From: Howard Frederick <hfrederick@igc.org>
Subject: Cuban Radio Wars Heat Up - Analysis
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: University of Missouri
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 16:15:35 GMT

Posted with the permission of dsolar@igc.org

>From dsolar Sat Apr 11 14:25:06 1992

AIR WARS: US & CUBA "BUMP-UP(AS IN WARSHIPS IN SEA)"ON AIR" 
 by Daniel del Solar (April 11, 1992)


"TAKEN OUT" Cuban transmitters may result as a natural
progression of events now unfolding in the U.S.'s latest attacks
on Cuba.  The US illegal TV and radio transmitters sending
signals into Cuba, funded by the Bush administration via Voice of
American money and  direction, have been condemned by the World
Radio Administration, but the Bush military-like attack on Cuba
continues.  "Radio wars" have been used in the past in
conjunction with military actions and appear to be in danger of 
becoming a "casus belli" (a reason for war, in legal Latin).

Of course the US will consider the Cuban retaliation against the
US, in air war terms, when the Cuban's increase their AM radio
transmissions towards the US.  And if they are determined to
be "illegal" by the Bush government, can an "Air Storm" be 
far behind?

Using smart missiles homing in on Cuban transmitters, the
current air war involving sending radio and TV signals 
into each others air space can easily escalate into a
real live shooting match.

Here are some of the recent postings from Radio Havana Cuba,
which can be found on Peacenet's conference titled
"carnet.cubanews.  News from around the world which for 
the most part does *not* get printed in the New York Times
and other newspapers can be found on various Peacenet news
conferences.

The air war, currently now just words and TV images, can easily
escalate into a shooting war.  It might be a good time to call
send a telegram to your congressman and other elected officials.

Here is some of the background from Peacenet's "carnet.cubanews:"

Topic 169 Radio Havana - April 3, 1992 
  by Charlie Rosenberg <crosenberg> 

!CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA 


The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's 
International Shortwave Service in English for Friday, April 3. 
Today's stories: 

-FIDEL CASTRO BLASTS NEW MOVE BY TV MARTI 


     Havana, April 3(RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro had harsh

     words for Washington's latest attempt to broadcast Telemarti
     to the island.  He said the Wednesday afternoon transmission
     to Cuba was particulary cynical and offensive at a 
     time when the island has been forced to cut its own 
     television broadcasts because of the critical fuel shortage.


     In early January, Cuba announced further cuts in 
     programming, trimming the daily television fare to ten hours
     a day on weekdays, divided between two public television 
     channels.  Weekend programming is somewhat longer. 

     Telemarti began its broadcasts in March, 1990, following on 
     the heels of Radio Marti, which went on the air in May, 
     1985. Both transmissions, declared illegal by the 
     International Frequency Regulation Board in Geneva, have 
     been jammed by Havana.  The broadcasts occupy channels and 
     frequencies assigned to Cuban national media, and instead 
     transmit materials targeting the Cuban revolution.  Cuba 
     considers the broadcasts violate its national 
     sovereignty. 

     President Castro, who spoke to Radio Havana Cuba during a 
     session of the 6th Congress of the Union of Young 
     Communists, also said external pressures on the island are 
     increasing. But, he stressed, international solidarity is 
     also mounting, worldwide.Asked if Cuban socialism will      
     indeed "bottom out", as predicted by some wire services, the
     Cuban leader said the moment is a difficult one, but "the   
     only thing we see bottoming out are neoliberal economic     
     policies (being applied elsewhere)". 


     The following item is taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's 
International Shortwave Service in English for Saturday, April 4,
1992. 

-FIDEL CASTRO ANNOUNCES CUBAN RADIO BEING BROADCAST TO U.S.A. 


