Monitoring Iraq: War of the Airwaves

by Mika Mäkeläinen

A war of the airwaves in Iraq began months before fighting on the ground. This is a comprehensive guide to monitoring radio stations transmitting to and from Iraq. Here you can find a listing of stations involved in the war, complete with frequencies and audio samples, updated regularly as new fronts are opened in the fight for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.

Although television coverage on Iraq is even heavier than before the Gulf War of 1991, shortwave (SW) and mediumwave (MW/AM) radio still offer people around the world a unique chance to get alternative, first hand accounts and opinions on the crisis - at least if you speak Arabic or Kurdish. Broadcasts for the Coalition forces are in English, and the international language of Iraqi music can be heard on almost all the stations.

For most of the Iraqi people radio is the only window to the outside world. No wonder that the Iraqi audience is currently targeted by a total of seven Coalition-supported radio services, four Kurdish stations and five other opposition stations operating on the mediumwave and shortwave bands.

Near Iraq and in parts of Europe these broadcasts, ranging from a mysterious clandestine operation Radio Tikrit to non-stop Arabic pop music on Radio Sawa, can be heard even on the AM band. Further away, and across the Atlantic, you still have a choice of several shortwave stations.

Reception is generally best when the path between your location and Iraq is in darkness. From April 1, local time in Iraq has been four hours ahead of Universal time, UTC. All times listed here are in UTC. Glossary and abbreviations contains explanations to other necessary terms.

Please note that during a time of crisis, schedules may vary, frequencies may change without notice, and some stations are forced off the air. The stations are listed as follows: 1) Iraqi government, 2) Opposition and international stations, 3) Military broadcasting stations, and 4) Kurdish stations. This reference article contains only broadcasting stations that are currently active on the MW or SW bands and that are intended for the general public - so here you will not find confidential military communications, other utility stations nor broadcasting stations that are currently inactive or only operating on the FM band with a very limited reach.

Iraqi government

Bomb damage assessment photo of a radio jamming station in Tikrit (photo by DoD 1998)

Republic of Iraq Radio ( ) has monopoly in radio broadcasting and has been firmly in the hands of the ruling Ba'ath party. For the past decade the station has suffered from deteriorating technical equipment. Iraq used to possess a very impressive array of powerful transmitters and modern antennas for both domestic and external broadcasting, nearly all of which was destroyed in the Gulf War. Back in 1990, the biggest transmitter site in Salah el Deen (44.10E, 33.58N) alone contained 16 transmitters, each 500 kW of power. On the mediumwave band, a total of five transmitters of 1000 kW were on the air, in addition to several transmitters of 600 and 300 kW, according to the World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH). After the war and many years of neglect, in 1998 Iraq had (according to the CIA) only 14 active AM transmitters, 51 FM transmitters and 4 shortwave transmitters, and in 2002 the figures were down to 11 active mediumwave transmitters, 14 FM transmitters and 3 shortwave transmitters. WRTH 2003 has listed the following mediumwave stations in operation:

During the past few years, frequencies most often reported outside Iraq include 603, 756, 846 and 909 kHz. Of the different program feeds, Voice of the Masses and Mother of Battles Radio (established after the Gulf War) have no longer been observed recently. After the war began, only the General Service and Voice of Youth have been audible. Two weeks into the war, Iraqi Radio has proved to be surprisingly resilient, and continues to be heard despite repeated attacks by coalition forces against broadcasting facilities, which according to the coalition are used also for military communications.

On shortwave, Iraq's once powerful foreign service Radio Iraq International had lost nearly all of its transmitters already before the war. Programs were erratic at best and seldom reported anywhere. During the past few years, the station had occasionally been heard on 11787 kHz, which was presumed to originate from a transmitter located in Salman Pak, just south of Baghdad. English broadcasts were scheduled at 2000-2100 UTC, followed by 30 minutes in German and another 30 minutes in French. After the start of the war, Republic of Iraq Radio General Service (domestic service) has been heard irregularly on 11787 kHz as well as on a new frequency of 6175 kHz shortwave from an unknown location. The station headquarters, with address listed as Iraqi Broadcasting & TV Establishment, Salihiya, Baghdad, Iraq, has been targeted by coalition air attacks.

