199. Memorandum From the Director of the International Communication Agency (Reinhardt) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1
SUBJECT
- VOA Coverage of the Afghanistan Coup and Iran
VOA newscasts December 27 in English and all language services led with the Afghanistan and Iran stories. The Afghanistan coup was a fast-breaking and continuously changing story, as reflected in Tab A (VOA News running file on Afghanistan) and Tab B (VOA Correspondents’ Reports). Tab C is yesterday’s news file on Iran, and Tab D contains VOA correspondents’ reports on the Iran crisis.
A VOA News analysis on the Soviet troop build-up in Afghanistan ran on the morning of the 27th, prior to reports of the coup. It was updated to reflect the new situation when reports of the coup were received, and was killed in the evening when it became dated (Tab E).
In VOA’s output on Iran—particularly to the Mideast and South Asian areas—we continue to stress 1) that the hostages are the real issue and must be released; 2) that the United States is pursuing all peaceful and legal means to resolve the crisis; 3) that the international community supports the United States; 4) that the American society stands united in support of the President’s handling of the crisis.
We are also trying to emphasize that 1) once the hostages are released, we are prepared to listen to Iran’s grievances and 2) the prolongation of the crisis is counter to Iran’s own interests and especially its revolutionary goals.
At the same time, VOA continues in its effort to “humanize” the hostages and evoke a response sympathetic to them as human beings by broadcasting profiles of individual hostages (with interviews and comments of family members and friends).
- Source: Carter Library, White House Central Files, Subject File, Federal Government, Voice of America, Executive, Box FG–218, FG 298–1 1/1/79–12/31/79. No classification marking. Bray initialed for Reinhardt. A stamped notation reads: “ZB has seen.” None of the tabs referenced in the memorandum are attached. An attached NSC Correspondence Profile indicates that copies were sent for information to Hunter, Henze, and Thornton and that the “5 tabs of news reporting on file” were in the NSC Secretariat for review. (Ibid.) The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late December 1979. In a December 28 note to Reinhardt, Brzezinski wrote: “I have reviewed your December 28 report of VOA coverage of the Afghanistan coup and Iran. Keep up the good work. However, as I am sure you agree, much more is needed.” (Ibid.)↩