes issues from
Despite Pearl's death, the Wall Street
Journal maintains a long-standing
editorial policy of being blind to reli-
gion, said Brigitte Trafford, spokes-
woman for Dow Jones, the Journal's
parent company. "We assign our
reporters on the basis of their talent
and the need for the assignment —
not on the basis 4-their race, religion
or ethnicity," Trafford said.
"As with all assignments, if there's
some perceived element of risk, the
reporters have to volunteer for the
task."
It's a policy most editors and jour-
nalists say they agree with: Let the
journalist decide if their Jewishness
makes it too risky. Otherwise, they
say, it may lead to a slippery slope of
discrimination.
Knight Ridder, which publishes 31
newspapers nationwide, including the
Miami Herald and the Detroit Free
Press, has 47 reporters and photogra-
phers currently in Iraq, said John
Walcott, who heads up Knight
Ridder's war coverage and is its
Washington bureau chief. Walcott
said he is unaware who among his
staffers in Iraq is Jewish, though he
acknowledges they may face rougher
treatment should they be captured.
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