Stop killing shortwave - A message to governments in the free world.

In every major crisis abroad in the past 5 years, internet access has been severely restricted, censored, or shutdown completely. From Chechnya through to Iran
and now Egypt.

Shortwave is difficult to effectively block, and yet governments in the free world are continually cutting shortwave broadcasts as cost-cutting methods. I would like to say
a word to those governments. If your goodwill mission, propaganda mission, or intelligence mission, includes the exchange of information with other countries,
cut your websites, cut your satellite streams, but do not cut shortwave. Granted, shortwave is expensive, but as is being seen TODAY in Egypt, and what was seen during the protests against the dictator in Iran, the internet DOES NOT WORK IN TIMES OF INTERNATIONAL CRISIS. PERIOD. AT ALL. Satellite is very easily disrupted, and can also be far more easily stopped by rogue states than shortwave broadcasts to those countries.

How is information leaving Egypt today, Jan 31st 2011??????

By HAM RADIO

The latest CW message on 7072 kHz was

"hellow is anyone there? americans?"

These people are asking for our help, and reaching out to us. While our involvement
or lack of involvement is a matter for those with the intel to deliberate on, what
is abundantly clear is that the internet as a resource for the free flow of information
simply DOES NOT WORK.

For those interested in the Egyptian struggle for democracy, the frequencies
being used and transcripts to the web, and also chat relays, can be viewed and
accessed below

http://werebuild.eu/wiki/Egypt/Ham_radio

وأود كثيرا لشعب مصر السلام. ويأمل من جميع الذين يتمتعون بحرية في هذا العالم أن هؤلاء في ظل
 ديكتاتورية يجب أن تكون حرة. لكن الأهم من ذلك كله نأمل جميعا من أجل السلام. سلم عليكم.

I wish very much the people of Egypt peace. It is the hope of all 
who are free in this world that those under dictatorships should 
be free. But most of all we all hope for peace.