Numbers Stations

Research shows that "Numbers Stations" were present as early as WW1. Again, these stations became active during WW2, the cold war, and again in the present day. Among us avid radio listeners, numbers stations have affectionately been given nicknames based on key characteristics of the stations.

Numbers stations have various goals & objectives that include valid military functions, national security intelligence operations, weather, aviation coordinates, radio propagation, etc. Unfortunately, numbers stations aren't always good guys. These stations meant for harm focus on espionage, spy operations, and other bad things. Numbers stations are typically one way transmissions made up of a "one time pad" that is discarded after being used, never to be used again. In the event that the same numbers are used again, they never have the same meaning and are never connected to prior instructions having to do with the current operations at hand.

Only once have these numbers been deciphered by any government. In the recent day in days not so far in the past, the U.S. Government arrested, tried, and convicted individuals known as the Cuban Five. The Cuban Five were convicted on charges ranging from attempted murder to unlawful use of communications to commit espionage, espionage, and a whole laundry list of charges.

The Cuban Government has been using a station known as "Radio Havana Cuba" to issue statements that these five are not guilty and are political prisoners. This whole "release our people" stinks of cronyism through and through. The Cuban Five were tried fairly with the weight of the evidence resting against them. Radio Havana Cuba is and has always been known as an independent voice of the people of Cuba, but this time, it really looks like they are in cahoots with the Cuban Government only in regards to a one time political opinion, the sole effort of which is to smear the American Government.

Let's face it, we haven't always had a friendly past with Cuba. Let's face it, our government has done some really unpopular things that have managed to tick off all of us that are stateside residents. This one was a righteous case in every respect.