[cr-india] (Long) CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH Iraq Special

Fri Feb 28 13:59:10 CET 2003

--------------xxxxxxxxxx CRW 127 EXTRA xxxxxxxxxx--------------

CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH  Iraq Special
February 28, 2003

Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) is a biweekly summary which 
centralizes the latest news and developments affecting the study of 
clandestine radio in an easy-to-read format. Editions are published 
on the CRW web site. Access to CRW is free.

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Editor-in-Chief :
Martin Schoech, Merseburg    : schoech at clandestineradio.com

Correspondents :
Achraf Chaabane, Sfax        : achraf at clandestineradio.com
Nick Grace C., Washington    : grace at clandestineradio.com
Robertas Petraitis, Klaipeda : tornado493 at hotmail.com
Takuya Hirayama, Tokyo       : hirayama at clandestineradio.com

Next issue - CRW 128 : March 15, 2003

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(UN Freedom of Information Conference, 1948)

------------xxxxxxxxxx Breaking News xxxxxxxxxx----------------

IRAQ : "RADIO TIKRIT" CRITICIZES SADDAM, "OPPRESSIVE" 
IRAQI REGIME

...............................................................

IRAQ : "RADIO TIKRIT" CRITICIZES SADDAM, "OPPRESSIVE" 
IRAQI REGIME

A station identifying itself as "Radio Tikrit", which was observed on 7 
and 8 February to carry programmes and news echoing the Iraqi 
media and to refer to Saddam Husayn and the Iraqi regime in 
respectful terms, was observed this week, on 15 and 19 February, to 
reverse its behaviour and to carry talks that were critical of the Iraqi 
regime and its leader.   

Unlike earlier in the month, when the "Open dialogue" programme 
included items glorifying "Saddam Husayn's Iraq", the programme 
this week included items highlighting poverty in Iraq. Newscasts 
were no longer copied from the news programmes of the Iraqi radio 
and television. The newscast on 19 February included an item 
highlighting the role of the United Nations in vaccinating Iraqi 
children. Whilst the "Before it is too late" programme on 7 February 
was critical of the United States and its attempts to build alliances 
with Arab countries, on 15 and 19 February this programme was 
sharply critical of Saddam Husayn's Republican Guards and the 
Public Security Department respectively. Members of the Republican 
Guards were advised to leave their positions "before it is too late". 
Likewise, public security officers were advised by the programme on 
19 February to refuse the "orders of the tyrant" and "be brave before 
it is too late".  

Unlike Iraqi government radios, it was not observed to sign on or off 
with the Iraqi national anthem, nor did it play pro-Saddam songs. 
The station was checked on 15 and 19 February from 1900-2100 
gmt, sign-on to sign-off, on 1584 kHz. Reception continues to be 
poor because of co-channel interference and fading, which renders 
the radio unmonitorable for several minutes at a time.

I. Summary of the 15 February broadcast:

1. Sign-on with Arabic music. "This is Radio Tikrit." Repeated 
several times by male and female announcers. "For all of Iraq and all 
the Iraqis, Radio Tikrit."

2. The radio announced that it started its broadcast on medium wave 
189 metres, corresponding to 1584 kHz. The announcer then gave a 
programme preview. (2.2 minutes) [hey, got it right! -- gh]

3. Kor`anic recitation, followed by religious talk about "arrogance". It 
said arrogant people should be treated harshly in order to humiliate 
them. Humbleness should also be in moderation, otherwise it turns 
into humiliation (6 min).  

4. Newscast: (7.4 min)

a. US president renews his accusations that Iraq has weapons of 
mass destruction. He says that it shelters members of Al-Qa'idah. 
Colin Powell talks about the post-Saddam era.
b. France, Germany, Russia and China say that it is important that 
the inspection work should continue.

c. Washington says the continuation of the inspection work is not the 
solution because of Baghdad's ill intentions.

d. Egypt says most Arab countries have agreed to hold an Arab 
summit over Iraq this month. The summit will discuss an Arab 
solution to the conflict. Libyan president says he will not attend.

e. The United States decides to expel the Iraqi journalist Muhammad 
Allawy who works as a correspondent at the UN.

5. Arab Press Review, covers the London-based papers Al-Hayat, 
Al-Quds al-Arabi, Al-Sharq al-Awsat. (Partly indistinct) (7.6 min)

6. Weather conditions in Iraq. (1.6 min)

7. "Open Dialogue Programme": (60 min) Includes the following 
items interspersed with music and Arab and Iraqi songs:

a. Talk about Iraqi citizens having to sell parts of their homes, such 
as doors and windows, to get money for their daily living and 
sustenance. This of course makes the houses dangerous to live in.

b. Summary of the news items listed above.

c. Talk about an Arab proverb which means that if one is caught 
between two sides each working for his own interest, this person will 
end up losing all. (Partly indistinct)

d. Talk about mistakes people make due to being preoccupied with 
daily worries. Such mistakes end up in embarrassing situations. 
(Partly indistinct)

e. Indistinct talk about the Japanese and their punctuality. (Mostly 
indistinct)

f. Talk about a member of the Ba'th Party who died of a heart attack. 
He was a good family man and a good friend. (Mostly indistinct)

g. News summary: headlines of the news items listed above.

8. "Before it is too late" programme. We will read a letter written by 
an honourable officer of the Republican Guards. The letter says that 
Saddam formed the division for his family's personal protection, 
depriving the guards' members of any honourable patriotic 
description. He took advantage of their financial needs and deprived 
them of the right to get education. In doing so, Saddam isolated 
those guards from the rest of the Iraqis. He then overburdened them 
with special tasks that separated them from their own families and 
tribes. These tasks included anti-people missions such as 
executions, kidnappings and spying on their fellow citizens. Why was 
this? So that Saddam will remain on top, so that his sons Qusay and 
Uday will rule, and so that Sab'awi and Ali Hasan al-Majid are 
appointed lords over the people. Those who used you are planning 
to flee, leaving you to face the consequences of your crimes with 
bloodstained hands. You would be fools not to realize the extent of 
the popular wrath that awaits you if you do not leave this gang and 
flee. Each will be witness to reveal the crimes of the others. You are 
aware of the size of the crimes that Saddam and his gang committed 
against innocent people. Leave this gang, leave the guards before it 
is too late. (5 min) Newscast: Repeat of the news items listed above. 
(7 min) Sign-off. "From Tikrit Radio, we wish you good night." Music. 
Radio goes of the air.  

