MONTHLY REPORT -- NICOSIA BUREAU -- DECEMBER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 5, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
MNC-7001
5 January 1987
MEMORANDUM FOR.
Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH
i
Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT
.
Monthly Report -- Nicosia Bureau -- December
A. Work on the new bureau this month included placement of terrazzo
tiles in corridors and in the kitchen. Grids for the suspended ceiling
are in place and all lighting and air conditioning connections are
complete. Roughly half of the exterior of the building has received the
tyrolean (stucco) finishing surface. In addition, compaction and pouring
of walkways, the placement of poles for exterior lighting, and
installation of the perimeter wall security gates is underway.
B. Work at the site slowed considerably during the second half of the
month with the island's building trades taking long end-of-year holiday
breaks. In addition, the onset of seasonal rains has also slowed work on
outside areas and brought any work on water-proofing the roof to a
complete halt. Several days of bright sunny weather will be needed to dry
out the roof before water-proofing can begin.
C. No progress was made during the month on the galvanization of
metal window frames, security grills and exterior doors. This is a
long-standing point of dispute, which we hope to finally resolve when RECD
engineer returns in January. STAT
D. The landscape architects have submitted revised, improved
preliminary plans for the grounds. They will now submit a final plan for
approval, and work on the grounds will begin when the contractor completes
all outside work.
E. The local press continued to carry stories about our new bureau,
but fortunately not at the same rate as in November. Characteristically,
the reports allege that we are building a "spy station." All reports have
been forwarded to headquarters.
F. Several reports about "terrorist" threats to U.S. facilities in
Cyprus were also fowarded to headquarters. Early in the month the local
pro-government paper 0 AGON alleged that three "Arab terrorists" were in
Cyprus. It followed up that story later in the month by reporting that
"foreign terrorist organizations" were leasing offices and apartments in
areas of strategic importance in Cyprus, including in areas close to
foreign embassies. This story was followed by a third report on 29
December that groups associated with Abu Nidal had arrived on the island
with the intention of attacking the American and Israeli embassies. The
stories were reported to the appropriate embassy officers.
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II-. OPt'RAT I ONS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The bureau remained open past its normal 2300 GMT COB on 3
December in the wake of a late report carried by the clandestine Radio
Free Lebanon (RFL), a station representing the Lebanese Forces, on the
impending release of an American hostage. However, neither the final RFL
newscast of the night nor a later news program broadcast by the Phalangist
Party's Voice of Lebanon (VOL) carried any further mention of the issue.
With Wire concurrence, the bureau closed following the VOL cast.
2. An open watch on Cairo media was initiated on 4 December after
Tel Aviv bureau filed a Jerusalem Domestic Service report alleging that a
coup attempt had been aborted in Egypt. The only indication of any
domestic disturbance in Egypt came in a Cairo MENA report on the arrest of
33 people, including 4 Armed Forces officers, on charges of having
established an "extremist" religious organization. The report, citing the
Public Prosecutor, declared that the group had intended to "overthrow the
government in power" by means of "force and violence." A subsequent MENA
report noted that the group was first discovered in April, and that it was
an offshoot of the organization responsible for burning video clubs in
February. As Cairo Domestic Service adhered to its normally scheduled
programming throughout the day, which included reports on a tour that day
by President Mubarak of an iron and steel plant in Alexandria and
on a routine meeting held by Prime Minister Sidqi with the chairman of the
African Socialist League, the open watch was discontinued and the bureau
closed following MENA's signoff.
3. Athens radio was placed on open watch on 19 December following
reports of a border clash between Greek and Turkish troops in which two
men were killed. Having filed a Greek Defense Ministry statement noting
that the two countries had agreed to consider the incident a "local
matter," the bureau suspended its open watch after the last regularly
monitored Athens newscast of the day.
4. On 10 December, the bureau covered a live relay by Cairo radio
of a banquet in Paris hosted by French President Francois Mitterrand in
honor of visiting Egyptian President Husni Mubarak. Interestingly, the
radio not only broadcast Mubarak's speech on the occasion but provided
Mitterand's 25-minute address in French, without Arabic translation.
Mitterand's comments were recorded and phonepatched on 11 December to
London Bureau, which processed them.
5. Work stoppages declared by the Pan-Hellenic Federation of
Hellenic Radio-Television I and II Personnel Associations disrupted Athens
radio transmissions five times this month, for a total of 18 hours, within
an ongoing labor dispute.
6. A week-long strike called by the unions representing AFP
journalists and workers in protest of a reorganization plan proposed by
AFP management produced a suspension of the Paris AFP English service
monitored at Nicosia from 11 to 18 December.
7. On 2 December, the Athens paper DHIMOKRATIKOS LOGOS, a
Socialist publication not on regular coverage, reiterated its 29 November
claim to have access to taped conversations between Robert McFarlane and
Iranian officals in Tehran involving arms sales, and promised to publish
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
the co~tent of the tapes the "next few days." The _.areau placed the
paper on temporary coverage in response, aware of intense consumer
interest in the topic, but no related reports were forthcoming by month's
end.
8. With the reduction in PMU's Arabic press coverage forced upon it
by the retirement and reassignment of personnel, Nicosia Bureau assumed
coverage of the London-based AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT and the Beirut AL-NAHAR
AL-'ARABI WA AL-DUWALI effective 19 and 22 December, respectively.
