FEARING SOVIET GAINS, U.S. COUNTERATTACKS IN THE PROPAGANDA WAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 17, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/16: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920001-7
P.' T 1 LE APPEARED
ONE PAGE /
Struggle of Ideas -
Fearing Soviet Gains,
U.S. Counterattacks
In the Propaganda War
Secret Directive Authorizes
`Public Diplomacy-' Units;
Aid From KGB Defector
Policies ..and Bad Candy Bars
By Gmt&Ln F. StaB
Stnlf Reporter of THE wwu. Sratr.'r JOURNAL
WASHINGTON-The Reagan administra-
tion has quietly gone to war with the Soviet
Union.
This is a war of ideas, and the adminis-
tratior.- takes it just as seriously as it takes
its military buildup against the Soviets. The
war of ideas could become just as controver-
sial.
The Reagan tears is convinced that the
Soviet Union has been effective in its own
propaganda campaign to discredit American
foreign policies and win the hearts and
minds of people around the globe. Reagan-
ites think that this Soviet campaign helps
explain why U.S. arms-control and military
policies are so heavily criticized in places
like Western Europe.
So the administration is counterattacking
across several fronts. A few examples:
-President Reagan recently signed a se-
cret directive setting up four high-level ad-
ministration committees to improve "public
diplomacy" abroad.
-The Voice of America and Radio Free
Europe will be modernized and expanded,
and the-administration is stepping up the
use of satellite television broadcasts to send
its message world-wide. Poland has offic-
ially protested to the U.S. that recent "ag-
gressive" VOA and Radio Free Europe
broadcasts are attempting to "destabilize"
the country.
-A Soviet KGB defector is helping U.S.
officials to spot and rebut Soviet distortions
and disinformation. .
-The administration has unveiled Pro]'.
ect Democracy, a plan to promote Ameri-
can-style government abroad by funneling
funds to programs like the AFL-CIO's over-
seas operations and setting up organizations
like one to push democratic institutions in
Latin America.
No 'Spectator Sport'
The counterattack "is needed because
the Soviets obviously are winning the war of
ideas,' says Charles Wick, the director of
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
'17 May 1983
the U.S. Information Agency and the driving Bus Steered away from the te^_Rnical-
force behind muci of the push. Mr. Wick is -sounding phrase "zero option" to describe
a fast-talking former band leader and a the American arms-control proposal; in-
friend of President Reagan's. At a recent in- stead, he. said over and over that the U.S.
terview, he were a necktie labeled "Democ- proposal seeks to ban -'from the face of the
racy isn't .a spectator sport" and fretted earth" a whole new generation of American
about keeping up with the Soviets' "enor- and Soviet medium-range missiles.
mous, monolithic communications em- Mr. Dailey also told the White House that
pine." it needs to go beyond selling arms-control
At a time of budget cuts and pay freezes, plans and combat a broader distrust of the
the administration considers this public- U-S. among young Europeans.
relations drive important enough to warrant In the long run, the administration's goal
big increases in spending. The budget for is to convince people in Latin America and
foreign-information and similar activities is the Third World, as well as Europe, that the
rising .23 ti this year, apd the White House American system is superior to the Soviets'
wants another-18% increase, to S828 million, Communist model. That is what the admin-
next year. But Congress is still tinkering istration hopes to achieve in its -Project De-
with the funding.
Bkeptics think the mocracy; it is asking Congress for $65 mil-
administrati t
on '""v bon to support institutions like free labor
be wiser to devise more-effective foreign movements and political parties overseas.
policies rather than try so hard to sell the With the same long-range goal in mind,'
ones It has. "You can't sell a bad policy," the administration proposes to raise spend-
warns John Reinhardt, who was the director thg on the Voice of America, the goven-
of the USIA during- the Carter administra
lion. "You may sell a bad candy bar from meats international radio service, by 339
this year
Madison-Avenue. You can't do it with a po)- and 22% next year. Part of the
icy." Others fear that the administration is money will go for stepping up broadcasts to
turning the American foreign-information sensitive spots like Eastern Europe and the
g Soviet Union. Part will go for replacing anti-
machinery from an objective dispenser of auated equipment that leaves the VOA's sig-
fact into a mouthpiece for right-wing nal hard to pick up in many places. The
views. Voice still uses one transmitter caputured
But the president's conservative support- from the Nazis in World War II.
ers are delighted. They have long argued in addition, the administration wants a
that a vigorous American sales program is 16% increase in funds for the separate Radio
essential because the world has stopped tak- Free Europe and Radio Liberty systems
ing for granted Washington's good inter). next year. Those radio networks, financed
lions. The Reagan administration agrees, by the government but run by an indepen-
"What's happening?" Mr. Wick says. The dent board, beam pro-Western messages in
Soviets are characterizing themselves as the 21 languages to countries in the Soviet bloc.
peace party, and we're the bad guys." U.S. officials say Soviet leaders have ex-
Short Term and Long pressed outrage in private meetings over
The new public-relations drive has both this American push in broadcasting to So-
short-term and long-range goals. in the vier-bloc countries.
short run, the administration wants to use At the same time, the White House again
'public diplomacy to sell American policies will prod Congress to approve Radio Marti,
to skeptics abroad. At the moment, the GOP a radio service that would beam "accurate
priority is to rebuild public support in West- information" to the Cuban people. The ad-
-em Europe for American positions in Euro- ministration's request died in Congress last
pean arms-control talks with the Soviet Un- year, largely because of fears that Cuba
ion. Peter Dailey, a former advertising man would retaliate by jamming U.S. radio sta-
who now is ambassador to Ireland, spent tions.
more than a month in Washington develop- Mr. Wick wants the U.S. government to
'ing a strategy. make more use of television as well. Last
A few questionable ideas have sprung up. year, he helped arrange for Defense Secre-
One official suggested having conservative tary Caspar Weinberger to appear via satel-
fund-raiser Richard Viguerie conduct a di- lite on national television in Japan to ex-
rect-mail advertising campaign in Western plain why the administration thinks Japan
Europe to support American arms-control . should spend more on its own defense. Re-
stands and the planned deployment of new cent)y the administration beamed to 19
-U.S. missiles if arms talks don't succeed. countries a live broadcast of President Rea-
The idea was rejected after other offi. gan's announcement of his new European
cials decided that Europeans wouldn't place arms-control offer. "Satellite television is
much stock in a campaign run by a conser. now in the forefront of our public diplomatic
vative American political operator. efforts in support of American policies," Mr.
But Mr. Dailey himself gets high marks
from other aides for teaching the adminis-
tration to simplify its often-muddled mes-
sage to the European public and drive it
home. For example, on his recent tour of
Western Europe, Vice President George
jM N? d JED
STAT
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/16: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920001-7