II. Summary of the 19 February broadcast:

1. Sign-on. "We greet you from Radio Tikrit and we start our 
transmission for Wednesday 19 February".

2. Indistinct talk (2 min).

3. Kor`anic recitation (indistinct) followed by religious talk about the 
importance of curing the illnesses (wickedness) of the heart to keep 
it pure and clean. The heart should be filled with the love of God and 
the eagerness to stay away from evil that invites the wrath of God. (6 
min)

4. Newscast: (9 minutes)

a. Iraqi UN envoy says Iraq is ready to cooperate with the inspectors 
to destroy Al-Sumud II missiles.

b. President Bush repeats his accusations that Saddam Husayn 
disregards UN Resolution 1441. (Indistinct).

c. Washington and Ankara are getting closer to reaching an 
agreement on Iraq. (Indistinct) NATO agrees to protect Turkey in 
case of threat.

d. Pentagon spokesperson says that Iraq will be the field for the first 
electronic war in history.

e. The United Nations vaccinates Iraqi children against polio.

5. Arab Press Review: The review includes Al-Hayat, and Al-Sharq 
al-Awsat. (5 minutes; partly indistinct)

6. Weather conditions in Iraq. (1 minute)

7. "Open Dialogue Programme": The programme includes the 
following items interspersed with Arabic and Iraqi songs and music. 
(40 minutes) a. The announcer greets all Iraqis, men, women and 
children in each and every Iraqi city and village. He expresses hope 
that the programme will help every Iraqi and express the aspirations 
and concerns of the Iraqi people. This is followed by love song. 
Reception becomes very poor.

b. Indistinct talk about Iraqi people who died or were lost and never 
returned home during the wars that the Ottoman empire launched 
against Western countries. He says that they do not want the same 
tragedy to be repeated because of Saddam and his oppressive 
regime. (Talk in local Iraqi dialect).

c. Newscast: (11 minutes)
- Little progress in interviewing Iraqi scientists. This may be a reason 
for a military action against Saddam.
- Blair says that a new resolution is needed for a military action 
against Iraq. (Indistinct)
- Bush says that world demonstrations will not make him change his 
plans.
- Australia's UN envoy calls on the Security Council to deal seriously 
with Iraq, lest international security is greatly jeopardized.
- The Pentagon sends 28,000 soldiers to the Gulf region.

d. Talk about childhood. Children are the future of Iraq. Happy 
childhood means a bright and promising future. So, harming children 
in Iraq is a historic crime for which all those who cause this crime to 
happen are accountable.

e. Talk about fish as a dish that the Iraqis like and know how to 
cook. But these days a limited segment of the Iraqi people is able to 
have this delicious food in their meals.

f. Talk about a dialogue between two Iraqi citizens. The first 
expresses fears that even the very little they have now would not last 
if things do not change. The second one says that it is the fault of the 
Iraqis who accept the present situation.

g. Horoscope.

8. Newscast: repeat of above items. (Most of the cast indistinct) (6 
minutes).

9. "Political Analysis": The Iraqi envoy to the United Nations says that 
Iraq is ready to cooperate with the inspectors for the destruction of 
Al-Sumud missiles. This is an attempt by the Iraqi regime to show 
the world that it is accurately implementing Resolution 1441. Yet this 
issue should not be viewed on a technical level. It should be viewed 
in light of the reasons that prompted the leadership to violate the UN 
arrangements and the cease-fire agreements. It should be viewed in 
light of the motives that prompted it to spend millions of dollars on 
this while the Iraqi people are in great need of food and medicine. 
(Indistinct) All this shows that this regime would never change, and 
that the only way to enjoy both the wealth of Iraq and security is for 
this regime to leave Iraq. (2 minutes)  

10. "Names to Remember." Talk about Abd-al-Khaliq al-Samarra'i. 
He chose to remain a thinker in the Regional and National 
Command of the Ba'th Party while his fellow comrades, for personal 
gains, took high ranks of authority when the party took over power 
on 19 July 1960. [Indistinct]. He chose to live a very humble life. This 
made others envious and plotted against him and had him executed. 
With his death intellectual dialogue was replaced by the force of 
arms, and conspiracy replaced the power of reason. The party 
deviated from its goals of creating the great homeland. (4 minutes)  

11. News summary: (2 minutes) Iraqi folk songs.

12. Talk entitled " Before It Is Too Late". The Iraqis have many 
negative memories about the behaviour of officers of the Public 
Security Department, particularly after 1979. They remember when 
these officers were indulged in arresting many citizens because they 
belonged to parties of the opposition. They remember how those 
detainees were placed in vehicles designed like animal cages. They 
still remember the collective graves for hundreds of people. 
(Indistinct). Everything at the security department is still ugly, painful 
and disgusting, including betrayal of friends, spying on families, 
attacking people and rape. The public security officer has become a 
symbol of the Iraqi tyrant, or a small image of him after adopting 
some of the traits of his sick personality. Iraqis regard him with hate 
for his actions. There is still chance for public security officers if they 
repent and decide to do something good for Iraq. There are many 
things that can be done by public security officers. Such as refusing 
orders of the tyrant and the torture of Iraqis who will express support 
for the forces of change. The public security officer should be brave 
before it is too late. (9 minutes) Iraqi songs

13. Newscast: Repeat of the above listed news. (7 minutes) Sign-off 
at 2058 gmt
Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 19 Feb 03 (released 22 
Feb via DXLD 3-030)

------------xxxxxxxxxx Schedules xxxxxxxxxx--------------------

Schedules - IRAQ

Voice of Iraqi People

Freq change for clandestine Voice of People in Arabic to Iraq:
1300-0300 NF 9750*, ex 9570 \\ 9563 and 11710

* co-ch 1300-1500 NHK World in Japanese
        1500-1600 NHK World in English
        1600-1800 NHK World in Japanese
        1800-1830 BBC in Azeri
        1830-1900 VOA in Azeri
        2030-2125 VOIROI/IRIB in Spanish
(Observer 244 Feb 19, 2003 via W.Büschel-D for CRW)

------------xxxxxxxxxx Logs xxxxxxxxxx-------------------------

Logs - IRAQ

Radio Tikrit

R. Tikrit, 1584: Either from Northern Kurdistan [a mobile US 
transmitter unit moved there according to recent German newspaper 
reports, ed.] or the Clandestine Harris 50 kW station atKuwait, latter 
is doing on 1566 kHz till 1830 UT as "Twin Rivers
Radio".
(W.Bueschel-D in BCDX Feb 13, 2003 via DXLD 3-026)

Around 2256 UT I was trying 1584 to get R. Tikrit, but much to my 
astonishment there was the news read by 2 OM and they were 
typically talking like the official R. Baghdad (idha`at jamhuryat al 
Iraq) as they were talking about how great was the Iraqi soliders to 
fight the US and British planes and that they will show them more!!!! 
Around 2259 an announcement by another OM dear listeners by this 
we've reached the end of out transmission for tonight all the best, 
good night! I was hoping to hear the Iraqi National Anthem .. but .. 
nothing went off the air just like that!  