9. In response to interest expressed by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo
and conveyed by Operations Group, the bureau has been conducting
audio-only reception tests of Cairo television as of 3 December at its
remote site in Lara. While it is yet too soon to draw firm conclusions,
preliminary results, when compared to parallel checks made at our
traditional monitoring site in Limassol, are promising.
B. Communications
1. An extended primary circuit outage created by problems with the
STAT
Embassy satellite link, complicated by a possibly defective
"isolator" forced the bureau to activate and rely on its STAT
commercial cos a- aversham TGP-1 circuit from 10 to 13 December.
C. Lateral Services
1. On 28 December, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo sent the bureau a
message expressing high interest in FBIS coverage of the Egyptian
Government policy statement to be delivered by Prime Minister Sidqi before
the National Assembly on 29 December. The bureau responded with a service
message promising the fullest possible coverage of Cairo radio's live
relay of the event. The Embassy was included as a recipient of FYI's
detailing the address, and special staffing was arranged to ensure rapid
processing of the 29-take statement.
D. Technical
1. Bureau technicians installed a new antenna array at our remote
site in Lara for use in checking reception of Cairo television
programming, as noted in Item 9 under monitorial/editorial operations.
2. The bureau purchased two new Mazda vehicles in December, one a
flatbed light truck and the other a crewcab pickup with a camper cover on
the back. The Isuzu van being replaced by these two vehicles has been
turned over to the embassy for disposal.
3. Bureau technicians are continuing to unpack and add to inventory
all of the material received from Gulf Bureau.
4. Equipment receivede five Watkins-Johnson Model 8718 receivers
and five Matrix coaxial switches.
5. Eight ITT Creed teleprinters were turned over to the embassy for
disposal.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
IM. Administration
A. Personnel
1. Regional Engineer visited Tel Aviv Bureau 7-11 5IAI
December on a semi-annual inspection trip.
2. RECD Engineer left Cyrpus on 12 December following STAT
an extended TDY during which he supervised the construction of our new
bureau.) will return in January. STAT
STAT
Bur ea h i of
ATTACHMENT. Production Report
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
Nicosia Bureau Production Report for December 1986
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 313600
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 111040
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1001
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 9180.00 22260.00 117.00
(minutes or issues per wee[::) min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
CHINA
Beijing in
Persian to Iran
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Radio Free Lebanon in
Arabic
22130
(Clandestine) Radio Iran in
Persian
0
(Clandestine) Voice of the Mountain in
Arabic
4880
CYPRUS
Nicosia Domestic Service in
Greek
Nicosia Television Service in
Greek
Nicosia ALITHIA in
Greek
Nicosia Cyprus MAIL in
English
Nicosia ELEVTHEROTIPIA in
Greek
Nicosia ELEVTHEROTIPIA tis DHEFTERAS
in
Greek
Nicosia I SIMERINI in
Greek
Nicosia I SIMERINI tis DHEFTERAS in
Greek
Nicosia KHARAVYI in
Greek
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
--
Nicosia KHARAVYI tis DHEFTERAS in
Greek
Nicosia 0 AGON in
Greek
Nicosia 0 AGON tis DHEFTERAS in
GREED:
Nicosia 0 FILELEVTHEROS in
Greek
Nicosia 0 FILELEVTHEROS tis
DHEFTERAS in
Greek
Nicosia PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE
in
English
Nicosia TA NEA in
Greek
Nicosia TO PERIODIKO in
Greek
EGYPT
Cairo Domestic Sel-vice in
Arabic
(Editorial Report in
Arabic)
Cairo MENA in
Arabic
Cairo MENA in
English
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
GREECE
Athens Domestic Service in
Greek
Athens ATHENS NEWS in
English
Athens DH I MOK:RAT I KOS LOGOS in
Greek
Athens ELEVTHEROTIPIA in
Greek
Athens I KATHIMERINI in
Greek
Athens KIRIAKATIKI ELEVTHEROTIPIA in
Greek
Athens RIZOSPASTIS in
Greek
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
2570
2030
810
1130
1880
3820
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0
IRAN
Tehran Domestic Service in
Persian
IRAQ
Baghdad in
Persian to Iran
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
LEBANON'
Beirut Domestic Service in
Arabic
32980
Beirut Domestic Service in
English
400
Beirut Voice of Lebanon in
Arabic
22900
Beirut Voice of National
Resistance in
Arabic
Beirut Ihdin Radio of Free & Unified
Lebanon in
.Arabic
Beirut AL NAHAR in
Arabic
Beirut AL_SAFIR in
Arabic
Beirut MONDAY MORNING in
English
LIBYA.
Tripoli,Domestic Service in
Arabic
QATAR
Doha Domestic Service in
Arabic
TURKEY
Ankara YANKI in.
Turkish
Istanbul BIRLIK in
Turkish
Istanbul BULVAR in
Turkish
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- 4 -
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Istanbul CUMHURIYET in
Turkish
6790
Istanbul DUNYA in
Turkish
. 0
Istanbul GUNAYDIN in
Turkish
870
Istanbul HURRIYET in
Turkish
5420
Istanbul MILLIYET in
Turkish
9820
Istanbul TERCUMAN in
Turkish
5630
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Persian 1420
Moscow in
Greek to Cyprus 920
Moscow in
Persian to Iran 4210
Baku Domestic Service in
Az er i 380
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Dubayy Domestic Service in
Arabic
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/03: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100100001-0