Clandestine
Communiqué
The Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania
Air National Guard’s plane, which broadcast the so-called “Information
Radio” in Pashtu and Dari to the Afghan people during the midst of the war
against al-Queda and the Taliban, ended its mission in late March. Despite
the departure of the "radio planes" the shortwave version of Information
Radio remains on the air. An Associated Press story in early April says the
ground-based version is located at the Bagram Air Base. During the first
days of the radio campaign, clandestine experts
surmised that the broadcasts on 8700 were not coming from the airplane, but
from a ground station and they seem to have been proven right. So, at least
of this writing, Information Radio is still active, on 8700 from 0030 sign
on.
Catching Zimbabwe!
You have a better chance now, to hear the
Zimbabwe clandestine Voice of the People, mentioned a time or two ago. Its
schedule, which had been limited to a time period impossible for most North
American listeners, has been extended. It now also uses 7120 from 0330 to
0400 with some of the programming in English. Unfortunately there is a Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty outlet on the same frequency until just before
0400. Voice of the People is transmitting via the Radio Netherlands relay
station in Madagascar.
The Voice of Iran is now on the air from 1630–1730 on 17525 and 1730–1930 on
15690.
The Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty building in Prague is under armed guard by the Czech military. The building also houses the studios of Radio Free Afghanistan, operated by RFE/RL. (Photo courtesy Hans de Vreij, Radio Netherlands)