Opposition and international stations

The Future ( ), al-Mustaqbal in Arabic, is run by the Iraqi National Accord, INA (al-Wifaq al-Watani al-Iraq). INA is an opposition group of military and security officers who have defected from Iraq. INA was created by the British intelligence MI6, but has received extensive support from the CIA since the mid-1990's. INA is working to remove Saddam's regime and to install a democratic political system. Al-Mustaqbal began broadcasting on April 21, 1996. Currently the station airs a minimum of 6 hours of programming daily, consisting of two 3-hour feeds, which have partly different content. The station can be best heard at 2130-0030 UTC, and operates on the frequency of 1575 kHz. The transmissions originate from a 50-kilowatt transmitter in Kuwait, located at the Voice of America transmission site but administered by the CIA. The station can be contacted by email. For a comprehensive report and future plans of the station, check out a profile article of the station titled Radio for the Future of Iraq.

Leaflets have been dropped to Iraq since mid-December 2002, detailing broadcast times and frequencies of Information Radio.

Twin Rivers Radio ( ), Idha'at Wadi al-Rafidayn in Arabic, is located just one step down the dial at 1566 kHz. Twin Rivers Radio is not run directly by the the INA, but according to information obtained by DXing.info, its operation is "politically coordinated" with the INA. Twin Rivers Radio broadcasts at 0300 UTC in the mornings and at 1600-1830 UTC in the evenings, sharing the same transmitter as The Future and Radio Tikrit. Previous information has suggested that the station is on the air until 1900 UTC, but observations in March 2003 show that the transmission normally ends at 1830 UTC. Although sharing transmitter time with two other stations, Twin Rivers Radio has a different profile, and it broadcasts mainly popular Arabic music with short announcements, without giving any hint of its affiliation. The station is not featured on the INA website. Twin Rivers Radio was first heard in July 2001.

Another version of the leaflets dropped in Iraq (English translation)

Radio Tikrit ( ) is the latest addition in the arsenal of US-sponsored clandestine stations in the upper end of the mediumwave dial. Broadcasting on 1584 kHz, Radio Tikrit has been named after the town of Tikrit (located some 170 kilometers north of Baghdad), where Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was born and where a large part of the ruling elite hails from. Although logged only on 1584 kHz, Radio Tikrit was first heard announcing the frequency of 1557 kHz, which has later been corrected. The station uses a slogan "Radio for the whole of Iraq and all Iraqis". Radio Tikrit broadcasts at 1900-2100 UTC, presumably using a 50-kilowatt transmitter in Kuwait, courtesy of the CIA. Radio Tikrit is a rare case of a "black clandestine" station, initially pretending to be a pro-Saddam station, but in just two weeks time, it radically changed the tone of its broadcasts, now sharply criticizing the Saddam regime and urging Iraqi soldiers to defect. The appearance and sudden turnabout of Radio Tikrit aroused much interest in the mainstream press worldwide, see the end of this article for a couple of links. More about the station can be found in the DXing.info News and Asia forum.

Information Radio ( ), Radiyo al-Ma’ulumat, is a US propaganda operation broadcasting anti-Saddam Hussein messages, which Pentagon officials say are aimed at weakening his support among the Iraqi people and military. Part of the broadcasts originate from EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft of the the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

A member of 193rd Special Operations Wing (SOW) prepares his EC-130E aircraft for take off at the Doha Airport in March 2003. (Photo by US Navy)

Broadcasts began on December 12, 2002, and according to leaflets dropped in Iraq, the station can be heard at 18.00-23.00 Iraq time (equal to 1500-2000 UTC until March 31, and 1400-1900 UTC from April 1, 2003) on 693 and 756 kHz mediumwave, 9715 and 11292 kHz shortwave and 100.4 MHz FM. DXers outside the Middle East have reported hearing only the two shortwave frequencies. From the start, 693 kHz, 9715 kHz and 100.4 MHz were broadcast from one Commando Solo aircraft, while another plane deployed in late March began using 693 kHz, 4500 kHz shortwave and 101.4 MHz FM. The planes are based in Doha, Qatar.

