Tension in the Gulf
By Nick Grace
November 12, 1998
Iraqi airwaves are boiling with clandestine radio stations - and expect more to come as the crisis deepens. U.S. President Bill Clinton, according to many reports, is resuming the plans his national security team drew up last February to level Baghdad with punitive air strikes. 129 fighter planes and an additional 3,000 troops left yesterday for the Gulf, and by all indications, the PSYOPS EC-130E broadcasting planes are ready to head off as well.
The United States is currently tied to three clandestines for sure: Radio Free Iraq, The Future, and Voice of the Brave Armed Forces. The Future and Voice of the Brave Armed Forces, according to various media reports and confirmed by CRW sources within the Iraqi opposition, operate from a CIA transmitter in Kuwait. The sources also tell CRW that the transmitter is a 50 kW Harris model and is housed within the Voice of America facility. It was first used to broadcast programs for the Iraqi National Congress (INC), which received covert funding between 1992 and 1995. The Iraqi National Accord claims responsibility for The Future, and while sources within the INC say that the group is also behind Voice of the Brave Armed Forces, Accord representatives deny any involvement with that station.
Listeners in Europe and Eastern North America can try to hear The Future (Arabic: Huna al-Mustaqbal) and Voice of the Brave Armed Forces (Arabic: Sawt al-quwwat al Musallah al-basilah) between 1557-1584v kHz around 0200-0300 UTC.
Radio Free Iraq is an easier target and one that is heard worldwide. Its schedule is as follows:
1600-1630 6130, 9540, 9850, 11915 kHz
0300-0330 5965, 7110, 7275, 9740kHz
Should a sustained air strike be conducted, expect Radio Baghdad to be knocked off the air. Mother of All Battles Radio will definitely be affected, and listeners should be on the lookout for any changes in anti-Iranian activity, including the Voice of Mojahed. That could very well indicate that the anti-Iranian clandestines broadcast from the same facilities as state-run radio in Baghdad.
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