02 April 2003

Information Radio's role in the Battle of Baghdad As US forces approach Baghdad, the perceived risk of a chemical weapons attack by the Iraqis is increasing. To try to persuade the Iraqis not to use poison gas, the US military has started broadcasting messages via Information Radio warning that any soldier who follows an order to use weapons of mass destruction will be held accountable. The broadcasts are also reassuring the Iraqis that US and British forces have no intention to use chemical or biological weapons. Andy Sennitt 10:07:21 PM     comment on this entry []

Breaking News: Senator says US Government to fund Iraqi opposition TV Associated Press is reporting Senator Sam Brownback, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as saying Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has notified him that an initial $4 million is being released for television and radio broadcasts by the Iraqi opposition. The State Department has not officially confirmed this yet.   We'll have further details of this story on this page tomorrow.   Andy Sennitt 10:01:24 PM     comment on this entry []

Iraqi shrines BBC World is reporting that the Iraqis are using historic shrines for military purposes. That being the case, I'm wondering once again if that's how the Iraqi Satellite Channel is managing to stay on the air. The US troops say they will not attack the shrines out of respect for their religious and historic importance. And the Iraqis have surely figured this out. Mauno Ritola has observed that the audio on Radio Baghdad - when you can hear it - exhibits the same boomy, echoing sound as that on the Satellite Channel, suggesting they're co-located or at least operating in similar conditions. I guess we'll have a pretty good idea whether they're in Baghdad or not by what happens to the broadcasts when the coalition forces finally enter the city. Keep watching Mika Makelainen's Web site dxing.info over the next few days. Mika has just returned from assignment in Doha, and once he's caught up on some sleep and checked his E-mails he promises some interesting media-related information. Andy Sennitt. 9:38:27 PM     comment on this entry []

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