The Canberra Times September 30, 2002
Suspect sites in Iraq: see for yourself on the web
By George Cho
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Early this month Sayeed Hasan Al-Mousawi, an Iraqi official, displayed a satellite image of the alleged nuclear plant 40km outside Baghdad. British Prime Minister Tony Blair had cited the picture as evidence against Iraq. Saeed said the plant was used only for industrial and agricultural purposes. If you looked carefully at the Associated Press photo you'd have noted a reference mark to globalsecurity.org
Readers can go to the web site and see the nature of the installations shown by these images. They are copyright to either spaceimaging.com or digitalglobe.com. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/ iraq/tuwaitha-imagery.htm http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/esfahan-imagery.htm
Tuwaitha Nuclear Centre, at 33deg 12min 30sec N and 44deg 31min 30sec E, has buildings associated with Iraq's clandestine nuclear-weapons program at the time of the Gulf War. See also Esfahan/Isfahan Technology Centre at 32deg 34min 49sec N and 51deg 49min 38sec E. The 1999 report by David Albright, Corey Hinderstein and Khidhir Hamza (the former Iraqi weapons scientist) issued by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) identifies several buildings that were suspected clandestine facilities at the time of the Gulf War. However, satellite photos show unexplained construction at the sites visited by the UN inspection team. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) emphasises also that no conclusions on whether Iraq had restarted nuclear weapons programs can be deduced from the images. Imagery from DigitalGlobe taken on August 18 shows evidence of new construction under way at Tuwaitha, which raise more questions than answers.
Why build where intelligence agencies, UNSCOM and the IAEA would scrutinise closely and associate it with nuclear program activities? Visit the site and judge for yourself.
GlobalSecurity.org is a small Virginia non-profit organisation that gives ordinary people a glimpse of what may be biological, chemical and nuclear arms-making facilities in the Middle East. The objective is to educate the public, Internet-surfers in particular. The popular Press may be unable to publish these images but those with Internet access can see it for themselves. One of two things (or both) is happening. First, ordinary people may now have a more sophisticated view of what's taking place. Second, for nearly everyone, the debate may become clearer and more factually based. The pictures that GlobalSecurity use is purchased from Space Imaging or Digital Globe, two commercial satellite imaging companies. Each picture costs $US250. Pictures of particular locations can cost up to $US6000 each. The Institute for Science and International Security, too, publishes these commercial photos. Now it seems that the great unwashed can get to know what is going on and do not have to be hoodwinked by the powers that be.
George Cho is Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems and the Law and teaches GIS and remote sensing at the University of Canberra. He is also a member of the e-Business and Law group at the university. george.cho@canberra.edu.au
Copyright 2002 The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Limited