Mobile transmitters on the ground have been used from mid-December 2002, broadcasting 24 hours a day on 756 kHz and 11292 kHz. Transmitters operate on Humvee vehicles, originally from Kuwait and later inside Iraq. On February 17, transmissions were extended using naval vessels and help from other Coalition partners. 9715 kHz is broadcast from naval vessels from 23.00 to 18.00 Iraq time. A more detailed account of the different platforms used by Information Radio can be found in a profile article US steps up propaganda war.

Information Radio is a key part of the US Psychological Operations (PSYOP), with programming prepared by the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The US Central Command has provided transcripts of the first broadcasts. Correspondence can be sent by email to Public Affairs Officer Edward Shank of the 193rd Special Operations Wing.

Radio Nahrain, identifying as Huna Radio Nahrain in Arabic, a PSYOP radio station similar to the US Information Radio, was launched in late March 2003 by British forces in southern Iraq. According to US Brigadier General Vincent Brooks at the CENTCOM briefing on March 28, British troops had launched an AM radio station out of Umm Qasr. The station was said to be broadcasting to the residents of Basra, under siege by British troops. Earlier, the coalition had knocked out the Iraqi radio station in Basra. The new station is broadcasting a mix of messages and music. The messages are aimed at the Iraqi troops urging them to surrender as well as at civilians in the city of Basra, giving them safety instructions to avoid getting hurt during the fighting, and trying to convince that "this time we will not let you down" - in reference to a Shiite uprising after the Gulf War which ended in bloodbath because the coalition didn't interfere. The content is partly produced by the US and partly by the British. The British troops have also dropped leaflets in the city. The FM frequency has been said to be 100.4 MHz and AM either 693 or 756 kHz, and another report listing just 94.6 and 100.4 FM, but the frequencies have not been confirmed by independent monitors.

A systems operator and flight crewman mans his station on board a U.S. Air Force EC-130E aircraft during a Commando Solo mission in March 2003 (Photo by US Navy)

Voice of Iraqi Liberation ( ), Sawt al-Tahrir al-Iraq, one of the latest newcomers conquering the airwaves of Iraq, discovered first by DXing.info monitoring. Programming consists of appeals and warnings to the military to abandon the regime of Saddam Hussein and to join the coalition forces in rebuilding a democratic Iraq. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation is believed to be using the transmitters of the Voice of the People of Kurdistan, the mouthpiece of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), located in Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation begins its evening broadcast soon after the Voice of the People of Kurdistan has closed down at 1800 Universal time. Equal signal strength, same frequencies and a similarly drifting frequency suggest that the same transmitters are used by both stations.

DXing.info has obtained information that the Voice of Iraqi Liberation is operated jointly by various Iraqi opposition groups in Sulaymaniyah and that the station has studios of its own. The station has not announced any contact information or given any direct indication of its political affiliation. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation is urging Iraqi soldiers to defect to the coalition forces "who are coming to liberate Iraq and to get rid of the Iraqi regime". It has also told the Iraqi public that the coalition forces will not harm civilians, but "are here to help you". DXing.info has been able to establish that the station broadcasts twice daily, at 0630- and 1830-2030 UTC (1730-1930 UTC after April 1) on 1206 and 4025 kHz. The latter frequency has been observed drifting between 4020 and 4030 kHz. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation was first heard by Mika Mäkeläinen in Finland on March 6 signing off at 2031 UTC. However, an informed source tells DXing.info that broadcasts began already around February 21st. Details of programming have been obtained thanks to subsequent monitoring by Tarek Zeidan in Egypt since March 7.

