[qrp-canada] (no subject)

[rattray]

==>AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVITY SHUT DOWN IN IRAQ

Iraq Amateur Radio Society (IARS) President Diya Sayah, YI1DZ, has informed
ARRL that all Amateur Radio activity in Iraq has been suspended until the
security situation there improves. The ham radio blackout began this week.

Sayah says the suspension affects both Iraqi citizens as well as any
foreigners, including military personnel and contractors -- who have been on
the air from Iraq identifying with YI9-prefix call signs. It does not affect
the operation of Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) stations, however,
since they operate on military frequencies, not amateur frequencies. The
IARS is informing its member to stay off the air, although some Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) modes like IRLP and EchoLink still are okay to use,
as long as they don't involve transmitting a signal over the air.

The request to halt all ham radio activity and the issuance of licenses in
Iraq originated with a letter from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense to Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as part of the new Baghdad security plan,
Sayah said. He received subsequent confirmation via the Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research to shut down ham radio activity, although
he allows for a possible misunderstanding on the part of government
officials as to the nature and purpose of Amateur Radio.

"I'm waiting an answer from the Office of Prime Minister, because I
requested a meeting with him through e-mail," Sayah told the League. He said
the government expressed concerns over the difficulty of identifying "enemy"
as opposed to "friendly" radio traffic, the potential for revealing military
movements via radio and eavesdropping.

Sayah said the government also wanted radio amateurs in Iraq to send all ham
radio equipment to the IARS until the security situation improved, but he's
advising hams in Iraq to hang onto their gear. "Because we had the security
plan going, no one can carry his equipment, and all checkpoints belongs to
the Ministry of Defense," he said. "Besides, the location of our Society is
not safe to keep members' equipment in one place."

Sayah also has reached out to the worldwide Amateur Radio community to use
its influence to reverse the Iraqi government policy.


72/73 - Bruce ve5rc/ve5qrp - QRP-C#1, QRP-L#886, A1 Operator
            Enter QRP-Canada's "RUN with RAC" contest -            
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