The war of words

The reformulation of the British approach to propaganda and the implementation of a better-integrated system of intelligence and counter-intelligence were lengthy and laborious processes. In 1934, as Radio Bari began its vehement anti-British broadcasts in Arabic, British officials in the metropole were still debating about the moral and ultimately financial justification for promoting Britain's interests overseas through cultural initiatives and political propaganda, which had by then fallen into disfavour among the British public and politicians. Despite the numerous changes brought about by the intensification of the aggressive campaign organised by the Italian government, and by the worsening of Britain's relations with Arab nationalist leaders, the steps taken in London seemed insufficient to counter the Axis offensive and to restore Britain's tattered prestige in the Middle East. As late as 1939 the inefficiency of the secret services – unable to provide the necessary information concerning the Mediterranean region – and the lack of a concerted strategy to back British counter-propaganda were severely criticised. ¹ The complex and cumbersome nature of the British propaganda machine was still considered detrimental to the success of British efforts against the well-orchestrated Italian campaign. If lack of co-ordination between governmental departments and the centre had hindered progress in London, scant communication with local authorities and the population had grounded the take-off of British propaganda in Palestine. The implementation of a comprehensive policy devised to safeguard British interests in the Near East had become a crucial issue. The measures until then adopted by the British government, especially in relation to propaganda, appeared unsatisfactory to those assessing political and strategic developments in the region: ‘The BBC Arabic Broadcasts are still an isolated effort which needs to be co-ordinated with other propaganda measures and the arrangements to do this are ad hoc instead of being permanent and defined in both London and the Middle East’. ²