LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: January 24, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-R-DP83-00586R000300260023-8
S-E-C-R-E-T
24 January 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR: Bureau Chiefs
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
GENERAL
50X1
1. Nigerian Coup: Following the 15 January army coup in Nigeria, the
African Bureau was out of direct communication with FBIS Headquarters for nearly
three days. Some hours after the coup, however, word was received from the U.S.
Consul in Kaduna via Kano that all Americans were safe and well. A later
message from Bureau Chief confirmed the staff's safety and reported
that the African Bureau had temporarily suspended operations. Nigerian External
Telecommunications (NET) in Lagos meanwhile had requested the bureau to cease
transmissions on the day of the coup.
The decision to suspend operations was made on 16 January after a
Nigerian Army officer, several soldiers, and a civilian P&T official entered the
operations building, alleged that the bureau was transmitting directly to the
United States, and warned that FBIS would be held responsible for any further
"derogatoryremarks" by the BBC or the Voice of America. Senior Editor 50X1
denials and efforts to explain proved futile, and at one point a 50X1
soldier pointed a submachine gun at him in a threatening gesture. Later, after
several more visits to the statigp site by Nigerian soldiers and the temporary
detention of the Bureau Engineer, the Bureau Chief and the U.S. 50X1
Consul clarified FBIS' status in friendly talks with Major Nzeogwu, leader of the
coup in Kaduna: The entire Bureau staff gave strong support to the Consulate
during the crisis, and the services of the engineer were particularly valuable in
establishing emergency communications between the Consulate and the Embassy in
Lagos.
After further discussions with Major Nzeogwu, the bureau resumed opera-
tions on 18 January and sporadic communications were established between the
African Bureau and FBIS Headquarters. During the ensuing days the bureau file
returned to normal as censorship restrictions imposed in Lagos were clarified.
During the African Bureau's shut down, the East Coast Bureau and the
BBC mounted an all-out coverage effort of audible West African transmitters to
fill the temporary information gap. (SECRET)
2. Saigon Situation: In December Saigon experienced the highest rate of
terrorism in the war thus far, with 33 terrorist incidents reported in one week
alone. In view of this sharp increase, additional security measures were taken
at the Embassy Annex which houses the FBIS offices. A sandbagged emplacement
was constructed at the front door, additional Marine and Army guards were
assigned to the building, and ?Moen were instructed to stagger lunch hours to
avoid large concentrations of people entering and leaving the annex. (SECRET)
Group 1
Excluded from automatic down-
grading and declassification
Declassified in Part 'Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA:RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
`11"
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
3. Mediterranean Bureau Develomfnts: In talks between Mediterranean
Bureau officers and an engineer from the Cyprus Ministry of Communications and
Public Works it has become clear that the most favored route for a planned
Karavas bypass road is between the bureau and the station residences. FBIS has
made it known that this route would seriously restrict the usefulness of the
bureau, and the FBIS objections will be given full consideration by the Govern-
ment of Cyprus in its final decision on the bypass routing. Actual roadbuilding
in the area is not likely to begin for a year. Meanwhile, the Qyprus National
Guard has constructed two concrete pillboxes in the bureau's antenna field.
During the week of 17 January, the Director and Deputy Director, FBIS,
and other staff officers met with U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Taylor G. Belcher to
discuss problems facing FBIS in the continued operation of the Mediterranean
Bureau. The Ambassador reported that he had been advised by the President of the
Cyprus House of Representatives not to seek a formal agreement on the American
radio stations at this time in view of the feeling in the House about the U.S.
vote against the pro-Greek Cypriot resolution approved by the U.N. General
Assembly, but nevertheless the Cypriot Government will soon insist upon an annual
payment for continuation of the present informal status. It was agreed that FBIS
would attempt to work out with other interested Agency components--particularly
the Office of Communications--an agreed Agency position to present to the State
Department regarding the future of Agency activities on the island. Unfortunately,
the Ambassador offered no hope of lifting of the restrictions on monitoring of
MENA and Cairo broadcasts at the Mediterranean Bureau in the near future.
