Phony Reagan-Thatcher Tape
Crass became particularly infamous for their politically motivated hoaxes, including the so-called Thatchergate tape: a cassette, leaked to the press, featuring what seemed to be a private telephone conversation picked up by accident as a result of crossed lines.
Around 1984, a tape was spliced together in which Thatcher and Ronald Reagan appear to discuss the Falklands War, with her admitting to purposely starting it, and him threatening to nuke Europe to defend American pride.
The tape found its way into the hands of the US State Department, who issued a categorical denial of its veracity. It was then included in a study released to the press about the increasingly “fine-tuned” technological disinformation tactics being employed by the KGB.
On the Thatchergate tape they discuss the sinking of the HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War, and appeared to allege that Europe would be used as a target for nuclear weapons in any conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Copies were leaked to the press, and the US State Department believed the tape to be propaganda produced by the Soviet KGB, a story reported by both the San Francisco Chronicle [and The Sunday Times. Although put together totally anonymously, the British Observer newspaper was somehow able to link the tape with the band.
When it came to light that the tape had in fact been compiled by Crass bassist Pete Wright (Sybil Right) and leaked by Crass, the State Department looked ridiculous.
The tape was actually constructed by Crass using edited recordings of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s voices; on the tape they discussed the sinking of the HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War, and appeared to suggest that Europe would be used as a target for nuclear weapons in any conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union
The band had struck another victory for subversion and found themselves doing interviews and speaking out all over the British and American press. The "Thatchergate" tape would be the last controversy for the band.
The full Thatchergate tape:
Thatcher. own business!
Reagan. I urge restraint. It's absolutely essential or the area 'be "through the roof".
T. Look, our objectives are fundamentally different. Al Haig...
R. Secretary Haig....
T. doesn't seem to be able to find a solution.
R. Why eliminate "Belgrano"? You directed this. The Argentinians were then going.... Secretary Haig reached an agreement.
T. Argentina was the invader! Force has been used. It's been used now, punishing them as quickly as possible.
R. Oh, God, it's not right! You caused the "Sheffield" to have been hit. Those missiles we followed on screens. You must have too, and not let them know. What do you hope to gain?
T. What I said before -"Andrew"- ....As "cruise" go in, I want incentives at all levels....
R. There's a deal....a third more submarine ballistic missiles, and you will see that the United States forces remain deployed. The intermediate range missiles are U.S. defence. You proposed building them in Europe. Build up the economy. They don't work, they're social programmes.... The United Kingdom is a....er....little nation....
T. You still need those nations, and you're given long term international markets.
R. We are supported by our allies, whether they want, or not.
T. I, I don't understand you....
R. In conflict, we will launch missiles on allies for effective limitation of the Soviet Union.
T. 'mean over Germany?
R. Mrs Thatcher, if any country of ours endangered the position, we might bomb the "problem area", and correct the imbalance.
T. See, my....
R. It will convince the Soviets to listen. We demonstrate our strength....The Soviets have little incentive to launch an attack.
T. Our British people....
R. London! ....
T. I think....
R. Let that be understood...........................................
Sunday Times article:
[reprinted in its entirety from The Sunday Times, January 8, 1984]
A fake tape of a purported conversation between President Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was circulated in Europe this spring, possibly by the KGB, the State Department said yesterday.
“This type of activity fits the pattern of fabrications circulated by the Soviet KGB, although usually they involve fake documents rather than tapes,” the department said in a written response to reporter’s questions.
The department said that although the recording is of “poor quality,” a technical analysis revealed that the voices were those of Reagan and Thatcher.
But the department indicated the voices were spliced together and said they were not part of an actual conversation.
“We checked with the White House, which advised they no such conversation took place,” the department said.
The President’s part in the recording apparently was lifted from his Nov. 22, 1982 speech on nuclear disarmament,” it said. “We are not sure where Mrs. Thatcher’s remarks came from.
The department said a copy of the tape was received by the U.S. embassy in the Netherlands a week before the British elections.
The tape dealt with the Falklands crisis and U.S. missiles in Britain, the department said.
It said, “From the drift of the tape, the evident purpose was to cause problems for Mrs. Thatcher by blaming her for the sinking of the British destroyer Sheffield and also for us by stirring trouble on the INF (Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces) issue.”
The Sheffield was sunk by Argentine forces last year during the war with Britain over the Falkland Islands.
Britain and the United States took part in a NATO decision to install intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe late this year as a counter to similar Soviet forces if an agreement on restriction such weapons is not reached.
The State Department said the tape-recording was sent with a covering letter from an anonymous person to Dutch journalists.
It is said an analysis by the language experts “suggests that the author was not a native speaker.”
The Reagan administration has contended for some time that the KGB has contended for some time that the KGB has a forgery factory producing false documents to mislead target audiences.
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