Leaflets about Information
Radio
broadcasts to Iraq
Compiled by Mika
Mäkeläinen
The first leaflets related to
Information Radio were dropped on December 16, 2002,
as part of Operation Southern Watch. The leaflets
referred Iraqis to radio frequencies where they
could hear broadcasts by Coalition forces providing
information. The first model was black and white,
both sides identical. The same leaflets were dropped
again on December 20, 21, 22, 23, 27 and 28, as
well as on January 26, 30 and 31, February 6, 8,
12, 14, 23 and 27; and even on March 1, 6, 8 and
10. This indicates that old stock is used continuosly
even though newer leaflets with updated schedules
exist.
Note: The real leaflets are
slightly larger than pictured here. The 3-inch by
6-inch (roughly 7,50 x 15 cm) flyers are all in
Arabic, and English versions are just translations
that are never used in Iraq.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_001c.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_001a.jpg)
The second version of radio leaflets
was printed in color, and first dropped in Iraq
on January 2, 2003. Again both sides were identical.
The same design was used in leaflet drops on January
4, 13, 18, 20, 24; February 14 and 28, as well as
on March 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 21. This leaflet
comes also as a slightly different version with
a design number IZ D002 in the lower right corner.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_002c.jpg) ![](../images/leaflet_iraq_002a.jpg)
The third radio leaflet was essentially
a colored version of the first with no new information.
It was first dropped in Iraq on January 31, and
later on February 14 and March 6, 8, 10, 16, 17
and 23.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_003c.jpg)
The previous leaflet was amended
to include information on extended broadcasting
hours and a message to civilians was printed in
the back. The new leaflet was first dropped on March
1, and later on March 21.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_071c.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_071d.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_071a.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_071b.jpg)
March 1 was the opening
night also for another leaflet with a different
design, listing frequencies on the other side and
a message for civilians on the other. 693 kHz has
been replaced by 690 kHz. Since March 1, the following
leaflet has been dropped also on March 23.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_061c.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_061d.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_061a.jpg)
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_061b.jpg)
On March 18, a new version of
the very first radio leaflet was dropped for the
first time with extended broadcasting hours on several
frequencies, and again, 693 kHz replaced by 690
kHz. No Arabic-language original is available for
this one. The same one was used on March 21.
![](../images/leaflet_iraq_001aa.jpg)
At the time of writing,
US Central Command provided detailed information
on leaflet drops only until March 23. It should
be noted that schedules for Information Radio announced
on the leaflets are different from what the Coalition
has publicly announced. While even in the latest
leaflets only 9715 kHz is said to be on the air
24 hours a day, a spokesperson has told that SOMS-Bs
have been broadcasting on 756 kHz mediumwave and
11292 kHz shortwave for 24 hours a day from the
start of the Information Radio campaign. Meanwhile,
Coalition press briefings have seemed to imply that
broadcasting is actually 24 hours a day on all of
the five frequencies. However, neither the leaflets
nor the briefings have mentioned the new frequencies
of 4500 kHz and 101.4 MHz, but according to information
received by DXing.info, leaflets with the latest
frequencies do exist and have already been dropped.
(images released
by US Central Command)
![to Home](../images/nav_backback.jpg) ![to Profiles](../images/nav_back.jpg)
|