So does this mean that now the Official Baghdad radio is trying to 
have QRM with R. Tikrit? so he moved to this freq?
(T.Zeidan-EGY Feb 7, 2003 in BC-DX via DXLD 3-026)

Broadcast time of real R. Tikrit clandestine operation is 1900-2100 
UT only, yet (W.Bueschel-D in BCDX Feb 13, 2003 via DXLD 3-026)

Well, sounds like the previous BBCM report of `black` programming, 
but Iraq could well move onto the frequency too
(G.Hauser-USA in DXLD 3-026)

Radio Tikrit. 18/02/2003. 19:00 UTC. On 1584 kHz. Poor signal with 
lot of QRM and fading. Reception, as monitored here in Tunisia is 
overally poor. I could listen to the station only for the first 10 minutes. 
I listend to the Holy Quran (Sourate 'Al Bakara') then a short 
religious speech, after that I listened to the news headlines.
(A.Chaabane-TUN Feb 18, 2003 for CRW)

Voice of Iraqi People

9750 V.O.Iraqi People. Arabic from Saudi Arabia to IRQ
V.O.Iraqi People. Arabic to IRQ 1300-2400 9563.05 ARS. \\ ex9570, 
11710.

Heard today - Feb 18th - with strong signal on new 9750 (x9570) 
around 1900-2000 UT. 9750 reported widely in DXpress recently

\\ when music/songs theme were played, also noted on thiny 9563 
kHz but distorted audio, very poor, heard at best when switched to 
usb mode.

Near 11712.00 kHz noted a very thiny carrier also...
(W.Büschel-D Feb 18, 2003 in DXplorer-ML)

9750 Vo the Iraqi People 2208-2230 02/19 AR. Mx and tlks. Military-
band style intro, OM w/ tlks, mx outro. (P) ID at 2230, but crushed by 
RCI, Sackville 9755 s/on. Good.
(S.R.Barbour Jr-NH-USA Feb 19, 2003 in DXplorer-ML)

9570 V.O.Iraqi People Feb 22 1515-1525 33332 Arabic, Koran. 
//9563.1kHz.
(Ko.Hashimoto-J Feb 22, 2003 in JAP 253)

Voice of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq

Voice of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. 19/02/2003. 05:20 UTC. 
Good signal but moderate fading. I listened to an iraqi song then the 
ID.
(A.Chaabane-TUN Feb 19, 2003 for CRW)

Monitoring Iraq

A couple of shortwave logs of Iraqi clandestines - selected from
http://www.dxing.info/community/viewtopic.php?t=857 - as examples 
of the changing frequencies, both intentional and drifting:

kHz - date - time UTC - station, comments:

3899.97 26.2. 0400 Voice of Iraqi People, Iraqi Communist Party.
3901.94 24.2. -1846* Voice of Iraqi People, Iraqi Communist Party.
4025.4v, 24.2. 1728 Voice of the People of Kurdistan
4026.7v 26.2. 0310 Voice of the People of Kurdistan, // 4417.5, soon 
drifting to 4026.08 // 4416.9
4085 24,25.2. -1931* Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, the strongest one of 
the Kurdish stations
4090 26.2. 0400- Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, first an ID in Kurdish, but 
the rest of the programming was in Arabic
9570 24.2. 0010 Voice of the Iraqi People, back here for a change, 
ex-9750, ex-9570

For a more comprehensive report about what's happening, check 
out "Monitoring Iraq: War of the Airwaves" at 
http://www.dxing.info/articles/iraq.dx - a guide to monitoring radio 
stations transmitting to and from Iraq. The article contains frequency, 
schedule and contact information for stations involved in the conflict,
including the stations of the Iraqi government, of Kurds and other 
opposition groups, propaganda operations and international 
broadcasting stations targeting Iraq. Please email me, or post on the 
DXing.info Community, if you have corrections or additions to the 
article.
(M.Makelainen-FIN Feb 26, 2003 in DXplorer-ML)

------------xxxxxxxxxx QSL Verifications xxxxxxxxxx------------

------------xxxxxxxxxx Miscellaneous xxxxxxxxxx----------------

Misc - IRAQ

The USA and clandestine broadcasting

This item referenced in previous issue
http://www.afsoc.af.mil/panews/psychologicaloperations_escalate.ht
m
goes into considerable detail into US-sponsored clandestine 
broadcasting, going rather candidly into which stations are involved, 
from where. Since it is on an official military site, we can only 
assume it is unclassified, and accurate ---- unless disinformation 
applies... Tsk, tsk, the VOA is involved with the CIA! Pertinent 
excerpts:

Defense & Foreign Affairs Daily, February 7, 2003

US PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS ESCALATE AGAINST IRAQ

Analysis. By Michael Knights, GIS (Global Information System).

Alongside the escalation of no-fly zone enforcement and the build-up 
of US forces in the Gulf, the US Government has slowly escalated its 
program of psychological operations (PSYOP) in the region. The 
objectives sought by US PSYOP are more ambitious than ever 
before, including "transformation of the psychological environment" 
of the Iraqi security state, according to one Pentagon source, as well 
as a broader campaign to reduce antipathy to Washington`s Iraq 
policy in the Arab world and international community...

Although new money could help to rejuvenate the State 
Department`s US Information Agency (USIA)  historically a key 
PSYOP conduit for the US  the majority of PSYOP radio 
broadcasts entering Iraq are run by the US Central Intelligence 
Agency (CIA) and its counterparts in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Of 
the 27 major stations broadcasting into Iraq, USIA only produces 
Radio Free Iraq (using part of the $97-million allotted to "government 
change" by the Iraq Liberation Act) and Radio Sawa, a Jordanian-
based Arabic service of the Voice of America which recently 
received new State Department funding amounting to $35-million. As 
part of its institutional effort to restrict the rôle of the Iraqi National 
Congress (INC), the State Department in May 2002 blocked funding 
which would have allowed the relaunch of the INC`s Radio Hurriah 
(Freedom).  

The CIA continues to operate a number of stations aligned with its 
favored opposition grouping, the Iraqi National Accord (INA). These 
operate primarily from the 50kw Voice of America transmitter in 
Kuwait. The main CIA-run stations, al-Mustaqbal and Voice of the 
Brave Armed Forces, primarily broadcast to the Iraqi military, inciting 
officers to launch coup attempts. The latter station is part-run by 
Jordanian intelligence. Saudi intelligence, meanwhile, has run the 
Jeddah-based Voice of the Iraqi People since 1991. Though USIA-
run Voice of America Arabic language stations have increased their 
output dramatically, they are not believed to attract wide audiences 
amongst key constituencies such as youth or the armed forces.  