Havana, April 4(RHC)--President Fidel Castro announced tonight 
that Cuban radio is broadcasting to the United States. In 
response to new attempts by Washington to beam anti-Cuban 
television into the island, President Castro said that Cuba now 
has decided to broadcast its own radio to the U.S. public. "The 
U.S. administration," he said,"is not satisfied with the 500
hours of hostile radio propaganda already transmitted to Cuba
every week from U.S. shores.  Washington isn't satisfied,"he 
continued, with its 30-year blockade against the island, nor with
its attempts to stop Cuba from freely trading and developing. 
Now U.S. authorities are again trying to get their hostile 
television signal into our country." 

He called this an "especially cynical move", since the U.S. 
broadcast, which began last Wednesday, is moving in on Cuban 
channels left vacant in early afternoon hours precisely because 
of shortages in oil-generated electricity here on the island. 

Washington says its purpose is to keep the Cuban people informed,
noted Fidel Castro.  So now, he announced, we assume the same 
right to "keep the U.S. public informed, a public disinformed 
about the world, and especially about Cuba." He said "certain 
Cuban radio stations" would be broadcasting to the United States.


The media onslaught against Cuba began with so-called Radio Marti
in 1985, and was followed by its partner Telemarti in 1990.  Both
are official broadcasts of the U.S. government, and have been 
declared illegal by the International Frequency Regulation Board 
in Geneva, since they occupy frequencies assigned to Cuban radio 
and television for domestic use. 

Cuba has objected to the broadcasts from the start, and has 
jammed the television and AM radio signals.  At one point, Cuban 
authorities even attempted to negotiate an exchange of radio 
programming with the United States, with no results.  Cuba says 
the issue is not one of influence on the island's public-- 
although the Washington-based stations do openly broadcast calls 
for subversion and sabotage--but an issue of sovereignty.  And 
Cuba points out that every radio on the island is equipped with 
shortwave bands, allowing Cubans a total range of legal 
international broadcasts, including those from the United States.

In his remarks tonight at the closing of the Union of Young 
Communists' Sixth Congress, President Fidel Castro also said that
he holds Washington responsible for any difficulties or incidents
that arise due to the situation it has caused.  "Some 
things, he said, "are just plain intolerable." 

On April 4, 1992  all of the items covered by RADIO HAVANA CUBA's
International Shortwave Service in English were:
  
 1  CUBA PROMISES "FIRM RESPONSE" TO ILLEGAL U.S. BROADCASTS TO
THE ISLAND 
 2  MEXICO'S FIRST SOLIDARITY SHIP DOCKS IN HAVANA 
 3  CUBAN MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS:  SPECIAL CARE FOR THE "SPECIAL
PERIOD" 
 4  ON THE CASE: HAVANA'S FRANK PAIS ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL 
 5  EQUADOR'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PLAN MARCH ON CAPITAL 
 6  BOLIVIA: DEA IMPLICATED IN DRUG MURDER 

The people you might contact about this stuff are:


Conf? 182 


Topic 182 CUBA DEMOCRACY ACT: URGENT ACTION 
fscofi    carnet.cubanew  1:59 pm  Apr 10, 1992 





URGENT ACTION! 

UPDATE ON CUBA DEMOCRACY ACT 

     Since the first set of hearings have ended on Congressman 
Robert Torricelli's Cuba Democracy Act HR 4168, the bill now goes
to House Energy and Commerce Committee chaired by John Dingell
and the House Ways and Means Committee chaired by Dan
Rostenkowski. If there are no hearings held in these two
committees the bill would then go to the House floor for a
possible vote where it could pass. 

It is of utmost importance that Dingell and Rostenkowski hear
from us that we: 

  1. Feel there should be hearings held in regard to the Cuba  
          Democracy Act since there has been so much debate and  

          opposition to this bill from so many sectors. (Church  

          organizations, Cuban Dissidents, American Public Health 

          Association, Law Professors, etc.) 

                      AND 

       2. Let them know the reasons why you oppose the Cuba      
           Democracy Act. 


John Dingell    (202) 225-4071 
            Fax (202) 225-7426 
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairperson  
Dan Rostenkowski  (202) 225-4061 
Chair House Ways and Means Committee 

For more information Contact the National Network on Cuba 
                                 Legislative Working Group 
                                 (202) 986-1561          


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