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[infowar.de] Psyops / Radio war
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CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH Afghanistan in Crisis 2
October 9, 2001
Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) is a biweekly summary which centrali-
zes the latest news and developments affecting the study of clan-
destine radio in an easy-to-read format. Editions are published on
the CRW web site. Access to CRW is free.
CRW is both not-for-profit and non-partisan. We welcome your inte-
rest, input and queries. Contributions, input and support, logs, QSL
verification info, as well as background material can be sent to us.
CRW issues may also contain parts in Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German
or Portuguese.
CRW Team
Editor-in-Chief : Martin Schoech : schoech -!
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Correspondents:
Baltics Bureau : Robertas Petraitis : tornado493 -!
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Central US Bureau : O. Williamson : williamson -!
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Japan Bureau : Yuki Sakagami : fairuzyy -!
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ne -
jp
Washington Bureau : Nick Grace C. : grace -!
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------------xxxxxxxxxx Breaking News xxxxxxxxxx----------------
Afghanistan: Taliban Radio Targeted by Jamming and Air Strikes
Afghanistan: (AP) Armed Forces Send Out Pro-US Message
Afghanistan: (BBCM) Taleban Radio Coverage
...............................................................
Afghanistan: Taliban Radio Targeted by Jamming and Air Strikes
By Yuki Sakagami, CRW Japan Bureau
and Nick Grace C., CRW Washington Bureau
[Oct 9] Minutes before a hail of missiles hit targets around an area
of Kabul known as TV Mountain yesterday, Taliban radio was attacked
by a powerful and overwhelming jammer.
During the Turkmen-language broadcast of the Kabul-based Voice of
Shari'a outlet on short wave, a bubble jammer was monitored by
Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) correspondent Yuki Sakagami in Japan.
The jamming began at approximately 1607 GMT, covering a wide range
of frequencies and obliterating Taliban radio's audio.
The signal strength of the jamming was so powerful that it also
destroyed reception of the station at a remote radio receiver in
Sweden.
The jamming ended suddenly after 47 seconds, leaving the Voice of
Shari'a free of interference. Less than a minute later, however,
the station's audio was cut and then the transmission completely
ended.
Kabul was hit at 1609 GMT by a barrage of cruise missiles and bombs
dropped from B-1 and B-2 heavy bombers. Sources on the ground in
Kabul have told Reuters that an area outside of Kabul, known as TV
Mountain - where radio and television broadcast towers are located,
was strafed.
"The explosions were much more massive than last night," a witness
told Reuters. "I could see flames and debris rising from the foot of
TV Mountain."
Sakagami recorded what could be the final moments of Kabul's Voice
of Shari'a broadcast. His exclusive recording can be accessed on
ClandestineRadio.com and Radio Netherlands Media Network Web site.
Pentagon officials have not confirmed reports that TV Mountain was
targeted.
While U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has publicly
confirmed that it the American military is broadcasting
psychological operations (psyops) programming into Afghanistan
through specially-equipped EC-130 "Command Solo" aircraft, he has
not mentioned any efforts to jam Taliban radio.
According to the Associated Press, however, Pentagon sources say
"other undisclosed radio messages" are being directed at the
Taliban.
It may be too early to say if the U.S. is jamming the Taliban's
Voice of Shari'a. But after yesterday's air strikes, jamming may no
longer be a necessity.
ClandestineRadio.com http://www.clandestineradio.com
Radio Netherlands Media Network
http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/index.html
...............................................................
Afghanistan: (AP) Armed Forces Send Out Pro-US Message
By Deb Riechmann, Associated Press
[Oct 8] America is battling terrorism with messages as well as might
- dropping leaflets and filling radio airwaves with words urging
Afghans to shun the ruling Taliban and back the war on terrorism.
The Pentagon is saying little about how U.S. forces are trying to
fill the eyes and ears of the Afghans with pro-American words, but
the goal is clear: sway the minds of the people to help weaken the
Taliban's hold on the nation.
"For the people supporting the Taliban or the terrorists, it will be
a real clear message: 'You're on the wrong side and you'd better get
on the right side or there's the devil to pay,'" said Chad Spawr, a
former psychological operations soldier in Vietnam.
The effort involves information soldiers from the 4th Psychological
Operations Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., and the 193rd Special
Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, a division
of the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command.
The psy-ops soldiers have planes to scatter leaflets, mobile print
shops that can be dropped by parachute and loudspeaker systems to
blare messages. The soldiers use local languages to reach people on
the ground. Their motto: "Persuade, Change and Influence."