Although these opposition and Western-run radio stations continue 
to broadcast from Kuwait, Iraqi Kurdistan, Saudi, and Jordan, the US 
DoD has now added its airborne transmitters to the spectrum. 
Lockheed Martin EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft of the 193rd 
Special Operations Wing began radio transmissions into southern 
Iraq on December 12, 2002, broadcasting to the "soldiers of Iraq" 
with news of the US build-up and encouragement to overthrow the 
Government, and to the "people of Iraq", with information about the 
effects of Ba`athist policies on their standard of living as well as 
focus on the unanimous invocation of UN resolution 1441. Leaflet 
drops in early January 2003 pointed Iraqis to the frequencies used 
by the Commando Solo aircraft.  

In the past, Commando Solo aircraft have broadcast Iraqi opposition 
radio stations, increasing their propagation range through the 
aircraft`s altitude. Though Commando Solo has broadcast INA 
stations such as al-Mustaqbal in the past, it was likely that since the 
DoD picked up the funding of the INC, its aircraft would also provide 
a new conduit for INC material. This would lighten the programming 
load on the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg. 
Opposition figures were also likely to assist with the heavy task of 
generating television programming, which Commando Solo can also 
broadcast. US military PSYOP are likely to set up television stations 
after a new military operation, using the same Special Operation 
Media Systems modules that were deployed to condition the 
Bosnian population to a prolonged US military presence.  

The PSYOP effort recently added e-mail dissemination to its quiver 
of arrows. The messages, sent to senior Iraqi decision-makers, 
offered clemency after any future fall of the Iraqi Government in 
return for assistance in finding WMD and resistance concerning any 
order to use them during a conflict. Recipients were asked to use 
light signals at night to signal the position of WMD, cueing UN 
weapons inspectors onto the position. Iraqi commanders were 
warned that use of WMD would make them "war criminals".

Though traditional PSYOP methods (such as 12 rounds of PSYOP 
leaflet
drops in the no-fly zones) were also executed, the multi-media, 
multi-agency effort underway was allowing the US to undertake a 
highly complex and ambitious PSYOP campaign. At the strategic 
level, the US was attempting to reduce international antipathy to its 
unpopular Iraq policy. At the operational level, the US can use its 
radio and television conduits to get a range of complex messages 
across to its targets. The Iraqi people are first being conditioned to 
accept the US military and disregard Ba`athist orders to mount 
general resistance to an invasion; later, during military operations, 
they would be ordered to remain at home and avoid Iraqi and US 
forces for their own safety.

Different parts of the Iraqi military, meanwhile, were being targeted 
according to their rôle. Air defense operators and general military 
units were being advised to abandon their equipment, and desist 
from repairing damaged installations. Weapons of mass destruction 
operators were being offered the opportunity to redeem themselves 
in a post-Ba`athist reckoning by ignoring orders to fire and identifying 
weapons locations. Senior officers were being encouraged to 
prepare to seize control of the State. Perhaps due to this multi-
faceted effort, President Saddam Hussein stated in December 2002 
that hostile propaganda was "a bigger threat than bombs".

[Italics:] A Note on Radio Hurriah: Radio Hurriah, which broadcast 
between 1992-97, was established by the Rendon Group, a 
consultancy run by former CIA official John Rendon, as part of a new 
"strategic communications" effort against the Ba`athist Government 
of Iraq. The INC-aligned station operated as part of the Iraq 
Broadcasting Company (IBC), using facilities in Iraqi Kurdistan as 
well as piggybacking on Voice of America facilities in Kuwait, 
courtesy of the CIA. Shortly after celebrating its greatest success  
purportedly causing the Iraqi flag bearer to defect at the 1996 
Olympic games  the IBC organization suffered a reversal of 
fortunes. During the September 1996 Iraqi Government incursion 
into Kurdistan, almost all of the 100-strong Kurdish-based staff were 
captured and executed. In January 1997, the CIA refused to 
continue transmission of Radio Hurriah from Kuwait
(via G.Hauser-USA in DXLD 3-027)

Al-Jazeera programme debates Arab, US media role in Iraq crisis

A US "disinformation" campaign and a psychological war against 
Iraq and the Arabs was the stated topic of discussion on the Al-
Jazeera Satellite Channel in its regularly scheduled live "Opposite 
Direction" discussion programme presented by Dr Faysal al-Qasim 
in the studio in Doha at 1835 gmt on 18 February.

The programme guests were Majdi Ahmad Husayn, former chief 
editor of Cairo Al-Sha'b newspaper and current secretary general of 
the Egyptian People's Party, and Dr Jamal Abd-al-Jawad, researcher 
in strategic affairs at the Al-Ahram Centre, in the studio in Doha.

The presenter began by saying that some people believe the 
western media, followed by the Arab media, is launching a major 
media terrorist campaign and intimidation against the Arab street. 
The aims are to frighten the Arab citizens and make it appear as 
though the Americans have already won the war against Iraq and 
invaded it and would follow that up with an attack against Syria and 
the partitioning of the region and Saudi Arabia.

Asked to comment, Abd-al-Jawad said he did not believe that this 
was the case and that countries prepare various tools and methods 
for any political or military battle, including the media machine. The 
aim was to prepare the stage and public opinion for the battles and 
its outcome. He said that the Americans are no exception in this 
regard and that the media is a part of politics. The media does not 
fabricate facts but chooses the facts and interprets them in the way it 
wants and that this is what the US Administration is doing.

Abd-al-Jawad said that what is happening in the United States now 
is political and not media action and that he can speak about the US 
administration rather than the US media. The US administration is 
propagating a number of arguments and claims and possibilities that 
are part of this media campaign. He said that he believes the US 
media still enjoys a great deal more objectivity than the US 
Administration's statements. The United States is experiencing 
exceptional circumstances, including the unprecedented rightwing 
administration and the 11 September incidents.

Abd-al-Jawad said: "One of our failures in the world is our 
negligence of the impact of 11 September on the American society. 
This does not mean that we necessarily agree with the conclusions 
that the Americans have reached with regard to the 11 September 
incidents. But these incidents have left a very deep impact that we 
do not seem to feel or sense." He also said that the talk in the Arab 
World about US plans to occupy and partition the region and attack 
other Arab countries after Iraq is not part of the US media campaign. 
This talk originated from the anti-US opposition political trends in the 
Arab World, which are trying to mobilize the Arab street against 
possible US intervention in Iraq.

