Clandestine Radio Watch 084 Extra
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CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH Afghanistan in Crisis
October 24, 2001
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.
CRW is both not-for-profit and non-partisan. We welcome your inte-
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CRW Team
Editor-in-Chief : Martin Schoech : schoech@clandestineradio.com
Correspondents:
Baltics Bureau : Robertas Petraitis : tornado493@hotmail.com
Central U.S. Bureau : O. Williamson : williamson@clandestineradio.com
Japan Bureau: Takuya Hirayama
Washington Bureau : Nick Grace C. : grace@clandestineradio.com
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Afghanistan: U.S. Psyops and Turkmenistan
Afghanistan: Transcript of Exchange
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Afghanistan: U.S. Psyops and Turkmenistan
Analysis by Nick Grace C., CRW Washington Bureau
With additional reporting by Takuya Hirayama (Japan), Roberto
Scaglioni (BCLNews.it, Italy), and Kim Andrew Elliott (Washington,DC).
[Oct 24] As Afghanistan continues to be pounded by allied missiles
the United States is finding an unlikely ally in the region:
Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan, which publicly maintains a policy of neutrality, has
kept a low profile throughout the crisis, however, the former Soviet
republic is appearing to be a key player in the game of geopolitics,
diplomacy and espionage unfolding in the shadows of the mountains and
in the deserts of Central Asia.
Unlike Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which are ethnically related to the
Northern Alliance opposition that is fighting the Taliban,
Turkmenistan does not seem to have an axe to grind. In fact, the
government's public position has been to express concern over the
looming Afghan refugee crisis.
President Saparmurad Niyazov already permits the U.S. government use
of Turkmen airspace for humanitarian flights connected to the ongoing
military campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and is allowing
the United
Nations to send food and aid to Afghan refugees through his country.
It also appears that Niyazov, a former Communist Party leader, is
supporting American psychological operations in Afghanistan.
Extensive monitoring by Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) points to
Turkmenistan as the likely location of the American psyops radio
broadcasts, dubbed "Information Radio," being heard worldwide on 8700
kHz.
Characteristics of the signal during the 0030-0530 GMT transmission,
which coincides with sunrise in Central Asia, indicates that the
transmitter is in the region. In fact, at 0223 - the exact moment of
sunrise in Ashgabat - the signal of the broadcast begins to
deteriorate rapidly with rapid-fire fading, which is considered a
telltale clue that the transmitter is entering daylight.
Furthermore, a strange two-way radio exchange that occurred during
scheduled broadcasts on Monday, October 22, suggest that Ashgabat's
involvement in the military campaign is deeper than previously
thought.
The exchange, which was monitored by CRW correspondent Takuya
Hirayama in Japan, indicates that the former Soviet republic is
playing a key role behind the scenes in pumping American propaganda
into Afghanistan.
Following the regular sign-off announcement of the "Information
Radio" program at 1610 GMT a woman was heard keying the microphone of
the psyops transmitter. She then proceeded to present a technical
report - first in broken English and then in Turkmen.
Abbas Djavadi, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Tajik Service
Director, and an Uzbek-language broadcaster with the Voice of America
who wishes to remain anonymous have independently confirmed to CRW
that the language spoken during the exchange is Turkmen.
A man, who was clearly transmitting from a different transmitter,
responded to the woman's report in English and provided her with
suggestions related to the transmitter. The man discussed "breaks
and things" occurring during the transmissions, which seems to refer
to moments of awkward silence and minor technical glitches noted by
CRW and reported elsewhere.
After discussing the situation for two-and-a-half minutes the conver-
sation ended and "Information Radio" resumed broadcasting with a
sign-on announcement in Dari.
A recording of this exchange is available on ClandestineRadio.com. A
full transcript of the recording follows this article.
The broadcasts on 8700 kHz are clearly serving as a studio-to-
transmitter feed for "Information Radio." The transmissions are
being simulcast on MW via the EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft flying
above Afghanistan and are part of the humanitarian campaign the U.S.
military is engaged in to "win the hearts and minds" of the Afghan
people.
While it is clear that Turkmenistan is involved in sending the
programs to the aircraft it remains to be seen if Ashgabat is also
involved in the programming and production. Considering that
American policy has been to appease Pakistan by avoiding full-fledged
support for the Tajik and Uzbek-dominated Northern Alliance, Turkme-
nistan's role in the propaganda campaign - as a reasonably "objec-
tive" player - is logical and would fit into U.S. national security
objectives in Central Asia.
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Afghanistan: Transcript of Exchange
Prepared by CRW Team
Music
Closing announcement of the transmission in Dari
"That's the end of this programme. Dear listeners, until another
program, Good bye."
Music
Silence
Woman (2:27): In U.S. Uh, By offering higher degree of report for the
U.S. air flight into Afghanistan. Eh, (?) (?) (?) (?) power are known
and its capabilities are not doubtful. In loud the United States (?),
eh,
(2:46 into Turkmen)
(2:58) in the hopes of it.
(3:04) brothers in the North?
Man (3:06): (Turkmen)
Woman (3:08): (Turkmen)
Man (3:14): It certainly is. (?) (?) The Government of Pakistan ask
(?) (?) (?)
(Arabic praise to God) I am hopeful, uh, expressed this option are
very doubtful attitude towards the breaks and things. It is said with
this question, uh, make that a little bit a little more at times and
uh, you ask for impedance forty meters.
Woman (3:34): (Turkmen - mentions "normally," "variance," "a little
bit")
(4:28) a little bit (?) (?)
Opening announcement of "Information Radio" program by a male in Dari
(4:39) "In the name of Allah. Dear listeners. This radio is
broadcasting every day. We bring information for pleasure of noble
people of Afghanistan. We are broadcasting our morning transmission
from five to ten. Evening transmission is broadcast from 5 to 10.
Now, we commence our programs."
Music