Ashur Radio ( ) is the Voice of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ZOWAA) seeking self-determination for the Assyrian minority in Northern Iraq. ZOWAA was established in April 1979, and Ashur Radio came on the air in April 2000. The station broadcasts in Arabic and in Assyrian from Arbil on 9155 kHz. In March 2003 the station has been observed at 0900-1100 UTC and at 1600-1800 UTC, but it has not been on the air every day. The station can be reached by email.

Voice of Iraqi People ( ), Sawt al-Sha'ab al-Iraqi, is the mouthpiece of the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP), presumably broadcasting from the Iraqi Kurdistan. The station broadcasts in Arabic in the mornings, closing down at 0530 UTC, and in the evenings at 1725/1730-1845/1855 UTC on 3900 kHz (occasionally drifting between 3899 and 3902 kHz) and 5883 kHz shortwave. Extended transmissions have been heard during the war. Voice of Iraqi People can be contacted through the ICP information office in London at BM Al-Tariq, London WCIN 3XX, United Kingdom, tel. +44-271-419-2552, or by email. Until April 2002, a station by the name of Radio station Freedom was heard in Arabic and in Kurdish on the same frequency. The station belonged to the Kurdistan Communist Party - Iraq (KCPI). Party affiliation and frequency choice indicate the use of a shared transmitter with Voice of Iraqi People.

Republic of Iraq Radio, Voice of the Iraqi People ( ), Idha'at al-Jumhuriyah al-Iraqiyah min Baghdad, Sawt al-Sha'ab al-Iraqi is a clandestine radio service sponsored by the Saudi intelligence. According to intelligence reports, the station has studios and offices in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but it may be using transmission facilities also in other Arab countries. Not to be confused with Voice of Iraqi People run by the Communist Party (listed above), this station broadcasts at 1300-0300 UTC on 9563, 9570/9750 and 11710/11715 kHz. In March 2003 the station has also been heard in the evening on 1053 kHz mediumwave, a transmitter which is presumably located in Saudi Arabia. Frequencies are changed occasionally to avoid interference and Iraqi jamming, for example in February 2003 the station replaced 9570 kHz by 9750 kHz, only to return to 9570 kHz on February 23. Voice of the Iraqi People was launched on January 1, 1991.

Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq ( ) is a station of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). SCIRI is a Shiite resistance group formed in Iran in 1982, operating in Southern Iraq with support from Iran. The station identifies as Sawt al-Thawrah al-Islamiyah fi al-Iraq, and has broadcast from 1991 via Iranian shortwave facilities. The station can be heard regularly with a stable signal, signing on around 0330 UTC on 7100 and 9535 kHz. SCIRI can be contacted by email or by writing to 27a Old Gloucester St., London WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom, or telephone +44-207-371-6815.

Voice of Rebellious Iraq ( ), Idha'at sawt al-Iraq al-Tha'r, is another station operated by SCIRI. In November 2002 the station was logged in the evening on the frequency of 711 kHz, but in April 2003 the station was briefly noted on 675 kHz before heard again on 711 kHz. The station is presumably broadcasting from a transmitter in Ahwaz, Iran, normally used for the National (Sarasarye) program of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). Also a station identifying as Radio Nejat from Iran has been reported on 675 kHz at 1230-1430 UTC by the BBC Monitoring Service. Voice of Rebellious Iraq began broadcasting in March 1991. The station has been listed with several postal addresses: P.O. Box 37155/146, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, or: P.O. Box 11365/738, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; or P.O. Box 36802, Damascus, Syria, but also the SCIRI offices in London, Damascus, Geneva and Vienna work as points of contact.

Radio Free Iraq ( ), Idha'at al-Iraq al-khar, is an Arabic-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty beamed to Iraq. The programs are produced in the RFE/RL headquarters in Prague, and transmitted via IBB shortwave facilities in several countries. The service concentrates on news, information and commentary. Since the start of the war, the station has said to be broadcasting 12 hours day, but the program schedule given (table below) shows only a total of 10 hours a day at 0100-0600 and at 1400-1900 UTC.

