LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 24, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

? .1 Voids. . .11
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approvedfor Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Nige
24 August 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR: Staff Personnel
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
GENERAL
1. Nigerian Developments: The African Bureau at Kaduna continued
operations without interruption despite the intensified Nigerian civil
war and growing anti-American sentiment among the population. Since the
Federal Military Government began its "police action" against the Eastern
region on 7 July the bureau has operated seven days a week from 0700 to
2400 hours local time, and sometimes later in connection with its watch
on the Lagos and Enugu radios. An air raid by "Biafran" planes on the
Kaduna air base resulted in several deaths but did not affect the areas
in which the bureau or its personnel are located. .
Kaduna radio broadcasts and other media contained some anti-
Americanism during early August because of popular suspicion that the
United States was aiding the rebels, and at one point U.S. ConsurStokes
protested officially over a BCNN broadcast that criticized FBIS.
Officially, however, Abdu Abubakar, Secretary to the Interim Administra-
tive Council of Northern Nigeria, in a letter to the Chief, African Bureau,
praised FBIS materials supplied to the FMG as a "very useful service" and
said the FBIS material provided Nigerian officials with a "more informed
and intelligent appreciation of current events." (SECRET)
2. Saigon Situation: Terrorism increased in Saigon during July with
the bombing of a U.S. servicemen's billet in the city by the Viet Cong.
Nineteen Americans were wounded in the incident which included sniper fire
lasting for several hours. (UNCLASSIFIED)
With the kickoff of the election campaign in South Vietnam, the
Saigon Bureau processed statements by the candidates and comment from the
Saigon press, which increased following the lifting of press censorship.
The U.S. Mission indicated increasing concern over Hanoi and Liberation
Radio attitudes toward the election. especially a Liberation Radio
broadcast monitored by the bureau which urged city residents to "smash"
the election. (CONFIDENTIAL)
S-E-C-R-E-T
Group I
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
.,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-FDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Ne S-E-C-R-E-T ...,
;
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
SERVICES AND REQUIREMENTS
3. LASO Conference: The Latin America Solidarity Organization
(LASO) Conference in Havana necessitated special FBIS coverage and
issuances. The Latin America Daily Report carried 256 pages, or
approximately 1351000 words, on the conference during the period 31
July-17 August. On 4 August the Latin America Daily Report readied
62 pages, and Fidel Castro's closing speech was issued as a 35-page
Supplement on 15 August. The Europe, Africa, Latin America Division
published under a special heading in the Foreign Press Digest, Latin
America, all articles, regardless of country of origin, concerned with
preparation for the LASO Conference, coordinating terminology and
coverage with the Propaganda Analysis Division and the Publications
'Division. Syntheses of major developments and communist reaction
appeared in the PAD publications.
At the request of an Organization component, field bureaus
were instructed to file laterally to U.S. missions throughout Latin
America select reportage on the conference and on delegates' speeches.
The East Coast Bureau supplied an Organization component with a tape
of the Castro speech and made extra copies of the PRENSA LATINA
reportage to accommodate consumer needs for Spanish-language transcripts
of the delegates' remarks. The Key West Bureau supplied extensive
television coverage, with nearly 100 pounds of videotape recordings
mailed to Washington. (SECRET)
4. Stokely Carmichael in Havana: The statements of Stokely
Carmichael in Havana at the LASO Conference occasioned a high-level
Organization requirement for a crash compilation of all MIS-monitored
material on Carmichael in Cuba. The compilation, prepared:by the
Production Group divisions as a Special Memorandum for limited distri-
bution, was delivered within 36 hours and forwarded to the White House,
Justice Department, and key U.S. officials. A second printing of the
memorandum was later ordered after it was determined the issuance
merited wider circulation, this time bearing a summary prepared by the
ME/PS/WE/LA Branch of the Publications Division. The White House also
requested a special summary of material especially prepared for the
President. The summary for the President was issued as a Special
Memorandum 11 August; PAD was the action office, with support from the
Latin America Branch, EAD. (SECRET)
5. Taylor-Clifford Tour: A PAD report on initial Peking, Hanoi,
MOBCOW, and Pyongyang propaganda on the Taylor-Clifford tour of Asian
capitals was sent to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul in response to a
requirement of FBIS support in briefing the Taylor-Clifford group while
in South Korea. Field bureaus laterally filed to Seoul all pertinent
comment from four communist sources. (CONFIDENTIAL)
- 2 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
'SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
6. Press and Document Exploitation: The USSR Division has trans-
lated materials containing technical data on Russian military aircraft
among other services for Organization components. The division also
provided USIA with information from the Soviet press on the USSR attitude
toward U.S. advertising practices and on advertising in the Soviet Union.
