DXing.info has uncovered a new clandestine radio propaganda operation in Iraq. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation (Sawt al-Tahrir al-Iraq in Arabic) is targeting the Iraqi military. 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 the latest of only three new propaganda stations launched in Iraq since the present crisis escalated in late 2002. Before this, Commando Solo operation by the US forces was launched in mid-December 2002, and a clandestine station called Radio Tikrit was first monitored in early February.

DXing.info has been able to establish that the Voice of Iraqi Liberation transmits daily in Arabic at 0630 and at 1830-2030 Universal time (UTC/GMT) on the frequencies of 1206 kHz mediumwave and 4025 kHz shortwave. The station was first monitored by Finnish radio enthusiast Mika Mäkeläinen on March 6, and the discovery was published on DXing.info on March 8.

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. PUK has not responded to questions by DXing.info concerning the use of their radio transmitters.

The organization behind the Voice of Iraqi Liberation remains a mystery. 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". The station has not announced any contact information or - apart from supporting the coalition - has not given any direct indication of its political affiliation.

DXing.info is a leading independent not-for-profit website on international radio, specialized in monitoring new radio stations worldwide. A sample station identification of the Voice of Iraqi Liberation is available in the DXing.info audio archive. DXing.info has also published a comprehensive review of the current status of propaganda and other radio operations in Iraq under the title "Monitoring Iraq: War of the Airwaves"

For more information, contact Mika Mäkeläinen, Editor of DXing.info