Radio Free Syria

Radio Free Syria (Arabic: Sawt Syria al-Hurra) was launched the first week of July 2004 by "the U.S.-based" Reform Party of Syria (RPS) "in order to 'educate the Syrian public on issues of democracy, freedom and the cessation of violence'," Nir Boms and Erik Stakelbeck reported July 13, 2004, in the National Review Online. "The station, which is available on shortwave frequency and the Internet, plans to air cynical and humorous programs criticizing Syria's ruling Baath party as well as on-air plays written by dissident Syrian playwrights."

According to Farid N. Ghadry, president of both RPS and the Syrian Democratic Coalition, "Radio Free Syria will help us unite and consolidate the reformers inside Syria with the reformers pressuring the regime from the outside." [1]

CIA Radio

• "Plans for a new clandestine, Radio Free Syria, backed 100% by Syrian businessmen in Washington, starting March 31 from Cyprus. On what frequency by whom? IBB's Radio Sawa is on 990 there. Reform Party of Syria, anti-Baathist, is involved": http://www.reformsyria.com —Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO #1222, produced March 3, 2004.

• "Radio Free Syria, new clandestine backed by CIA, still lacking a frequency, but has started on Internet": http://www.reformsyria.net and http://www.radiofreesyria.org -- 'Sout Syria Alhurra'—Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO #1227, produced April 7, 2004.

ClandestineRadio.com Reports

In 2005, ClandestineRadio.com reported that the "station began test broadcasts on the Internet on Mar 31, 2004, and is planning actual radio broadcasts to Syria via Cyprus." [2]

Contact Information

Reform Party of Syria
P.O. Box 59730
Potomac, MD 20859
Website: http://www.radiofreesyria.org/

Related SourceWatch Resources

• Al Hurra
• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

External links

• QSL Information Pages - Clandestine Radio Stations broadcasting to Syria.
• "Reform Party announces Radio Free Syria. First pro-Democracy radio for Syria," RPS Press Release (Kurdish Media), February 26, 2004.
• Nir Boms and Erik Stakelbeck, "Shortwave democracy," Washington Times (arman.fm), June 28, 2004.
• Nir Boms and Erik Stakelbeck, "Radio Free World. Liberty-starved countries see a boom in clandestine radio," National Review Online, July 13, 2004.
• Joshua M. Landis, "Is the Syrian Reform Party still in Business?" SyriaComment, August 24, 2004.
• Trish Schuh, "US and Israeli Proxies Pushing the Next Neo-Con War: Faking the Case Against Syria," CounterPunch, November 18, 2005.