(SECRET)
The Asia Division translated on a priority basis the article,
"Resolute Support of the Broad Revolutionary Masses," from the July issue
of Jen-min Hua-pao, because of special interest. Advance copies were sent
to appropriate consumers. The receipt of Chicon provincial newspapers was
more voluminous in July, with April and May issues from such areas as
Shanghai, Canton, Dairen, and Shan-t' an providing extensive political and
economic information. Asia Division published two special Foreign Press
Digests, one entitled "Communist China Information on Liberation Army and
People's Militia," and the other, "Review of Revolutionary Rebel Press in
Yunnan Province." (SECRET)
The Latin America Branch, EAD, responded to a special request for
information on Cuban athletes who will appear at the Pan American games in
Canada. The State Department requested that EAD continue exploitation of
Spanish Guinea publications which the Department found "timelier than
that likely to be provided by the American Embassy Yaounde." Organization
analysts expressed appreciation for an article published in FPD/EE in June,
on a new "square fin" anti-tank guided missile which implies that Czech
forces are now equipped with the weapon. (SECRET)
7. Propaganda Analysis Services: Copies of Trends and Survey reports
on Soviet propaganda reaction to U.S. racial disorders since 1963 were
assembled in response to a request from an Organization component for back-
ground on the Soviet position on segregation, racial disturbances, and the
civil rights movement as conveyed in propaganda over the past four years.
Research support was furnished the State Department and USIA in connection
with the amount of Soviet radio propaganda concerning race riots in the
United States as compared with the amount during the Watts and other prior
incidents, the extent to which the incidents were exploited in domestic
communist broadcasts, and on the stridency of recent broadcasts as compared
with earlier propaganda. (CONFIDENTIAL)
PAD issued the sixth in its monthly series of Special Memorandums
for the State Department on Hanoi claims of civilian casualties from U.S.
air strikes. It also prepared a number of items on CPR provincial radio
behavior for the FBIS Wire based on field reports. (CONFIDENTIAL)
- 3 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
8. Special Services: The London Bureau and the USSR Division
provided materials from Pravda for an Organization consumer in connection
with a foreign government training program. The London Bureau also
supplied a week's program summaries for a State Department content study
of East European broadcasts to North America. The Mediterranean Bureau
provided a week's program summaries from Ibrael's Arabic service for a
USIA analysis. (SECRET)
The Monitoring Operations Section furnished schedules of the
communist clandestine broadcasts "Oggi in Italia" to the State Department
for use of the Rome Embassy. The Embassy later reported the material was
supplied to the Italian Foreign Office with the information that Rumanian
and Polish transmitters were being used for the broadcasts, which was of
interest on the eve of the Italian premier's visit to Bucharest. The
FCC asked MOS for telephonic confirmation of any Cavan medium-wave frequency
changes in connection with the relicensing of U.S. radio stations. (SECRET)
9. Lateral Services: The U.S. Ambassador to Burma, in a cable to
Washington, requested that the State Department thank FBIS for "prompt
material" on the CPR-Burma crisis furnished to the Embassy in Rangoon. The
Ambassador's cable added that the Burmese Foreign Office was "equally grate-
ful" for the broadcast materials that were passed to the Burmese Government
by U.S. officials. Without the FBIS material, the cable stated, the Foreik.?
Office's file on the Peking utterances would probably have been "spotty and
inaccurate." The State Department later requested that FBIS service to -
the Embassy in Rangoon be made a permanent lateral service requirement.
Lateral servicing to the Embassy in Amman, discontinued because or
the Arab-Israeli War, was reinstituted at the request of the Embassy. At 1
the request of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, the London and Mediter-
ranean bureaus were asked to file to the Embassy all Cairo and Algiers
comment and reportage on U.S.-Libyan negotiations on the status of the U.S.
air base. Normal lateral servicing to the American Consulate at Benghazi
has been resumed.
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington asked to receive reports
on East German shipping from GDR press sources. FBIS Frankfurt is filing
directly to the consumer.
Among other lateral services the Key West Bureau responded to a
request of the U.S. Air Force Base, Homestead, Fla., for material of opera-
tional interest by vire for the Navy Security Group.
- -
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Tpproved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
The latest revision of the FBIS Lateral Services Requirement List
was published 21 July. Copies of the list are being disseminated to
Organization components and other key Headquarters consumers; recent
contact with these consumers indicated they were frequently recabling FBIS
material to the field unaware of FBIS lateral servicing. (SECRET)
10. Use of FBIS Material: An Organization analyst noted that an item
supplied by Asia Division on Shanghai scientific and technological activities
published in the Far East Foreign Press Digest of 13 July, was the first
acknowledgment in an official CPR publication that scientific research in
China was being adversely affected by the "cultural revolution.* (SECRET)
An FBIS translation of an article by Soviet Marshal Yakubovskiy, in
Red Star of 21 July, as processed by the Austrian Bureau, was passed to the
U.S. NATO group by the Department of State for use in briefing "selected
military writers." The article stresses the idea of "flexible response* in
the use of Soviet forces. (CONFIDENTIAL)
News media reported that a Cambodian radio broadcast item "flashed
to the State Department" by U.S. monitors and quoting Prince Sihanouk was
the first word that U.S. AID official Gustav Hertz was still alive and being
held by the Viet Cong. The item was actually filed by the Bangkok Bureau.
(FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
IHR/State informed the Balkan Branch of EAD that an item entitled;
"Council of the Federation Adopts Statute," which appeared in the Foreign
Press Digest, Eastern Europe, provided "remarkable insight into the workings
of the Yugoslav Government." (CONFIDENTIAL)
A report prepared for an Office of Training course included severSl
interviews with consumers of FBIS materials who commented on reporting
during the Arab-Israeli War. An OCI Soviet external affairs analyst con-
sidered FBIS *essential" in its monitoring of Soviet reactions, and noted
that even when FBIS was beaten by press agencies it was able to furnish full
.text of speeches and broadcasts. An OCI Middle East analyst found the FBIS
Wire Service *buch faster" than other official reports, noting that it enable
the Middle East Task Force to keep abreast of.events. Another analyst
assigned to the Task Force noted that *surprisingly" FBIS monitoring was an
indispensible aid in following armor battles in the Sinai desert, with
Egyptian and Israeli radios giving remarkably accurate descriptions of armor
movements. It was stated that the closing of embassies in the Arab states
forced more reliance on FBIS reporting. A DIA analyst noted that its Task
Force passed important news from FBIS to the Secretary of Defense and the
Joint Chiefs.. (SECRET)
5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
PUBLICATIONS
11. Daily Report Supplements: The USSR/EE Branch of the Publications
Division issued six supplements: a twospart issuance on the second SED
Central Committee Plenum dated 24 July and a second one on 27 July; one on
the second Plenum of the Central Committee of the Albanian Workers Party
dated 10 August; and one on materials concerning the Rumanian National
Assembly Foreign Policy Debate, dated 21 August. The four supplements were
prepared at the Austrian Bureau and sent to Headquarters on mats. In addition,
a supplement on the July Hungarian National Assembly Convocation, dated 1
August, was typed by the domestic contractual facility. Headquarters prepared
a Supplement on the Fifth Congress of the Union of Working Youth of Albania
dated 19 July. (CONFIDENTIAL)
12. MOS Publications: MOS replaced the Station and Program Notes with
a new publication entitlect"Developments in Broadcasting and Press Communica-
tions ," effective 21 August. The new issuance, to be published on the 10th,
20th, and 30th of each month, will consist of up to six sections as follows:
Broadcasting Highlights, Station and Program Notes, Press Operations, Televisim
Developments, Telecommunications Notes, and Program Schedules. Additionally,
MOS will issue special reports irregularly under the title "Statistical Study,"
which will contain data on various aspects of world broadcasting. MOS is also
preparing for fall release an Index of World Broadcast Languages, replacing
the former publication:"Dulde to Languages Used in International Broadcasting."
(FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
ENGINEERING
13. Caribbean Bureau: The overall construction contract for the Caribbean
Bureau is now 78.8 percent completed. Progress during July was slow, amounting
to 3.1 percent, but FBIS representatives at the site reported an increase in
construction activity during August. The microwave system connecting the
bureau with Fort Allen has been accepted by Navy and FBIS representatives.
(CONFIDENTIAL)
14. Portable Monitoring Units: During mid-August the fabrication of six
Portable Monitoring Units PMU) was completed. Correspondence dealing with
the MTMU's and field storage sites will be forwarded to field bureaus in the
near future. (CONFIDENTIAL)
15. Foil Reflectors: The Okinawa Bureau has noted that foil reflectors
installed in R-390 receivers significantly concentrate light mml improve the
readability of the frequency dial. (UNCLASSIFIED)
- 6 -
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-ITDP83-00586R000300260005-8
N.,
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
16., Wire Service Speed: Technical planning for upgrading the FBIS Wire
Service to 100-WPM operations is being conducted by the Engineering Staff.
