[Spooks] Re: Iris system

[Zack Widup]

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006, Dan Malloy wrote:

> 
> Hello Spooks,
>     I  haven't been threatened with arrest, but telling those I know I listen to spies sometimes gets people to ask, "Isn't that illegal?"  The strangest one of all wasn't a numbers station, it was QSLing a broadcaster most of you can probaply hear.  Last may I got a large envelope in my mailbox from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, in a plastic bag as it was torn open at on end.  The USPS sincerely apologized for the damage that somtimes happens in their handling and sorting machines.  I've had mail with a 1-2 cm tear  but the whole end open looks like someone at Logan Airport had a peek in there.  I wonder if the bio on Ayatollah Khomeini that was in there with my QSLs caught anyone's attention?  My family now says I'm probably on a list for receiving that.
> Dan,KA1RDZ

Reminds me of my SWL'ing days in the mid-60's when I was a teenager.  I 
sent reception reports and got cards from Radio Moscow, Radio Peking, etc. 
durig the height of the Cold War and my mother started to get nervous 
about my getting mail from these places. I wanted a card from Radio Havana 
but she didn't want me to be sending them mail.  So a high school buddy of 
mine got interested and asked if I would send in the reception report 
using his name and address.

Not only did he get a QSL (which I still have somewhere) but he started 
getting other things from them as he was now on their mailing list. The 
envelopes he started receiving never showed any signs of tampering, but 
who knows?

They sent out a card which my friend wanted to keep and I don't remember 
the occasion.  But it showed a cartoon drawing of a Cuban in fatigues 
holding a knife and fork, sitting on top of a large pig that had been 
roasted whole.  Sort of an underhanded "take that!" to the USA after the 
Bay of Pigs fiasco!  :-)

73, Zack W9SZ