Schooling continues to be a serious problem for bureau employees. The
Junior School in Nicosia advised the bureau that those monitors' children who were
not acce tea for the fell Arhool term cannot be accepted for the winter term
either. 50X1
4. Vietnam Peace Initiative: FBIS played an important and extensive role
during December and early January in keeping the White House, the State Department
and the intelligence community informed on related developments and reaction to
the Administration's intensive diplomatic activities in search of a possible
negotiated settlement to the Vietnam war. Field bureaus, the Wire, and the Daily
Report branches joined in coordinating efforts to supply consumers with all
relevant documentary material from communist and noncommunist sources. The volume
of material carried by the Wire approached near-record proportions. On 6 January
the Wire carried 58,087 words, the second highest count in FBIS history, and it is
very probable that wordage for 4, 5, and 6 January, some 155,420, represented the
highest consecutive three day total in FBIS history,
In response to a White House request, the Wire Service on 3 January began
filing daily for the President's immediate attention an expanded FBIS Bulletin
containing current bloc reaction to the peace initiative. The bulletin is
especially tailored to facilitate its preparation for the President's office by
-2-
-
orrnrm
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Ni.of Now
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
the White House Situation Room. On 4 January the White House and other
intelligence community recipients were supplied with the first available version,
filed by the Okinawa Bureau, of the DRV Foreign Ministry's statement denouncing
the "deceptive" U.S. peace offensive. This item was considered so urgent that it
was taken directly to the President as it came off the Situation Room teleprinter.
The Okinawa and East Coast Bureaus and the Wire Services Branch were
commended by the Director, FBIS, for their initiative and professional skill in
handling an 18 December DRV statement and commentary denying that DRY leaders had
indicated to two Italian professors that the country was interested in peace
negotiations. The first available version, a VNA French transmission monitored
by the Okinawa Bureau, was supplied in the original language and subsequently as
an East Coast Bureau translation at the urgent request of the State Department
for Secretary Rusk. The East Coast Bureau translation was patched directly
through the FBIS wireroom to State. (SECRET)
5. Caribbean Bureau and TMU: A new team led by East Coast Bureau
Monitor
and
and including Panama Bureau Monitors _
East Coast Bureau Electronic Specialist
and Headquarters Teletypist took over the TMU operation at the end
of December. Senior Editor will be assigned to the unit on TIDY
in late January. The TMU continues to cover the Santo Domingo and San Isidro
radios in addition to a wide spectrum of Dominican commercial transmitters.
A fourth Beverage antenna has been connected to the unit to improve coverage
capability.
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Bureau Chief Engineer has been assured by the 50X1
Superintendent of the Ramey AFB Schools that an Air Force bus will transport
American dependent schoolchildren from Mayaguez to Barney. Extension of the
high-voltage power line to the Cabo Rojo construction site was completed 15
December and planning for permanent bureau communications, to include a microwave
circuit, is progressing. (UNCLASSIFIED)
6. Special Services: The FBIS Wire Service responded to a high-level
State Department request that a 30 December Voice of Vietnam commentary be
refiled operational immediate to the U.S. Embassies in Belgrade and Paris for
use by Ambassadors Harriman and Goldberg respectively. The Wire also supplied
to Mr. McGeorge Bundy by courier the text of S. lengthy speech by the chairman
of the NFLSV Central Committee 20 December. Excerpts were run on the Wire.
Tapes of voice recordings by U.S. Special Services NCO's Smith and
McClure while held as POW's by the Viet Cong were requested by ACSI for 02 USARYIS
in Okinawa. One tape was supplied by Saigon Bureau. An Agency component was
provided all available material on the "Hanoi Hanna" broadcasts, including sample
tapes and published items. One Agency office received FBIS permission to release
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-1ThP83-00586R000300260023-8
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
for use by a U.S. television network a sequence of Havana videotape monitored by
Key West Bureau, and another was serviced by RPD with material on the CPR
position at the time of the negotiations ending the Korean War.
During Vice President Humphrey's visit to Japan, the Tokyo Bureau
expeditiously processed pertinent Japanese press and Moscow radio comment in
time to reach the Vice President before his departure from the United States.
