SMAHSI AIRBASE
The image above depicts Shamsi AB, Pakistan, from March of 2007. Shamsi has been in the news recently with the recent discovery in Google Earth of Predator reconnaissance drones on the ramp seen in the image, albeit from imagery captured in 2006. This is the latest example where Google has blatantly censored imagery to hide something, once again pointlessly after the fact. Once the story has broken and the screen captures of the related imagery have been widely disseminated, why does Google insist on still censoring the imagery? The US government's claim that the facility is no longer used may or may not be accurate, either: the large hangar visible at the bottom of the image is a new addition since 2006, and the two clamshell-style tent structures to the left of the image are common US military structures found at various operating locations throughout the Middle Eastern theater of operations. While the facility may indeed no longer be actively used for drone operations, one does have to wonder why the facilities were improved between 2006 and 2007. A base which is not going to be employed is not typically a location where hardened or more robust structures are erected; rather, such infrastructure changes often indicate that the facility is going ot be used on a long-term basis.
Once again, this is an excellent example of why screen captures of interesting images should always be saved. One never knows when interesting or significant findings may be erased by Google's random censorship.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
Predators at Shamsi
The image above depicts Shamsi AB, Pakistan, from March of 2007. Shamsi has been in the news recently with the recent discovery in Google Earth of Predator reconnaissance drones on the ramp seen in the image, albeit from imagery captured in 2006. This is the latest example where Google has blatantly censored imagery to hide something, once again pointlessly after the fact. Once the story has broken and the screen captures of the related imagery have been widely disseminated, why does Google insist on still censoring the imagery? The US government's claim that the facility is no longer used may or may not be accurate, either: the large hangar visible at the bottom of the image is a new addition since 2006, and the two clamshell-style tent structures to the left of the image are common US military structures found at various operating locations throughout the Middle Eastern theater of operations. While the facility may indeed no longer be actively used for drone operations, one does have to wonder why the facilities were improved between 2006 and 2007. A base which is not going to be employed is not typically a location where hardened or more robust structures are erected; rather, such infrastructure changes often indicate that the facility is going ot be used on a long-term basis.Once again, this is an excellent example of why screen captures of interesting images should always be saved. One never knows when interesting or significant findings may be erased by Google's random censorship.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
Predators at Shamsi
3 comments:
Can you post the censured imagery of 2006 to compare?
The link at the bottom under SOURCES has the imagery.
It should be noted that various places have now discovered that the imagery has not been censored, just not included yet into the historical imagery database. This is very good news, as it implies that more imagery will be available in the future, perhaps including the Barnaul SS_25 base with all of the TELs out in the open!
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