It's come to this: IDF establishes combat cameraman unit

The IDF tries to put the best face on its establishment of a combat cameraman unit (and the US apparently has one too - see picture above), but I still think there's something perverse about having to risk soldiers' lives to prove to the likes of Richard Goldstone down the road that your troops have not done anything wrong.

For the first time in the IDF, a combat cameramen unit will be established, composed of dozens of combat soldiers responsible for documenting from within the battlefield. After completing eight month of combat training with the Golani Infantry Brigade, the soldiers will join the division that is currently forming in the IDF Spokesperson Unit. With highly professional filming skills, the soldiers will be able to quickly provide footage to be used for informative purposes.

"The modern battlefield has changed and more bodies, armed with cameras, are working to change public opinion. The IDF must accommodate this changing reality, where different organizations may falsify facts in accordance with their own objectives," explained Commander of the IDF Spokesperson combat cameramen unit, Maj. Micha Ohana.

The project was launched three years ago, when the first combat photographers were drafted and received only partial combat training. All current cameramen have a background in filming, and join forces as independent units. During wartime, the cameramen join the war effort and function as both photographers and combat soldiers. During the Cast Lead Operation, the photographers were incorporated in the battlefield and provided informatory footage, used to depict true images and occurrences from the battlefield.

According to Maj. Ohana, the cameramen serve as combat soldiers, training in anti-terrorism techniques, urban warfare and more. The cameramen will be provided with highly advanced technological means capable of conveying live footage to be publicized worldwide for informative, intelligence, and operational purposes. Additional footage will be provided from IAF aircraft, Israeli Navy vessels and intelligence posts.

Sorry, but as mundane as it sounds and as necessary as it is, I think there's something wrong with the fact that we're risking soldiers' lives to stay out of court.