* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Have you considered the implications of using your phone in a War zone?
When you file a report be careful not to give away any locations which could be considered a target. Always assume that everything you say will be overheard. You may have secure encryption but how secure is it (think Enigma!)? Remember 'loose talk cost lives’.
Even if your conversation cannot be understood then the exact spot where you are using your mobile/satellite phone may be indentified using triangulation methods. Any authority or government that is not media friendly, or considers your presence there partisan or even inflammatory, may consider anyone using satellite phones in a rebel area as a target for indirect fire (artillery and rockets). Therefore keep calls short and as soon as you have completed your call move location. Your hosts will not welcome you if you attract 'incoming' fire.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.