Other bureau material was used by the U.S. Embassy for his arrival briefing.
The Okinawa Bureau filed to the U.S. Embassy, Seoul, all communist broadcast
references to the Vice President's Far East visit. It was reported that FBIS
material had been passed directly to the Vice President, who had shown
"Particularly keen interest." (SECRET)
7. Research Services: Other special services included responses to Agency
and State Department requests for information about Chinese aid and volunteers
for Vietnam, Soviet notes to the United States pertaining to the buzzing of
Soviet ships near Vietnam, and the Shelepin delegation to the DRV. The War
Themes file was drawn upon by the National Photographic Interpretation Center
for references to nuclear-powered missiles. A representative of the Economic
Bureau of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was briefed on the War Themes
file and RPD analysis of Soviet disarmament propaganda. USIA and Agency
components were provided with data on such subjects as Soviet and CPR
attention to Rhodesia, Soviet color television transmissions via satellite,
and Moscow comment on the U.S. space rendezvous. (SECRET)
8. Lateral Services: Arrangements have been made to send to the U.S.
Embassy in Djakarta FBIS-monitored items on Indonesia from CPR sources. The
filing of items on Algeria to the American Embassy, Algiers, instituted
temporarily in connection with the abortive Afro-Asian conference, was made
a permanent service upon request. Appropriate bureaus have been requested to
file to the American Embassy, Tunis, Peking items critical of President
Bourguiba and reports of general developments in the Cairo trials of antiregime
groups.
During December the Tokyo Bureau provided the Embassy in Djakarta
with exclusive material on the 30 September Movement as published in Mainichi.
The bureau, through the Tokyo Embassy, now services the Defense Information
Library at Arlington Hall, Va., with Akahata's table of contents. At Saigon
Bureau's request, the Okinawa Bureau is supplying Moscow and Peking program
summaries to a consumer in Saigon for a psywar project. Several local Saigon
consumers, including the Combined Intelligence Center Vietnam.(CICV), have
been added as recipients of RPD analyses.
- 14 -
6-2-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-TDP83-00586R000300260023-8
vilor
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
The London Bureau in late December began filing to the American
Consulate General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Cairo reports of criticism of or
physical attacks against British elements by Omani and Dhufari elements.
The German Bureau now services the American Consulate, Frankfurt, with
processed material from German Freedom Station 904. The East Coast Bureau has
added the Commander, Antilles Defense Command, to its list of lateral consumers.
(SECRET)
9. Use of FBIS Materials: A State Department cable, citing an FBIS report
from Havana that Cuba had raised the National Front for the Liberation of South
Vietnam Mission in Havana to embassy status, asked U.S. embassies if there had
been any recent indications that any other NFLSV missions had been or were
going to be raised to embassy rank or given diplomatic status. Other recent
references to FBIS material included an exchange between the State Department
and the Bangkok Embassy citing FBIS reports monitored from Phnom Penh, Hanoi,
and Peking charging that U.S. planes sprayed toxic substances in Cambodia. In
Leopoldville, acting on the basis of an FBIS-monitored Brazzaville radio report
of an interview with Congo Leopoldville representative Bomboke, the U.S. Embassy
aueried Bomboko on the possibility of an exchange of ambassadors between the
two Congos.
The introductory note to a Fawcett publishing company paperback,
"Vietnam: History, Documents, and Opinions on a Major World Crisis," cites
monitored radio broadcasts as a major source and notes that the U.S. Government
agency which produces_"this extremely valuable material" requests that it not
be mentioned as a source.
Seventeen percent of the items appearing in the OCI Digest during
,December were based wholly or in part on items monitored by FBIS. (CONFIDENTIAL)
10. Briefings and Visits: A Headquarters briefing on .FBIS was o
Lt. Col, George Cooper of the European Comand. Key West Bureau Chief
g'
50X1
while on TDX in Headquarters, discussed with OCR/Graphics egis er
an ng of Havana television material and briefed FBIS staff members on 50X1
developments at the bureau. Four staffers of the Far East Branch, Editorial
Divisionyere given a briefing in FDD's Asia Branch with the aim of improving
coordination between FDD and FBIS.
