About a month ago, it was reported that amateur radio operators in India had been drafted to monitor the radio communications of suspected terrorist using the ham bands. The report in The Arunachal Times notes:
Suspicious signals in coded Bengali and Urdu languages along the India-Bangladesh border in past few months have raised suspicion over extremists using this unconventional mode of communication, prompting authorities to deploy Ham radio operators on round-the-clock duty.
The incident first came into light in June after amateur Ham radio operators picked suspicious radio signals and unauthorised radio communications in coded Bengali and Urdu in Basirhat and Sunderbans region.
Alarmed over the incident, the operators informed the Centre following which they were called to an international monitoring centre (Radio) and asked to track the signals.
A team of 23 Ham radio operators are now on round-the- clock duty trying to track the exact location of radio signals.
This story was also reported in India’s Press Trust of India News and FirstPost.
While I’m all for ham radio being used for emergency and public service communications, I’m not so sure that I agree with this particular use. I would be OK with this if the amateur radio operators in question were actually drafted into the military and used military equipment to monitor these transmissions, but I’m not sure that as amateur radio operators they should be taking part in these kinds of operations.
What do you think? If you lived down near the U.S.-Mexican border or the U.S.-Canadian border, and the Border Patrol or Army asked you to listen for potential terrorist communications, would you do so?
Dave (NK7Z) says
I would be most happy to assist if asked…
YL3IM says
Why not? I would help.
McCoy Phillips N5YAV says
Absolutely, we are at war, whether our leaders will say so or not. American lives are at risk. At such times every American should use means,talents and resources at his disposal to help end the conflict and save lives. We can worry about setting president later.
Mike says
Yes, of course!
David WB4ONA says
“If you lived down near the U.S.-Mexican border or the U.S.-Canadian border, and the Border Patrol or Army asked you to listen for potential terrorist communications, would you do so?”
I would do so even if NOT asked to! It is everyone’s duty to do what they can to protect the country; especially in times of war. To not do so (such as intentionally leaving the border open and attracting illegal aliens with promises of free stuff), is not only criminal, it is treasonous.
Yohei, N8YQX says
The article isn’t very clear as to if these unauthorized communications are taking place over the ham bands. If they are, I’m perfectly OK with hams monitoring these intruders, regardless of their intentions (no different than tracking down unlicensed operator jamming a local repeater). However, if the communication is taking place over non-ham bands, I would feel more comfortable if the military or the intelligence community was monitoring them. If the military/intelligence community wanted to deputize a willing ham, and they were monitoring as part of their official capacity, I’m OK with that as well.
With that being said, with the advancement of digital communication, I’m surprised that the communication is out in the open.
Thomas Griffiths says
Absolutely, positively, unequivocally!
Our Nation, our way of life, is under attack.
Our threats are not going to diminish, our threats our increasing exponentially.
Cell phones easily enable coordination of attacks and future attacks may disable the use of cell communications to impede first responders.
Amature radio is obligated to support our nation.
Ham radio operators have the talent, the technology, and hopefully the motivation and dedication to serve our Nation as necessary.
Paul K9PLG says
Of course I would if I was asked. But I highly doubt hams would be requested to do something like this by the US as I believe they have better and more sophisticated equipment than most hams do (payed for by our tax $$ of course). Our government gets whatever they want using ‘national security’ as justification !! Guess the Indian military is under-staffed and/or ill-equipped if they are asking amateurs for assistance with this type of eavesdropping ??
Edward C Schaub says
I will just repeat what somebody else posted on the internet, In 1954 I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and to my knowledge I have not been relieved of that oath.
Greg Dean says
Plus we have MARS as well here in the US. What you are describing is more what an OO does when ham bands are being used by non hams. Such as Mexican taxis on 10m.
Sean Yunt says
“A team of 23 Ham radio operators are now on round-the- clock duty trying to track the exact location of radio signals.”
Hurricanes, earthquakes and similar are acute events, usually with emergency management durations measured in days or weeks. If the indefinite plan is to just have a constant rotation of ham operators working these gigs, that seems to take advantage of a “free” resource.
Carlos Uchoa(PU1UCH) says
Yes, of course. Any kind of action againt terrrorism is valid and necessary.
Walter Underwood K6WRU says
This would probably need to be done under something like the Disaster Service Worker (DSW) program. That makes volunteers temporary unpaid employees, so they get worker’s comp and liability coverage. They must be trained and operate under supervision.
Both DSW and RACES are for emergencies, so this would need to be a new program. I don’t know much about MARS, but it might be the right thing.
The DSW program came out of wartime volunteers in California.
“The history of the Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program (DSWVP) dates back to the early 1940s when our country was involved in World War II. At that time, all counties in California had War Councils. Later, these War Councils were renamed Disaster Councils, which played a significant role in the development of the DSW Volunteer Program.”
See page 6 of this manual:
http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PlanningPreparednessSite/Documents/2.%20DSW%20Program%20GUIDANCE%2010.2016.pdf
Dan KB6NU says
I think that something along the lines of RACES or DSW might be appropriate, but not an ad hoc monitoring program like the one described in the Indian newspaper article.
Ross Henderson says
Being a retired military person,you bet I would!
Tim says
Don’t we also call this a draft in the US? If the Army called me back to collect and report on threats, then I’d gladly help.
Dan KB6NU says
The difference, of course, is that if you were drafted, you’d be trained in military procedures, use military equipment, and be eligible for veteran’s benefits.
Bob Truitt WA4A says
The idea of using federally licensed radio amateurs to assist our country is part of the reason that ham radio was allowed to exist at all. As patriots, United States amateur radio operators have always been a souce of operational and technical talent in the field of communications and have, in the past, been used by military and governmental
agencies including the CAP, MARS, RACES, Coast Guard Auxillary and during World War II, the WERS. Amateurs should be proud to continue this proud tradition of service to our country, if called.ll