This book traces the development and interaction between the propaganda efforts of the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the 1983 Korean airliner downing; conspiracy theories put forward by Western observers are also investigated. The authors conclude that strategic and tactical miscalculations made by ideologically motivated American officials allowed the Soviet government to establish a plausible justification for the actions of its Air Defense Forces. This study concentrates on the political goals and strategies of the U.S. and Soviet governments as these evolved in the rhetoric that was put forth subsequent to the downing of KAL Flight 007. It is the only book that examines in detail the broadcasts of Voice of America and Radio Liberty, and Soviet statements in their domestic press, on radio, or on TV.