NEXT, IT'S 'RADIO WARS AS U.S., CUBA POWER UP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504780001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 19, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

ST Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/03: CIA-RDP
ARTICLE APPEAREI[
n,( PAC[ I f~e-r J-
as U.S., Cuba PowerLp
LOS ANGELES TIMES
19 May 1985
Next, It's `Radio War
By John Spicer Nichols
PA. with these transmitters "would wreak Voice of America (the U.S. government
UNIVERSITY PARK
,
The inauguration of Radio Marti this interference havoc from New York to international broadcasting service) di-
month will be an act of political California," according to a technical rected specially designed programming to
confrontation that will raise the study by the National Association, of Cuba from a new transmitter in the
K Alth h +U VOA's cam-
H
d
scholars and security analysts who for-
mulated a Latin American policy for the
incoming Reagan Administration in 1980.
Their report suggested that a new station
be established to hold the Cuban govern-
ment to "account for its policies of
aggression." The group added: "If propa-
ganda fails, a war of national liberation
against Castro must be launched."
In 1981 President Reagan proposed
legislation to create Radio Marti. His
initiative won praise from Cuban exile
groups and other conservative organiza-
tions but ran into congressional opposi-
tion. Many lawmakers questioned
whether broadcasting was sound foreign
policy and effective use' of tax dollars
during times of astronomical budget
deficits.
After prolonged debate, a compromise
placing Radio Marti under the supervi-
sion of the U.S. Information Agency
passed Congress in 1983, and prepara-
tions began for its likely debut this
month-perhaps in the next few days.
Cuban President Fidel Castro has an-
grily promised to retaliate, describing
himself as a boxer waiting to climb in the
ring to fight the "subversive station." His
threats are loud: Cuba has constructed
two "monster stations" with 500 kilo-
watts of power-l0 times more powerful
than the largest commercial radio sta-
tions in the United States.
tion's new propaganda station beamed at
Cuba and named for 19th-Century Cuban
patriot Jose Marti. Born out of long-
standing tensions, the station has become
a major catalyst in the deterioration of
reldtions between two countries even
-before it goes on the air.
The United States has broadcast ro-
a an a to u a for more t an two
g decades, beginning in 1 1 with Radio
wan the clandestine UJILA. station that
attempted "to soften up the Cubans' will
to resist" before the 13a of Figs invasion.
The new phase of broadcasting to
Cuba was recommended by the "Santa
Fe Committee," a group of conservative
already-high level of tension in the
Caribbean Basin and make peaceful reso-
lution of regional problems more diffi-
cult.
Radio Marti is the Reagan Administra-
a eys. oug e
on
Broadcasters. NAB engineers estimate
that scores-perhaps hundreds-of com- paign was more restrained in tone than its
mercial AM stations in the United States predecessors, one analyst described it as
would lose large parts of their nighttime the most concentrated propaganda blitz in
coverage in the event of massive Cuban the history of the hemisphere.
airspace invasion. Despite considerable chest-beating on
In response to Castro's threats, Ken- both sides, none of these broadcasts had
neth R. Giddens, acting director of Radio significant audiences or demonstrable
Marti, said that Cuban disruption of U.S. benefits. Both Radio Free Dixie and Radio
broadcasting would be "an act of war." Swan were notable failures; their only
Giddens recently added: "Maybe that's effects were to further polarize Cuba and
the time to blow up a few of Castro's the United States.
transmitters." Another senior Adminis- Why then is the United States intent on
ttation official reportedly told worried continuing the radio war? Cuban officials
U.S. broadcasters that Cuban interfer- interviewed in Havana claim that Radio
ence would be legal justification for Marti is only a part of a larger plan to
"surgically removing" the offending Cu- provoke a confrontation that Cuba can ill
ban transmitters. The Cubans apparently afford. Despite their fears, the Cubans say
have taken the bellicose comments serf- this is a matter of honor, and they will
ously. A once-secret U.S. State Depart- retaliate regardless of costs.
ment cable, under the Freedom U.S. officials, on the other hand, argue
of orma on c n a tor- that Cuban threats should not influence
ne enne omon rted that U.S. foreign policy. One Administration
CIA sate to p otograph revealed an official said Radio Marti represents "an
anti'-sircra t emp cement next to. one of international game of chicken and the
the large Cuban transmitters. United States will not blink."
ropagan ~ e pa to cause war," If Cuba and the United States, reached
wrote John B. Whittou.and Arthur Larson this flash point through radio, a recipro-
in "propaganda: Towards Disarmament in cal, step-by-step de-escalation of the
the War of Words." Both were distin- broadcast propaganda problem is also
guished professors of international law, possible. Tuning down the radio wars, in
and Larson was director of the U.S. turn, could contribute to a de-escalation
Information Agency during the Eisen- of the real wars in the Caribbean Basin.
hower Administration. They cite numer- The first signal .could be a timely turnoff
ous examples of propaganda as a prelude for Radio Marti.
and, in their view, a contributor to John Spicer Nichols is a specialist in
avoidable armed conflict.
While it seems unlikely that the current internattorwl communication at Pennsyl-
Cuban-U.S. radio war will escalate into a ~~ State University.
real war, the interaction between hostile
rhetoric and hostile actions is evident.
The CIA's Radio Swan and its successor
tho Pigs debacle, Radio
after the v
Americas, instructed Cubans to sabotage
crops and public utilities and to rise
against Castro. Cuba responded in 1961 by
founding Radio Havana, which broadcast
virulent propaganda encouraging the
overthrow of the U.S. government and its
Latin American allies. From 1962 to 1966,
Radio HavariCk.,broadcast "Radio Free
Dixie," a program urging United States
blacks to burn their cities and commit a
variety of other violent, subversive acts.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/03: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504780001-0