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The policy dictated was region based, with targeted themes for each international audience with key points relevant in the Cold War:

* Europe. Defensive, intermediate range nuclear weapons need to be placed in NATO countries to deter Soviet agression. Reach young people and the "successor generation", the target audiences.

* Africa. Emerging african nations have pronounced interest in american education, particularly its universal availability at all levels and in US medical and agricultural techniques and research. USIA research indicates that emerging african nations are interested in what individual americans are like and how they succeed in making things work.

*Middle East. The central reality about arab nations its dual preoccupation with tradition and technology. Energy is another concern.

*Latin America. It is believed that latins would welcome program segments demonstrating US respect for their independence and advancement. Audiences there also have a liking for american popular music.

*Brazil. This portuguese-speaking nation represents half the south american population. It is in the process of revitalizing its democratic institutions. Problems are environmental protection, labor relations, urban growth, and energy supply.

Today 38 years ago... (8 December 1987)

On October 30th, 1961 the Soviet Union tested a 50 megaton nuclear bomb, the most powerful ever tested in history. The device was blasted on Novaya Zemlya, the flash of light from the monstrous explosion was visible at a distance of 700 miles, and a gigantic, swirling mushroom cloud rose as high as 50 miles.

The day 26th of September of 1983 three signals flashed onto the computer screens of the Serpukhov-15 missile alert centre outside Moscow. Five US Minuteman missiles had been detected heading towards the Soviet Union.

The base commander, Lt Col. Stanislav Petrov broke protocol. Instead of calling General Secretary of the PCUS Yuri Andropov so he could authorize massive retaliation against the United States, Petrov decided to wait.

For two o three minutes, I didn't analyse anything. I was left with my intuition. I had two arguments. First of all, why would the US launch a rocket from a single base? They'd fire from everywhere. Secondly, the computer is an idiot. There's no telling what it might think it's a launch.

Petrov's logic told him that if the Americans were attacking the Soviet Union they would strike them with everything they had seeking for their total anhiliation.