It is anticipated that this service will be converted to the higher speed
by 1 October. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
17. FBIS Style Changes: A number of style and format changes applicable,
to all Production Group publications have been adopted with an effective
date of 28 August. All bureaus have been advised of the changes which will
also affect the Wire Service to some degree. Queries regarding clarificatiro,
of style points should be wirefiled to Headquarters. (UNCLASSIFIED)
18. Editorial Guidance: When a talk or commentary is identified in a
subslug as "from a series" or "second in a series," and previous items in
the series have not been filed, the field bureau should include a notation
to this effect, and, if feasible, an indication of why the previous items
were not filed--i.e., rejected on merit, not intercepted, etc. This will
be useful in forestalling consumer inquiries. (UNCLASSIFIED)
FIELD OPERATIONS
19. Turkish and Arabic Coverage: The Mediterranean Bureau resumed full
coverage of Turkish domestic broadcasts with the return of the first of the
Turkish monitors from the London Bureau to Kyrenia. Additional Arabic
programs were transferred from London to Kyrenia with the additional return
of an Arabic monitor. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
20. Ho Lig Kong Communications: The full-duplex circuit between Hong KenE
and the DCS relay point in the Philippines, leased for the handling of FBIS
material to and from the Consulate General in Hong Kong, was fully activated
26 July with the routing indicator RUMIHK. (CONFIDENTIAL)
MISCELLANEOUS
21. Viewgraphs for Briefing: At the request of Organization officials,
FBIS prepared several viewgraphs detailing the FBIS "beat" on the opening Of
Arab- Israeli hostilities for use in a Congressional briefing. (SECRET) .
22. Operations and Productiinv:Groups: "Operations Group" and "Productic
Group" have been officially adopted as the organizational terms for the areas
of responsibility of the Chief of Operations and Chief of Production.
(FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
23. Visits and Briefings: Groups of FBIS Headquarters personnel visited
the White House Situation Room, the State Department Operations Center, and
the Organization's Operations Center. (SECRET)
- 7 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approvedfor Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-IIDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Nee
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
visited the German and Austrian Bureaus enr
route to duties as Chief of the London Bureau's Press Monitoring Unit.
(FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
50X1
The Chief, Tokyo Bureau, briefed the new U.S. Ambassador to
Japan, U. Alexis Johnson, on 7 July. (UNCLASSIFIED)
24. Administrative Messages: Administrative messages to and from the.
field should not be addressed to or from a foreign national employee.
Only Staff personnel may release administrative messages. (UNCLASSIFIED)
ADMINISTRATION
25. Training, attended the Midcareer Executive 50X1
Development Course from 9 July through 18 August. (ADMIN-INTERNAL USE ONLY)
27. Regulatory Issuances. The following regulatory issuances were
disseminated: (SECRET)
'PERSONNEL .(,CONF1DENTIAL).
28. New Employees
Assignment
Editor, Far East Branch, Publications Div.
Clerk, Control Branch, Publications Div.
Clerk Typist, Processing Branch, Publications Div.
- 8 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approvedfor Release 2013/08/21: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
SUBJECT: Letter of Information & 24 August 1967
New Employees ('Cont' d)?
291 Reassignments
Assignment
Clerk Typist, Processing Branch, Publications Di*, 50X1
AdMin Assistant, West Coast Bureau
Courier, Administrative Staff
Admin Officer, Mediterranean Bureau
Teletypist, East Coast Bureau
Secretary, Executive Staff
From To
Chief, East Coast Bureau Chief, Panama Bureau
Senior Editor Senior Editor
Wire Services Staff Panama Bureau
Editor
Okinawa Bureau
Operations Officer
Mediterranean Bureau
Editor
*.Wire Services Staff
D. Ch., Press Mon Unit
? London Bureau
Watch Officer Project Engineer
East Coast Bureau Engineering Staff
Chief, Hokkaido Bureau Chief, West Coast Buret
Area Officer Editor, Far East'Branch
Asia Division Publications Division
Radio Operator Radio Operator
East Coast Bureau Caribbean Bureau
Secretary Secretary
Executive Staff Chief of Operations
Area Officer Editor, USSR & EE Branc
USSR Division Publications Division
Information Officer Chief Editor
Liaison & Requirements Mediterranean Bureau
- 9 -
? S-E-..C.-R-E-T
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8
- 'S-E-C-R-E-T . _
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 August 1967
Reassignments Fraim
To
Deputy Chief.
.Chief, Press Mon Unit
50X1
Europe/Africa/Lat Am Div.
Landau Bureau
Chief, E. Ger/Po]. Br.,
.Europe/Africa/Lat Am Div.
Deputy Chief
West Coast Bureau
Executive Staff
Chief
East Coast Bureau
Editor, USSR & EE Branch
Editor .
Publications Division
Wire Services Staff
Area Officer
Editor, Far East Brame.
Europe/Africa/Lat Am Div.
Publications Division
Monitor
Monitor
Panama Bureau
Caribbean Bureau
Editor
Information Officer
Wire Services Staff
Liaison & Requirements
30:.
Resignations
From
31. Retirements
32. TOY in.Wahington.
Area Officer, Europe/Africa/Latin America Division
From
Acting Chief Engineer, West Coast Bureau
Chief, Saigon Bureau - Consultation while on home leave
and return to Saigon Bureau.
Chief, German Bureau.- Consultation while on home
leave enroute to German Bureau.
Chief, Key West Bureau - Consultation while on
leave and return to Key West Bureau:.
Director
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for 'Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260005-8