Husayn said that the expected US war against Iraq is essentially an 
aggression and not a legitimate thing and that one should not 
therefore try and find excuses for the US media campaign as being 
legitimate. He also said that he regularly follows the US media and 
that the main US television networks and major newspapers are 
"centralized and controlled. The differences and disagreements are 
only published when there are two viewpoints inside the US 
Administration, which controls the media when there is agreement 
on one viewpoint."

Husayn said he did not know how Abd-al-Jawad can say that the 
Arab opposition political trends are the ones that propagate the idea 
about US invasion and occupation and partitioning of the region. He 
said that it is the US officials who are saying this and that one should 
not "dwell" on the story of the 11 September incidents. Husayn said 
that the American people have started to fear Arab and Islamic 
reactions and that this is the reason for these anti-war 
demonstrations. The American people are saying that they will bear 
the consequences of this aggressor war in terms of more hatred. As 
a result, the US Administration has therefore become isolated. 
These demonstrations disprove the idea of US democracy because 
US opinion polls said that the American people support this war and 
it has now been confirmed that this is not the case.

Asked to respond, Abd-al-Jawad said that there is no official US 
document that says that these are the clear and specific US 
objectives in the region from the war against Iraq. But various 
statements are made and many originate from unofficial circles. He 
said that one cannot apply the example of the Arab countries to the 
United States and "truncate" the United States to merely a 
government that exists and nothing else. The American society is 
open and massive and diverse and has institutions and strong 
academic and cultural life and the media is to a large extent 
independent.

Citing examples, Abd-al-Jawad said that the Boston Globe is almost 
totally opposed to the US administration's position on the war against 
Iraq while the Washington Post and New York Times adopt an 
almost balanced position on this war. He said that he believes the 
talk that the United States seeks to partition the Arab world is 
contradictory. "How can the aim of the declared US policy be to 
partition the Arab world and subsequently destroy the existing 
countries in it and at the same time the United States asks for the 
assistance of these countries in the war against Iraq?"

Abd-al-Jawad said he believed that there is a misunderstanding or 
misinterpretation of the part pertaining to the partitioning or 
"reshaping" of the Arab world that Colin Powell and others have 
talked about. He said he does not believe that the intention is to 
redraw maps and that there is a difference between redrawing the 
map of the region and reshaping or remodelling the region. Abd-al-
Jawad said that the Americans describe "reforms" and believe that 
the way the Arab societies are run is what gave birth to the people 
who carried out the 11 September incidents.

Husayn asked what the aim of the United States was by waging war 
against Iraq, if it is not the partitioning of Iraq and the region. Abd-al-
Jawd said that this US administration has several objectives from 
this war but that he believes that these objectives could not be 
achieved with the methods this administration is using. He said that 
neither the US objectives from this war or the methods it is using to 
achieve these objectives are "rational" and that the United States is 
practising "political naivete and dementia." Abd-al-Jawad said that if 
the United States imagines it could change the Arab world and the 
region through a military invasion of Iraq, it is deluded. He said he 
believed that this objective is unattainable.

Asked to respond, Husayn said that the issue of partitioning Iraq and 
the region is mentioned in all the debates inside the US 
administration's research centres and inside Congress. He also said 
that the United States has threatened the countries that refused to 
assist in the war against Iraq, such as Saudi Arabia, with partitioning. 
Husayn said that some prominent American journalists have even 
recently threatened France and China. He said that the "partitioning 
is not an end in itself and is not sacred" but the aim is to control the 
Arab nation, whether united or divided, and to occupy it. Husayn said 
that the American media on a daily basis is used to intimidate and 
frighten other countries.

The presenter said that Usamah Bin-Ladin in his latest tape referred 
to the US media and how it was used in the war in Afghanistan and 
its impact. Husayn said that the United States suffered from a 
complete media defeat in this war and that it is known that Usamah 
Bin-Ladin won the media war through these tapes. He said that this 
drove the United States insane and it punished Al-Jazeera 
Television and that the "US media actually collapsed and lost its 
credibility."

Husayn said that what "Shaykh Usamah Bin-Ladin said about two 
daily operations being carried out [in Afghanistan] is true" and that 
the reports the "Taleban transmits via the Internet are extremely 
accurate." Abd-al-Jawad said that he is not saying that Bin Ladin is 
lying but has a political agenda and is telling half of the truth. Husayn 
said that it has been proven that all the things the Taleban talked 
about in Afghanistan were true and that, regrettably, the Arab media 
ignored the Taleban media and merely repeated what the US media 
said.

Abd-al-Jawad said he is certain that if the US media obtained any 
information about what is happening in Afghanistan it would publish 
it. He said that it would be a mistake if the Arabs dealt with the "US 
media as though it were a mouthpiece for disseminating lies." Abd-
al-Jawad also said that the noticeable thing is that the United States 
is quickly losing its credibility around the world and almost has no 
friends in the world. The way the United States deals with world 
public opinion, whether through the statements by the US 
Administration or the leaks by the US media, is an "erroneous 
policy." He said that it might perhaps be in the interest of the 
enemies of the United States if it continued with this policy.

Muwaffaq Harb, official in charge of the American station Radio 
Sawa, joined the programme by telephone from Dubai. The 
presenter asked him to respond to numerous "US lies and 
deception" about Iraq. Harb said that Husayn's remarks indicate that 
he does not belong to this era. With regard to the US media, he said 
the problem is that Arab intellectuals and journalists borrow 
expressions and phrases from the Arab media and apply them to the 
US media, which is not a part of the US political makeup. Husayn 
said that the US media imposed a news blackout on the suffering of 
Iraqi children from the effects of the depleted uranium the United 
States used against Iraq and the massacres that were perpetrated in 
Afghanistan. He also said that the US media is imposing a news 
blackout on the plight of the Palestinians now.

Abd-al-Jawad said that the Arab media in general is objective and 
opposed to the US policy towards Iraq and does not repeat what the 
US media says in a parrot fashion, as some claim. Husayn 
disagrees and said that most of the Arab media repeats what the US 
media says and that some Arab newspapers peddle "US lies" and 
also "defeatism" inside the Arab societies.

Several viewers also participated in the programme either by 
phoning in or by sending messages via the Internet. Almost all of the 
viewers criticized the US media and assailed the Arab media.
(Source: Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 1835 gmt 18 Feb 03)

U.S. plan for Iraq: Hit hard, hit fast, protect civilians

"Radio broadcasts denouncing Hussein's regime and carrying 
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's Pentagon briefings are 
now being aired on Iraqi frequencies. Should war come, there would 
be more radio and television broadcasts from facilities in Kuwait and 
studios aboard C-130 aircraft."
http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/iraq/bal-
te.battle24feb24,0,218760.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
(via A.Sennit-HOL Feb 24, 2003 for CRW)

PSYOPS article in NY Times

NY Times Feb 24, 2003
Firing Leaflets and Electrons, U.S. Wages Information War
By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 - Even before President Bush orders 
American forces to loose bullets and bombs on Iraq, the military is 
starting an ambitious assault using a growing arsenal of electronic 
and psychological weapons on the information battlefield.

