LETTER TO (SANITIZED) FROM RICHARD W. BOEHM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-00733R000200250015-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2010
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: October 29, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/17: CIA-RDP88-00733R000200250015-0
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
FRO
EXTENSION
NO.
FBIS-0441/85
Director, Foreign Broadcast
Information Service
DATE
28 October 1985
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1. Deputy Director for
Science and Technology
Room 6E452 Headquarters
Evan:
2.
Attached is a nice letter
from the Ambassador to Cyprus.
3
He has been most cooperative;
this seems to be one area in
which we have no problems.
4.
5.
D/FBIS
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
FORM O USE PREVIOUS
I-79 EDITIONS
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EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Nicosia, Cyprus
October 18, 1985
Director-
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
P. O. Box 264
Washington, D.C. 20013
Thank you for your letter of 1 October. I have been deferring
a reply pending the visit of They
were here this morning and we had a good talk.
They gave me a full explanation of the decision to site the
major satellite monitoring facility in West Europe, thus obviat-
ing the need for large antennas in Cyprus. That's fine with me,
although we would have been prepared to seek approval for the
facility here if need be.
As to the small dish proposed for Nicosia to monitor ARABSAT,
I foresee no great difficulty in installing it at the new FBIS
site. It would be my intention to notify the Cyprus Government
informally at some stage, as you suggest. I think it might be
a bit premature at this moment, but we will drop a word at the
proper time.
We will be prepared to move out on the "INTERNET" project when
the point is reached at which it comes off the drawing board for
Cyprus. Here again, like you, I would not foresee any particular
difficulty in obtaining whatever agreement might be necessary.
The Government of Cyprus has not returned to the charge when it
comes to the amount of our honorarium. If they do so, we will
ask them for a detailed explanation of the services they claim
to be rendering. You are correct in anticipating that any
proposals by us to raise the limits on the numbers of FBIS
people, or to obtain any other benefits for FBIS from the
Government of Cyprus, would probably trigger a renewal of their
interest in the honorarium increase.
In that connection ~xplained to me that the monitoring
of ARABSAT could indeed lead to a need for more people. FBIS
personnel requirements, expecially for monitors, are much more
quantifiable than most of the personnel requirements with which
I have to deal, and if more people are needed for ARABSAT, I
will not object.
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The visit of Messrs was most useful. I am
sure they will be reporting to you t emselves upon their return
to Washington. I have asked them also to convey to you my
personal regards.
Richard W. Boehm
Ambassador
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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION Sr.rIVI z
P. O. Box 2604
Washington, D. C. 20013
M-IQ-5108
1 October 1985
The Honorable Richard W. Boehm
American Ambassador
Nicosia, Cyprus
Dear Mr. Ambassador:
This is to bring you up to date on our thinking since my last letter
of 25 February.
An extensive study of television broadcasting plans in West Europe
was conducted by Ford Aerospace Company to help us determine the best
possible site for the major satellite monitoring facility we are
projecting. We have now reached the conclusion that such a site should
be in West Europe itself, probably a NATO country, because of the
conversion of West European broadcasters to "K" band television beaming.
Thus the large antennas that we were originally thinking of installing in
Cyprus--probably in conjunction with CYTA facilities--will instead be
located in West Europe. This should make things a lot easier with regard
to our Cyprus situation.
In lieu of the large satellite monitoring facility in Cyprus, we are
now thinking of a small dish--probably 4.6 meters in diameter--which
would be situated in conjunction with our new Nicosia operations
building. This dish will monitor Arabsat--the Arab world satellite
transmissions--with the signals being translated by our present Arab
staff in Nicosia. You will recall that one of CYTA's concerns about FBIS
establishing a monitoring dish on CYTA territory was the legal question
of whether CYTA could allow monitoring of satellites on their territory
without licensing agreements. I believe our decision solves this
problem. A small dish on the FBIS grounds, as an annex of the embassy,
makes the legal question moot. It's merely another FBIS antenna, on U.S.
Government property.
As for "INTERNET," our projected wideband communications channel
linking major bureaus with Washington, I don't see our Nicosia Bureau
being on that system for quite a few years. If and when we want to be
able to transmit over INTERNET from Cyprus, we could sign an agreement
with CYTA. Inasmuch as telecommunications is the primary business of
CYTA, there should not be any legal problems, nor complaints from the
Government of Cyprus. deputy director of FBIS, will be
visiting Cyprus in the near future and can explain our "INTERNET"
planning further.
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C ~.lrin r p
U
The Honorable Richard W. Boehm
It may be that you would want to notify the Cyprus Government
informally that we will have a small dish antenna at the new FBIS site,
stressing that it is simply an extension of our present antenna s stem.
If you need further information on this I am certain can
help.
In the meantime, in regard to the Government of Cyprus' tentative
probes about increasing the amount of the U.S. honorarium paid to Cyprus,
I suggest we wait for them to propose something seriously. It is not
totally clear to me what they mean by their view that FBIS is being given
increased support. If we get around to negotiating an increased
honorarium, I would think we will want to specify a list of new things,
perhaps a higher limit on the number of people, local security support,
or other things that might occur to you.
Thank you for your letter of 19 March. If I can help further,
please let me know.
Sincerely,
cc: Chief, Nicosia Bureau
JDChandlee :nl
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
1 - C/Nicosia Bureau
2 - C/Ops
1 - D/FBIS Chrono
1 Corres file
1 - Nicosia file
1 - MHQ file
1 - FBIS Registry
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