US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI785

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000785 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RABAT /CASABLANCA PASS TO DARREL DUCKWORTH IBB TANGIER 
BBG PASS TO WALTER BORYS AND WILFRED COOPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KPAO, FR, DJ, BBG 
SUBJECT: IBB SIGNAL INTERFERES WITH FRENCH RADIO OPERATIONS 
 
 
1.   (U) SUMMARY: The Commander of French Forces in Djibouti 
  told the Ambassador that signals from the International 
  Board of Broadcasters (IBB) Radio Sawa tower at PK12 were 
  interfering with French radio operations in Djibouti. Tests 
  by IBB imply that the problem rests in structural 
  deficiencies in the French HF towers as IBB signals are well 
  within normal and legal range. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.   (U) During a regularly scheduled meeting at the end of 
  March, The Commander of French Forces in Djibouti, General 
  Gerard Pons, told Ambassador Ragsdale that signals from 
  IBB's Radio Sawa tower at PK12 were interfering with French 
  radio operations in Djibouti. He requested the Ambassador's 
  assistance in resolving the interference. 
 
3.   (U) PAO contacted technical experts at IBB and was 
  informed that the signals were well within acceptable 
  strength range and were being broadcast on a licensed 
  frequency. IBB hypothesized that the interference was likely 
  due to grounding problems with the French HF towers and 
  suggested the French buy filters and/or reground the towers. 
 
4.   (U) On April 8, IBB contacted the French Air Base 
  (`FAB') in Djibouti about the continued problem and offered 
  to test the signal strength. However, as it was necessary 
  for the French to grant access to the problem towers to 
  conduct the tests, FAB declined. (NOTE: IBB technical 
  experts speculate that the French towers may be sensitive, 
  which might explain FAB's reluctance to grant access to the 
  problem equipment for testing. END NOTE). 
 
5.   (U) On April 28, a representative from IBB, the PAO and 
  a French technical contractor working at PK12 (`USG Team') 
  met with several representatives of FAB. FAB informed IBB 
  that it was picking up Radio Sawa on HF towers used for 
  receiving signals. FAB also informed USG Team that the 
  interference problems had stopped after the extensive 
  flooding in Djibouti on April 13. 
 
6.   (U) The USG Team concluded that the sudden lack of 
  interference after ground saturation proved IBB's initial 
  grounding hypothesis and said that the problem appeared to 
  lie with structural deficiencies (grounding) with the French 
  towers. IBB stated that the problem would likely return 
  after the earth dried and offered to test the towers for 
  signal problems to confirm this hypothesis. FAB declined. 
  (see para 4). USG Team also offered FAB general advice for 
  resolving grounding problems. 
 
7.   (U) On May 16, FAB again contacted IBB about 
  interference and requested resolution, stating its belief 
  that the problem rested with the IBB signal strength. IBB 
  was granted access that same day to the problem towers and 
  used its own materials and experts to test signal strength 
  in conjunction with FAB. Testing proved that the IBB PK12 
  emissions were well within the International 
  Telecommunication Union standards for high-power broadcast 
  transmitters. Harmonic levels were measured at -80 (ITU 
  minimum is -70). 
 
8.   (U) Testing also determined that there should be no 
  interference, despite any HF grounding problems, as long as 
  the Radio Sawa signal remained in "directional" 
  transmission, the normal transmission mode. Although IBB has 
  licensed authority to transmit a non-directional signal, it 
  told Post it would only do so in cases of emergency or 
  extreme technical difficulty. 
 
9.   FAB witnessed the testing and acknowledged that the 
  procedures, process and measurement results were correct and 
  accurate. Post notes, however, that IBB observed FAB's HF 
  antenna system was below minimum accepted industry standards 
  for receiving antennas (the antenna grounding system was 
  absent in some places and eroded in others). IBB prepared 
  and delivered a technical report detailing necessary repairs 
  for the FAB HF receiving antenna system. 
 
10.  (SBU) COMMENT: IBB and AMEMBASSY Djibouti have made 
  every effort to be accommodating and helpful to the French 
  on this issue. General Pons seemed satisfied with the 
  outcome during a recent meeting with the Ambassador. Radio 
  interference problems currently being experienced by the 
  French are likely do to structural deficiencies with the 
  French HF towers. Post now considers this matter closed. END 
  COMMENT. 
 
RAGSDALE