American cyber-warfare experts recently waged an e-mail assault, 
directed at Iraq's political, military and economic leadership, urging 
them to break with Saddam Hussein's government. A wave of calls 
has gone to the private cellphone numbers of specially selected 
officials inside Iraq, according to leaders at the Pentagon and in the 
regional Central Command.

As of last week, more than eight million leaflets had been dropped 
over Iraq - including towns 65 miles south of Baghdad - warning Iraqi 
antiaircraft missile operators that their bunkers will be destroyed if 
they track or fire at allied warplanes. In the same way, a blunt offer 
has gone to Iraqi ground troops: surrender, and live.

But the leaflets are old-fashioned instruments compared with some 
of the others that are being applied already or are likely to be used 
soon.

Radio transmitters hauled aloft by Air Force Special Operations EC-
130E planes are broadcasting directly to the Iraqi public in Arabic 
with programs that mimic the program styles of local radio stations 
and are more sophisticated than the clumsy preachings of previous 
wartime propaganda efforts.

"Do not let Saddam tarnish the reputation of soldiers any longer," 
one recent broadcast said. "Saddam uses the military to persecute 
those who don't agree with his unjust agenda. Make the decision."

Military planners at the United States Central Command expect to 
rely on many kinds of information warfare - including electronic 
attacks on power grids, communications systems and computer 
networks, as well as deception and psychological operations - to 
break the Iraqi military's will to fight and sway Iraqi public opinion.

Commanders may use supersecret weapons that could flash 
millions of watts of electricity to cripple Iraqi computers and 
equipment, and literally turn off the lights in Baghdad if the campaign 
escalates to full-fledged combat.

"The goal of information warfare is to win without ever firing a shot," 
said James R. Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Central Command in 
Tampa, Fla. "If action does begin, information warfare is used to 
make the conflict as short as possible."

Senior military officials say, for example, that the American radio 
shows broadcast from the EC-130E "Commando Solo" planes follow 
the format of a popular Iraqi station, "Voice of the Youth," managed 
by President Hussein's
older son, Uday.

The American programs open with greetings in Arabic, followed by 
Euro-pop and 1980's American rock music - intended to appeal to 
younger Iraqi troops, perceived by officials as the ones most likely to 
lay down their arms. The broadcasts include traditional Iraqi folk 
music, so as not to alienate other listeners, and a news program in 
Arabic prepared by Army psychological operations experts at Fort 
Bragg, N.C.

Then comes the official message: Any war is not against the Iraqi 
people, but is to disarm Mr. Hussein and end his government.

American commanders say they believe that these psychological 
salvos have, to some degree, influenced Iraqi forces to move their 
defenses or curtail their antiaircraft fire.

"It pays to drop the leaflets," Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, 
commander of allied air forces in the Persian Gulf, said by telephone 
from his headquarters in Saudi Arabia. "It sends a direct message to 
the operator on the gun. It sends a direct message to the chain of 
command."

Deception and psychological operations have been a part of warfare 
for centuries, and American commanders carried out limited 
information attacks - both psychological operations, or "psyops," and 
more traditional electronic warfare like jamming or crippling the 
enemy's equipment - in the Persian Gulf war in 1991 and the air 
campaign over Kosovo in 1999, as well as in Afghanistan. But 
commanders looking back on those campaigns say their current 
planning is much broader and more tightly integrated into the main 
war plan than ever before.

"What we're seeing now is the weaving of electronic warfare, psyops 
and other information warfare through every facet of the plan from 
our peacetime preparations through execution," said Maj. Gen. Paul 
J. Lebras, chief of the Joint Information Operations Center, a 
secretive military agency based in Texas that has sent a team of 
experts to join the Central Command info-warfare team for the Iraq 
campaign.

As modern combat relies increasingly on precision strikes at targets 
carried out over long distances, the military is likewise increasingly 
aware that there are many ways to disable the operations at those 
targets.

An adversary's antiaircraft radar site, for example, can be destroyed 
by a bomb or missile launched by a warplane; it can be captured or 
blown up by ground forces; or the enemy soldiers running the radar 
can be persuaded to shut down the system and just go home.

"We are trying very hard to be empathetic with the Iraqi military," 
said a senior American information warfare official. "We understand 
their situation. The same for the Iraqi population. We wish them no 
harm. We will take great pains to make those people understand 
that they should stay away from military equipment."

Even so, the military's most ardent advocates of information warfare 
acknowledge that American pilots ordered into enemy airspace 
would rather be told that antiaircraft sites were struck first by 
ordnance, rather than by leaflets.

Aerial pictures help the military assess bomb damage to a target. 
The softer kind of strike is harder to assess.

Information warfare experts look for what they call "the voilà 
moment."

"In Afghanistan, the biggest lesson we learned in our tactical 
information operations - the radio and TV broadcasts - was the 
importance in explaining, `Why are we here?' " a senior American 
military officer said. "The majority of Afghanis did not know that Sept. 
11 occurred. They didn't even know of our great tragedy."

During the war in Afghanistan, this officer said, "The voilà moment 
came when we saw that the population understood why coalition 
forces were fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda."

In Iraq, he said, "it will be when we see a break with the leadership."

Delivering radios to the people of Afghanistan presented a particular 
problem. About 500 were air-dropped over the country, and all of 
them were destroyed on impact. The military and aid groups passed 
out more than 6,500, and millions of leaflets were dropped telling the 
Afghan people of frequencies used for the American broadcasts.

The American military also took over one important frequency, 8.7 
megahertz, used by the Taliban for its official radio broadcasts. That 
became possible once the towers used by the Taliban for relaying 
their military commands were blown up as part of the war effort. As 
in most totalitarian governments, the military and government used 
the same system for their radio broadcasts. The American military 
continues to broadcast to the Afghan people over that channel.

Improvisation remains a hallmark of the emerging information war, 
said Brig. Gen. Thomas P. Maney, of the Army's Civil Affairs and 
Psychological Operations Command.

In Afghanistan, General Maney said, the American military found it 
hard to get its radio and television messages out to many villages 
that had access to neither. So Special Forces troops made contact 
with local coffee-house managers, and offered them the same radio 
programs being broadcast from Commando Solo planes, but on 
compact discs to be played over a boom box for the patrons.

The program gave birth to a new icon on the military's maps of 
Afghanistan: a tiny picture of a coffee mug to indicate the location of 
village businesses that agreed to play CD copies of the American 
radio programming.