Second Secretary Raymond J. Wach,.who,is responsible for distributing
FBIS material in the Lagos Embassy, visited the African Bureau in December
and expressed enthusiasm about the usefulness of its file.. Visitors to the
Mediterranean,Bureau during December included Cyprus 4ID Director Fred Sligh,
Roger Gilbert of the Canadian High Commission,. and Kyrenia.District Judge
-5-
S-E-C7R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
'Fr
A\
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
%Id Nor
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
Savrides.
50X1
11. Supplements and Studies: A 6 January RPD Survey section on Vietnam
was issued as a special supplement providing a documentary review and analysis
of DRV, Viet Cong, CPR, USSR, and East Europe reaction to the U.S. peace
initiative and the pause in air strikes against the DRV. A study of Radio
Moscow's broadcasts in Quechua for Indian populations in Bolivia, Peru,
Ecuador, and northern Argentina was issued as Radio Propaganda Report RS 79.
In early January the USSR and East Europe Daily Report issued two supplements:
Czechoslovak Communist Party Theses and GDR State Council Chairman Walter
Ulbricht's speech at the 11th SED Central Committee Plenum. (FOR OFFICIAL
USE ONLY)
12. Chinese Transliteration: An Agency source has initiated procedures
to standardize Chinese transliteration throughout the intelligence community,
and as a step in this direction is disseminating to interested offices an
identical set of five transliteration aids. Headquarters will distribute sets
of these aids to all interested Headquarters and field components. Some
progress has also been made through Agency channels toward standardizing
transliteration of Tibetan personal and place names. (CONFIDENTIAL)
13. Hokkaido Housing: During December the four-unit apartment building
turned over to the Hokkaido Bureau by the Army was occupied by FBIS families
and the lease for private rental in the "900 Area" was terminated at year's
end. With the Army vacating the Chitose I quarters, FBIS is again being
charged for maintenance of the buildings it occupies. (UNCLASSIFIED)
14. Monitor Recruiting: Efforts by the American Embassy, Taiwan, to
recruit Chinese monitors on behalf of FBIS netted some 6o applicants, 20 of
whom appeared promising. Applications of the latter group are being forwarded
to Okinawa Bureau for further screening. The Saigon Bureau has asked the
U.S. Embassy in Vientiane to assist in recruiting a Lao/Thai monitor to
replace one who recently resigned. (CONFIDENTIAL)
FIELD OPERATIONS AND ENGINFRRING
15. Pacific Communications: The rerouted Tokyo-Washington allocated
circuit via cable between Tokyo and Honolulu and radio on the final leg was
placed in service 3 January, as scheduled. Despite the temporary 2A priority,
the circuit still is subject to prolonged outages. The speed of the circuit
was increased from 60 to 100 wpm on 12 January.
The allocated direct full-duplex circuit to Saigon, utilizing cable
between Saigon and Honolulu and a radio circuit on the Honolulu-Washington
-6-
? 0,mnrm
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA4DP83-00586R000300260023-8
Nit
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
leg, was activated 6 January. Performance has been quite good. This 11,000-
mile link with Saigon, the longest direct circuit in the FBIS communications
system, permits virtually instantaneous communication, though location of
the terminal point in the Saigon Embassy communication section rather than
in the bureau remains a limitation. FBIS bureaus in areas other than the
Far East should use the relay address symbol SG to route traffic to Saigon
via the new circuit. Bureaus in the Far East should use this method only in
an emergency. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
16. London Bureau Communications: There was some improvement on the
Kaduna-Caversham circuit in December, with the number of overrun periods
being the lowest recorded so far. The month was marked by a deterioration of
communications from Cyprus, ascribed to poor propagation conditions. The
London-to-Frankfurt circuit, previously one of the most troublesome, has been
lately the bureau's most stable, and outages in December were negligible.
(FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
17. Broadcasting Develqpments: Radio Peking in mid-December expanded
its Russian-language broadcasts to the USSR from 87 to 105 hours a week,
including a daily continuous period of 12 hours. Peking has also introduced
new high-powered mediumwave facilities, apparently in remote western China,
to relay international broadcasts, primarily to the USSR, Mongolia, and India.