UTC: Frequency (kHz): 0100-0300 12030 0100-0600 9730, 9865 0300-0400 1314, 11910 0400-0600 11930 1400-1500 13755 1400-1600 1314 1400-1700 9825, 15170, 17740 1500-1900 11805 1700-1800 9865 1700-1900 17690 1800-1900 9705

      Radio Free Iraq was established on October 30, 1998. The Czech government and the residents of Prague were reluctant to host Radio Free Iraq in Prague because of fears of being targeted by a terrorist attack. The RFE/RL headquarters, formerly the parliament house, sits on a busy downtown street. Security is still a major concern and RFE/RL is known to be looking for a new headquarters. Radio Free Iraq can be contacted by email or by writing to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Vinohradska 1, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic (tel. +420-2-2112-1111), or to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036, U.S.A. (+1-202- 457-6900).

Many international broadcasters also have an audience in Iraq, including BBC (Arabic schedule on the BBC website) and U.S. Radio Sawa, Together in English ( ). These stations are not particularly aimed at Iraqis, but rather at the entire Arab population in the Middle East. Radio Sawa has nevertheless established a specific feed Radio Sawa Iraq. Radio Sawa can be best heard in Iraq on 1548 kHz AM (a 600-kW transmitter in Kuwait) and on several shortwave frequencies. BBC is best heard on shortwave and on 639, 702 and 720 kHz mediumwave.

Military stations

British Forces Broadcasting Service, BFBS ( ), has extended its coverage for UK troops in the Persian Gulf. In early February 2003 BFBS begun shortwave transmissions (see table on the right, these frequencies effective from March 30). BFBS already broadcast on FM in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait (102.0 and 107.0 MHz); Al Kharj in Saudi Arabia (96.2 MHz) as well as in Thumbrayt, Oman (102.4 and 105.2 MHz) in early 2003. Since then, new transmitters have been set up in areas where British troops are located, including Southern Iraq (102.1 MHz) and the Coalition headquarters at Camp as-Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar. All new transmitters are said to be in the range of 102 to 107 MHz FM.
      BFBS is operated by the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), which is a registered charity set up to entertain and inform Britain's Armed Forces around the world. SSVC has supplied over 800 portable radios to British troops to help keep them in touch with home. BFBS has two radio networks, broadcasting pop music and speech radio 24 hours a day.
      BFBS went on air at the end of 1943 when an experimental Forces Radio station was opened in a harem in Algiers. Since then, it has broadcast from 20 countries and 67 radio stations around the world. DXing.info audio archive contains BFBS station identifications both during the ongoing Operation Telic (referring to UK military contingency preparations in relation to Iraq) and during Operation Granby (the Gulf War) in 1990-1991. BFBS can be contacted by email or by writing to BFBS UK, Narcot Lane, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire SL9 8TN or BFPO 786, United Kingdom.

Location:	Daytime frequency (kHz):	Nighttime frequency (kHz):
Diego Garcia	12579	4319
Guam	13362	5765
Key West FL	12689.5	12689.5
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii	10320	6350
Puerto Rico	6458.5	6458.5

American Forces Radio and Television Service, AFRTS, has not been heard with any special broadcasts aimed at US forces in the Persian Gulf area. Of the AM stations that operate in US military bases, closest to the theater lies AFN Incirlik in southern Turkey, transmitting 24 hours a day on 1593 kHz (not 1590 kHz as wrongly listed on the AFN website). The transmitter is very weak and can hardly be heard in nearby Adana. In Kuwait AFN can be heard on the FM band at 104.3 and 107.9 MHz. Regular shortwave transmissions in USB mode from around the world, Diego Garcia being the closest one to the Persian Gulf, are listed in the table. ( )

Kurdish stations

Kurdish organizations operate a number of stations, many of which target Kurdish minorities not only in Iraq, but also in Turkey, Syria and Iran. Here are the stations which are currently known to be broadcasting to and from the Iraqi Kurdistan. In addition to these, up to a dozen other stations have been heard over the past few years, but these are either currently inactive or broadcast only on the FM band, and can't be heard far away from the target area. There are also several clandestine stations beamed to Iran that are broadcast from the Iraqi Kurdistan and can be heard on the shortwave band with programming in the Farsi language.

Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan ( Kurdish, Arabic), Aira Dengi Kurdistana Iraq / Sawt al-Kurdistan al-Iraq, is broadcasting from Salah al-Deen in support of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headed by Massoud Barzani. Programs are in Kurdish and Arabic. On March 31 BBC Monitoring Service even heard the station broadcasting an English-language appeal to the Kurdish people. The excerpt consisted of warnings to citizens to stay away from Iraqi military installations and US-led forces troops. The radio appealed for there to be no reprisals against Iraqi POWs and said the Geneva Convention must be observed. The broadcast also said that Saddam Hussein stood in the way of liberty and that US-led forces were there to help the people of Iraq - a message fully in line with US propaganda operations such as Information Radio. Similar messages were aired also in Arabic. The station has recently been observed on the air for the entire evening on 4085 kHz, signing off after 1930 UTC. During the war the station has sometimes been heard with extended broadcasts up to 2200 UTC. Morning broadcasts are heard starting around 0330-0400 UTC on 4090 kHz, but are not transmitted every day. Other previously reported frequencies include 5860 and 7375 kHz. The station has been on the air intermittently since September 1965, and on shortwave it is currently the strongest station from Kurdistan. The station can be contacted via KDP information officer Alex Atroushi.

Voice of the People of Kurdistan (Arabic ), Aira Dengi Gelli Kurdistana / Sawt al-Sha'ab al-Kurdistan, broadcasts from Sulaymaniyah in support of Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). PUK, just like its rival KDP, struggles to attain self-determination for Kurds. The station can be heard on 1206 kHz mediumwave as well as on 4025 kHz (drifting up to 4027 kHz) shortwave. Also 4415 kHz (drifting up to 4417 kHz) shortwave (ex-4000 and 6995 kHz) was observed in February, but no longer in March 2003. 4060 kHz has been their longtime frequency, but has not been heard since April 2002. The most recent observations in March 2003 suggest that the station begins morning transmissions at 0235-0250 UTC, and ends evening transmissions at 1800 UTC. Starting at 0630 and 1830 UTC the same transmitters are used to air programming of the Voice of Iraqi Liberation. Voice of the People of Kurdistan has been on the air in Kurdish and in Arabic from October 1992, recently heard also relaying Iraq Turkmen Sesi Radyosu programming in Turkmen. Contact information can be found on the PUK website.

Radio Kurdistan, Voice of the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party ( Kurdish, Arabic), Aira Dengi Kurdistana, Dengi Hizbi Socialisti Demokrati Kurdistan / Huna idha'at Kurdistan, Sawt al-Hizb al-Ishtiraki al-Dimuqrati al-Kurdistani, is the mouthpiece of the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP), a political ally of PUK. On the air since May 1997, the station continues to be heard with a bilingual program, heard switching from Kurdish to Arabic around 1630 UTC and signing off before 1700 UTC. Occasionally another transmission has been heard later in the evening, signing off around 2100 UTC. In March 2003 the station has also been observed in the morning, signing on before 0330 UTC. The frequency is approximately 4141 kHz, but it is very unstable and has varied between 4139 and 4142 kHz. Often the transmitter drifts back and forth during the broadcast. The station can be contacted by email.

Voice of Kurdistan Toilers ( in Kurdish), Aira Dengi Zehmetkêsan-ê Kurdistana, is a station of the Kurdistan Toilers Party (KTP/PZK), an ally of the PUK. The station began broadcasting in Kurdish and in Arabic in November 1999 and can be heard in the mornings, in March 2003 observed signing on around 0300-0330 UTC on 4245 kHz, though the frequency can drift up to 4246 kHz.

(published on February 24, 2003, last update on April 15)

Profile of Information Radio in Iraq

Profile of The Future (al-Mustaqbal)

Station identifications of clandestine stations

Station identifications from Iraq

News about Voice of Iraqi Liberation

News about Information Radio

News about Radio Sawa