If Mr. Bush orders an attack against Iraq, the information offensive 
will expand to a fierce but invisible war of electrons. Air commanders 
will rely on a small but essential fleet of surveillance and 
reconnaissance aircraft, including the radar-jamming EC-130H 
Compass Call and electronic-eavesdropping RC-135 Rivet Joint. 
There are just over a dozen of each aircraft in the American arsenal.

Flying from Prince Sultan Air Base, outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 
the Rivet Joint is already playing an important role in collecting Iraqi 
radio and radar emissions, which are jammed when American and 
British planes in the no-flight zones periodically attack targets on the 
ground. The RC-135, a military version of a Boeing 707 jet with a 
bulbous nose filled with sensors, is essentially a flying listening post, 
orbiting at the edge of the battlefield above 30,000 feet.

In the rear of the planes, filled with high-powered computers and 
other sensors, intelligence specialists, many of whom speak Arabic 
or Farsi, monitor the airwaves, intercepting conversations from 
military communications links or other networks. Much of this 
information is passed to the National Security Agency for analysis.

At the front of the plane, which has a 32-member crew, electronic 
warfare specialists sit at a separate bank of computers, gathering up 
radar signals of all kinds, including Iraqi air defenses. Rivet Joints 
have the ability to scan automatically across an array of 
communications frequencies, allowing an operator to home in on 
individual frequencies and pass that information on to the Awacs 
radar or J-Stars ground-surveillance planes, which have better ability 
to pinpoint the locations of the transmissions.

The Compass Call is a modified C-130 cargo plane, also filled with 
high-powered computers and sensors. Usually flying at above 
20,000 feet and, ideally, about 80 to 100 miles from the target to be 
jammed, the Compass Calls are directed to their targets by the Rivet 
Joints, other aircraft or targets identified in their pre-mission 
planning. The 13-member crews include linguists, cryptologists, 
other analysts and the flight personnel.

Metal antenna cables hang down from the plane's tail in a distinctive 
pattern that looks like a metal trapeze or cheese-cutter. Electronic 
signals are collected from sensors in the blunt nose of the airplane; 
antennae in the rear of the aircraft blast electrons that jam enemy 
radar and other communications.

Flying perpendicular to the target to maximize the jamming, on-
board specialists lock on to the frequencies to be disrupted. The 
plane can jam multiple targets at once. When it comes time to carry 
out a mission, a flight officer pushes a little red button on a computer 
keyboard, "JAM," and up to 800 watts of power is zapped at the 
target. If the target switches frequency, the Compass Call operators 
are ready to jam that in a constant cat-and-mouse game.

In a war against Iraq, military commanders say, new technology will 
probably allow those electronic combat planes to plant false targets 
in Iraqi radars and spoof the air defense systems.

In an interview, Gen. John P. Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff, 
declined to discuss the highly classified technical advances, except 
to say, "We're approaching the point where we can tell the SA-10 
radar it is a Maytag washer and not a radar, and put it in the rinse 
cycle instead of the firing cycle."

(There is also a multi-media link to the article with pictures and 
graphics.)
(via H.Johnson-USA Feb 24, 2003 in Cumbre-DX-ML)

Iraqi radio station may be US 'black' propaganda

14:55 25 February 03 NewScientist.com news service

Clues gathered by radio enthusiasts suggest that a mysterious new 
Iraqi radio station is in fact a source of CIA "black" propaganda. 
Radio Tikrit began broadcasting in early February. The station's 
programming reflected that of many other government-sponsored 
stations in Iraq by showing strong support for the Iraqi leader 
Saddam Hussein and his government. The station's name is also the 
name of the Iraqi town where Saddam and other members of his 
government were born. However, by 15 February, the tone of Radio 
Tikrit's programmes began to change dramatically. One show 
reportedly described Iraqis so poor that they had to sell their 
windows and doors. Another, broadcast on 18 February, is reported 
to have encouraged Iraqi soldiers to refuse the "orders of the tyrant" 
and "be brave before it is too late". Mike Mäkeläinen, who runs a 
web site dedicated to tracing the origins of foreign radio stations, 
DXing.info, says all the evidence points to a "black" radio 
propaganda operation. This means the apparent identity of the 
communicator is in fact false.

Triple strength
Radio Tikrit broadcasts at 1584 kHz, a frequency very close those 
used by two radio stations operated by a political group opposed to 
Saddam's rule. The Iraqi National Accord, which is thought to 
receive CIA support, broadcasts Two Rivers Radio at 1566 kHz and 
Radio Al Mustaqbal at 1575 kHz.
The strength of the Radio Tikrit signal is also similar to that used by 
these stations, Mäkeläinen says. This indicates that it may be 
broadcasting from the same station in neighbouring Kuwait. "It's 
relatively simple to measure the strength of a radio signal and tell 
where it's being broadcast from," Mäkeläinen told New Scientist. 
Radio Tikrit also broadcasts only from 1900 GMT and 2100 GMT, in-
between broadcasts by the other two stations.

Voice match
Finally, a posting to the DXing.info web site, from a person 
identifying themselves as Egyptian, suggests the voice of the main 
Radio Tikrit announcer can also be heard on a non-clandestine US 
propaganda station called Information Radio. This station broadcasts 
from airplanes flying near Iraq, a technique also used in the war in 
Afghanistan. Mäkeläinen, who published an analysis of Iraqi radio 
stations on Tuesday, says it is surprising that Radio Tikrit changed 
its standpoint before the start of any US-led military operation.

"I would have expected them to continue the pro-Saddam line until 
they wanted to pass over some misinformation," he says. "Maybe 
they just thought it was time to start influencing the republican guard 
and other Iraqi soldiers." Other reports also suggest that the 
psychological offensive against Iraq is underway. Senior officials in 
the ruling Iraqi government are said to have been targeted with email 
and mobile telephone messages advising them to abandon Saddam 
and not to use chemical or biological weapons in any conflict with the 
US. Will Knight
(via A.Sennit-HOL Feb 25, 2003 for CRW)

Iraqi radio station may be US 'black' propaganda (url belonging to 
article above)
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993430
(via J.Dybka-USA Feb 25, 2003 for CRW)

Hitchens: Saddam Must Be Confronted (excerpt)
By Christopher Hitchens
January 30, 2003

The Daily Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12585179
&method=full&siteid=50143

An immense but little-reported effort is under way, by clandestine 
radio broadcasts from American-sponsored stations, and by "human 
intelligence" assets on the ground, to din one continuous message 
into the ears of Iraqi officers and officials.

