Radio Free Europe (RFE) and the Hungarian
Revolution
memorandum is for Information and has beenresponse to your requestrief description of RFE'sthe Hungarian Revolution
the Revolution all desks of RFE. of course, covered
it fully including world-wide reaction to the uprising. One of theactions was RFE's robroadcast to Hungary and the rest of the Bloc of the internal Hungarian freedom radios taken over by the Freedom Fighters. RFE's greater power made it possiblearger number of Hungarians to hear what some of their local radios wore broadcasting on relatively low power. In many cases RFE's robroadcasts were requested by the local radios and considered at the time toery valuable service.
RFE was, of course, charged by thond someith having incited tho Hungarian people to rovolt. One of the charges made was that RFE made false promises of Western military and other support to the Freedom Fighters during the uprising.
Several investigations of these charges were undertaken in CIA's review of the tapes of the entire Hungarian language broadcasts during the revolt found that:
were generally consistent. policy.
did not incite the Hungarian people to revolt.
did not directly or by implication offer hopemilitary assistance would be forthcoming topatriots, with one possible exception. portions of speeches byhe UN which might have been interpreted as indicating
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some Western support for the Hungarian patriots. In our opinion RFE cannot be held responsible forstatements by. officials which it must be assumed. policy.
ln rebroadcasting programs and statementsinternal "freedom" radios, did to an extentwith the demands of the patriot leaders.
offered tactical advice to the patriots.
The West German Government and the Council of Europe7 reviewed RFE'a broadcasts during the uprising and found that the charges against RFE wore unfounded. Pertinent extracts from those findings are attached as Tab A.
The Special Committee on Hungary appointed by the UN to investigate the Hungarian revolt also reviewed RFE'a role and published its findings in June This Committee found that "certainby RFE helped to create an impression that support might befor the Hungarians." RFE, however, was found not to have incited the revolt which was describedspontaneous nationalxcerpts from these findings are attached as Tab B.
It should be pointed out that other Western radios including Radio Madrid and the NTS Russian exile organization ln West Germany did broadcast offers of assistance to the Hungarian patriotsumber of exile military and other personnel. These broadcasts may well have been confused with RFE's programs. There are also reportsommunist station in East Germany used RFE's call letters and broadcast misleading promises of military assistance from the West in order to confuse radio listeners in Hungary.
CORDR/
Chief Covert Action Staff
Attachments:
nd B
cc: DDCI
Original document.
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