"You pour the leaflets out a chute so what you have is a trail of
paper coming out of the back end of an aircraft," Spawr said. "Gene-
rally, they're a little bigger than a dollar bill. Usually they're
black-and-white with varying messages."
The Defense Department has not yet released any copies of the
leaflets being dispersed but has confirmed the drops.
Spawr said they will likely explain the U.S.-led bombing and urge
people to support the allied forces or the northern alliance of
fighters trying to wrest control of Afghanistan from the Taliban.
They might also direct citizens to food or shelter or try to
undermine Osama bin Laden, the Saudi exile U.S. leaders say
is the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Monday that the
United States would use all forms of communication, including the
Voice of America radio network, to reach citizens in the region.
"We do have broadcasting capabilities to get messages to the
people," he said, adding that those people need information from a
source other than a "repressive Taliban regime."
VOA has expanded broadcasts in five languages that are spoken in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran and 21 countries in the Middle
East and north Africa. The agency says it provides unbiased news,
but takes its editorial cues from a board of governors, on which the
State Department has a seat.
Last week, Taliban Information Minister Qatradullah Jamal accused
Western broadcasters, including the VOA, and the British
Broadcasting Corp. of waging a propaganda war against the Afghan
leadership. "Every night in their Pashtu and Dari service broadcasts
they are talking about different options to the Taliban," he said.
Voice of America was recently criticized by the U.S. government,
too. Ignoring State Department objections, VOA aired a news report
that included part of an interview with the leader of Afghanistan's
Taliban militia. The voice of the Taliban should not be broadcast
over facilities backed by U.S. taxpayers, State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said.
The psychological war also is being waged with more than 37,000
pounds of food in packets designed to flutter to the ground to avoid
injuries.
The yellow plastic pouches, about the size and weight of hardcover
books, are filled with peanut butter, strawberry jam, crackers and
beans with tomato sauce.
They have a picture of a person eating from the pouch, a stencil of
Old Glory and the greeting: "This food is a gift from the United
States of America." The greeting is in English since the Defense
Department stockpiles the pouches for humanitarian relief anywhere
in the world.
Also in the air are members of the 193rd Special Operations Wing,
who are flying EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft and cargo planes,
filling the airwaves with pro-American messages.
Retired Maj. Gen. Robert Harris of Palmyra, Pa., who has two sons
currently on a mission to the region, recalls the unit's work during
the Gulf War. The broadcasts urged the Iraqis to lay down their arms
and surrender, he said.
"Sometimes the broadcast would say things like, 'Look, the B-52s are
scheduled here in an hour and 15 minutes. Why don't you give up,
surrender, come out from wherever you are and we'll take care of
you?'" Harris said.
...............................................................
Taleban Radio Coverage
BBC Monitoring Report (excerpted)
October 8, 2001
Morning broadcasting on the Taleban's Radio Voice of Shari'ah from
Kabul resumed transmission at its usual time of 0130 gmt on Monday 8
October with a programme preview and recitation from the Koran,
which was still continuing at 0215 gmt.
No mention was made of the US-British strikes on 7 October until the
first news bulletin in Pashto began at 0230 gmt, which said that
there were no casualties or damage. The same bulletin was broadcast
in Dari at 0330 gmt.
Between the news bulletins, the radio broadcast announcements and
advertisements, a press review, commentaries and songs.
After the news, a commentary in Pashto was broadcast saying that
bravery, heroism and sacrifice were the factors which help a nation
protect independence. The commentary discussed the failed Afghan
invasions by the USSR and the British. This was followed by a
commentary in Dari saying that large countries wanted to bring small
countries under their control, and again discussing the failed
Afghan invasions of the USSR and the British. Songs began after the
commentaries.
>From 0345 gmt to 0700 gmt, Radio Voice of Shari'ah from Kabul ended
its morning broadcasts as scheduled.
At 1230 gmt, Radio Voice of Shari'ah from Kabul commenced its
regular evening programming on 657 kHz mediumwave and 7087 kHz
shortwave.
Taleban media confirm radio targeted
The Taleban-affiliated Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) agency, based in
Pakistan, reported on 8 October 0510 gmt that people were killed
when a bomb fell near the Taleban Radio Voice of Shari'ah office in
Kabul.
This follows similar reports by the official Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA) and Agence France Presse on 7 October that the Taleban
radio office in Kabul had been hit by US-British air strikes.
(BBCM via DXLD 1-143)
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