Because of Peking's frequent use of repeat broadcasts, this expanded service
so far has not outstripped FBIS' basic coverage capability, though limitations
on processing remain. To date, no unique broadcasts have been identified
on Peking's new mediumwave transmitters.
The Pathet Lao Radio on 1 January introduced two special daily
broadcasts "for listeners living in areas under temporary control of the
Americans and their henchmen." On 6 December the Thai Government reportedly
opened a new 100-kilowatt broadcasting station in Nakorn Fathom province to
combat communist radio propaganda heard in central Thailand. FBIS has been
unable to confirm this by monitoring, and no additional Lao or Thai coverage
is currently possible due to staff shortages.
The Rwanda Government has placed a new 50-kilowatt shortwave
transmitter in service at Kigali for domestic broadcasts. Newscasts,
including three in English for the first time, have been expanded from 8 to
20 a day. The Zambia Broadcasting Corporation was nationalized on 1 January
and is now known as Radio Zambia. Zambia's Minister of Information announced
that a 120-kilowatt transmitter will be placed in service during the first
half of 1966. These developments should facilitate monitoring by the BBC
in Nairobi. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
- 7 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Nor
S-E-C-R-E-T
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
ADMINISTRATION
19., Regulatory Issuances. The following regulatory issuances were
disseminated: (SECRET)
50X1
50X1
- 8 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
1%.! Nei
SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
EDITORIAL
? 1. Editorial Guidance: A recent incident involving the gratuitous use
of quotation marks in a voicecast report of a speech pointed up the dangers
inherent in relying on the accuracy of ostensible quotes in voice material.
A comparison of the radio report with a press text of the speech in question
revealed that the voicecast version contained no verbatim quotes and consisted
entirely of paraphrases. Editors are cautioned that quotation marks should
be inserted in voicecast items only when: 1) the speaker explicitly indicates
that the words or phrases are being quoted verbatim; 2) the monitor has no
doubt as to the speaker's intent, indicated, for instance, by voice intonation;
or 3) the sentence structure clearly indicates a shift from the third to the
first or second person. (Example: He said, "I am unalterably opposed to this
conference," and wenton to add that he would not attend.) In cases of
doubt, when the announcer does not explicitly state that the sentence or
phrase is being quoted, the preferred method is to set off the presumed
quotation as a complete sentence or passage, following a colon and without
.quotation marks.
Peking broadcasts should be checked monthly and repeat patterns
reported in footnoted on the Peking commentary list. Once the verbatim
repeat programs have been established, these programs should be listed with
each commentary item along with the original program.
Compilers of the Peking list are also reminded that each program
should be accounted for on the daily lists. If programs are unintelligible
or listings are to be delayed, these facts should be reported in the footnotes.
2. Economic Abstracts Production:
1965 totaled 38,372 (34,021 USSR/EE and
bureau is as follows: Hokkaido 12,532,
Austrish 3,962, Okinawa 2,680, and West
Production of economic abstracts in
4,351 Far East). Production by
London 9,938, Mediterranean 7,618,
Coast 1,642.
ADMINISTRATION
3. Payroll Information:. Because the T&As for overseas
processed by computer, it is most important that all ehtries
this Period" line of Form 1027, Time & Attendance Report and
Slip, be kept within the appropriate block. Any corrections
line must be legible.
4. Separations From
bureaus are
on the "Pay
Payroll Change
made on this
Branch Chief, Editorial Division
Editor, West Coast Bureau
Monitor, East Coast Bureau
Typist, Editorial Division
(Retired) 50X1
(Resigned)
(Retired)
(Military
Service)
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-IrDP83-00586R000300260023-8
Mg
SUBJECT:
5.
Letter of Information, 24 January 1966
Temporary Duty in Headquarters
aribbean Bureau, consultation while on leave.
50X1
- Key West Bureau, consultation while on leave.
6.
Honor Awards
Bureau, Certificate of Merit
50X1
Mediterranean
East Coast Bureau Certificate of Merit
50X1
50X1
EOGr G. SEELY
Director
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
- 10 -
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/21 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260023-8