Don't be the last person to die for Saddam Hussein. Repeat: Do not 
be the last...." Considerable feedback shows that this is having its 
effect, as it would have to do.
(via N.Grace-USA Feb 25, 2003 for CRW)

Today's Wall Street Journal: "What's the Frequency, Saddam"

For those of you who chase SWL DX in addition to (or instead of) 
Ham DX, there is an interesting article in today's WSJ about a 
Swedish SWL who "discovered" a clandestine radio station operating 
at 1584 kHz. Calling itself "Radio Tikrit" (Tikrit being Saddam's home 
town in Iraq), the Swede first heard its broadcasts in early February. 
The article speculates -- but lacks any confirming evidence -- that 
the broadcasts are a CIA-operated attempt at 
disrupting/discrediting/demoralizing the people of Iraq.

References to "radio amateurs", "DX-ers", QSL "cards", the 
espionage efforts of the world's superpowers, and the 
eavesdropping/interpretation by the BBC monitoring office are 
sprinkled throughout the report.

For the Swedish SWL, the article summarizes, the biggest problem 
is not knowing who to contact for the coveted QSL card! ;-)
(L.Gauthier-USA Feb 26, 2003 in rec.radio.amateur.dx via G.Powell-
G in HCDX-ML)

Firing Leaflets and Electrons, U.S. Wages Information War

By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT, New York Times
February 23, 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/24/international/middleeast/24MILI.
html?pagewanted=all&position=top

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23  Even before President Bush orders 
American forces to loose bullets and bombs on Iraq, the military is 
starting an ambitious assault using a growing arsenal of electronic 
and psychological weapons on the information battlefield.

American cyber-warfare experts recently waged an e-mail assault, 
directed at Iraq's political, military and economic leadership, urging 
them to break with Saddam Hussein's government. A wave of calls 
has gone to the private cellphone numbers of specially selected 
officials inside Iraq, according to leaders at the Pentagon and in the 
regional Central Command.

As of last week, more than eight million leaflets had been dropped 
over Iraq  including towns 65 miles south of Baghdad  warning 
Iraqi antiaircraft missile operators that their bunkers will be destroyed 
if they track or fire at allied warplanes. In the same way, a blunt offer 
has gone to Iraqi ground troops: surrender, and live.

But the leaflets are old-fashioned instruments compared with some 
of the others that are being applied already or are likely to be used 
soon.

Radio transmitters hauled aloft by Air Force Special Operations EC-
130E planes are broadcasting directly to the Iraqi public in Arabic 
with programs that mimic the program styles of local radio stations 
and are more sophisticated than the clumsy preachings of previous 
wartime propaganda efforts.

"Do not let Saddam tarnish the reputation of soldiers any longer," 
one recent broadcast said. "Saddam uses the military to persecute 
those who don't agree with his unjust agenda. Make the decision."

Military planners at the United States Central Command expect to 
rely on many kinds of information warfare  including electronic 
attacks on power grids, communications systems and computer 
networks, as well as deception and psychological operations  to 
break the Iraqi military's will to fight and sway Iraqi public opinion.

Commanders may use supersecret weapons that could flash 
millions of watts of electricity to cripple Iraqi computers and 
equipment, and literally turn off the lights in Baghdad if the campaign 
escalates to full-fledged combat.

"The goal of information warfare is to win without ever firing a shot," 
said James R. Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Central Command in 
Tampa, Fla. "If action does begin, information warfare is used to 
make the conflict as short as possible."

Senior military officials say, for example, that the American radio 
shows broadcast from the EC-130E "Commando Solo" planes follow 
the format of a popular Iraqi station, "Voice of the Youth," managed 
by President Hussein's older son, Uday.

The American programs open with greetings in Arabic, followed by 
Euro-pop and 1980's American rock music  intended to appeal to 
younger Iraqi troops, perceived by officials as the ones most likely to 
lay down their arms. The broadcasts include traditional Iraqi folk 
music, so as not to alienate other listeners, and a news program in 
Arabic prepared by Army psychological operations experts at Fort 
Bragg, N.C.

Then comes the official message: Any war is not against the Iraqi 
people, but is to disarm Mr. Hussein and end his government.

American commanders say they believe that these psychological 
salvos have, to some degree, influenced Iraqi forces to move their 
defenses or curtail
their antiaircraft fire.

"It pays to drop the leaflets," Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, 
commander of allied air forces in the Persian Gulf, said by telephone 
from his headquarters in Saudi Arabia. "It sends a direct message to 
the operator on the gun. It sends a direct message to the chain of 
command."

Deception and psychological operations have been a part of warfare 
for centuries, and American commanders carried out limited 
information attacks  both psychological operations, or "psyops," 
and more traditional electronic warfare like jamming or crippling the 
enemy's equipment  in the Persian Gulf war in 1991 and the air 
campaign over Kosovo in 1999, as well as in Afghanistan. But 
commanders looking back on those campaigns say their current 
planning is much broader and more tightly integrated into the main 
war plan than ever before.

"What we're seeing now is the weaving of electronic warfare, psyops 
and other information warfare through every facet of the plan from 
our peacetime preparations through execution," said Maj. Gen. Paul 
J. Lebras, chief of the Joint Information Operations Center, a 
secretive military agency based in Texas that has sent a team of 
experts to join the Central Command info-warfare team for the Iraq 
campaign.

As modern combat relies increasingly on precision strikes at targets 
carried out over long distances, the military is likewise increasingly 
aware that there are many ways to disable the operations at those 
targets.

An adversary's antiaircraft radar site, for example, can be destroyed 
by a bomb or missile launched by a warplane; it can be captured or 
blown up by ground forces; or the enemy soldiers running the radar 
can be persuaded to shut down the system and just go home.

"We are trying very hard to be empathetic with the Iraqi military," 
said a senior American information warfare official. "We understand 
their situation. The same for the Iraqi population. We wish them no 
harm. We will take great pains to make those people understand 
that they should stay away from military equipment."

Even so, the military's most ardent advocates of information warfare 
acknowledge that American pilots ordered into enemy airspace 
would rather be told that antiaircraft sites were struck first by 
ordnance, rather than by leaflets.

Aerial pictures help the military assess bomb damage to a target. 
The softer kind of strike is harder to assess.

Information warfare experts look for what they call "the voilà 
moment."

"In Afghanistan, the biggest lesson we learned in our tactical 
information operations  the radio and TV broadcasts  was the 
importance in explaining, `Why are we here?' " a senior American 
military officer said. "The majority of Afghanis did not know that Sept. 
11 occurred. They didn't even know of our great tragedy."

During the war in Afghanistan, this officer said, "The voilà moment 
came when we saw that the population understood why coalition 
forces were fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda."

In Iraq, he said, "it will be when we see a break with the leadership."