The clarity of the imagery, and the speed with which it can be disseminated, puts U.S. servicemen and women in danger. The buildup of U.S. forces in Qatar that occurred at the time of this writing, prior to the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, provides a lucid example of the security threat that the dissemination of sensitive satellite imagery can pose. Beyond depriving the U.S. military of the element of surprise, the widespread availability of satellite imagery enabled friend and foe alike to log onto www.globalsecurity.org and view detailed pictures of the base at Qatar. This precise imagery, sensed at one-meter resolution, provided potential Iraqi adversaries with a blueprint containing location and type of aircraft, airstrips, training facilities, troop tents, and munitions storage areas. This presented such adversaries with the opportunity to launch preemptive attacks, including the horrific possibility of a preemptive biological or chemical attack. An adversary as far away as a few hundred miles from al-Udeid could have launched cheap versions of cruise missiles or ballistic missiles, with devastating consequences for U.S. personnel, equipment, and supplies. Aircraft housed on unprotected runways, given their visibility and size, would have been particularly susceptible to such an attack. Although such preemptive attacks did not occur, the al-Udeid example illustrates the grave security threats that satellite imagery can pose to staging operations and battle preparation.

---

Prober, Raphael. "Shutter Control: Confronting Tomorrow's Technology with Yesterday's Regulations." Journal of Law and Politics. Vol. 19 (Spring 2003): 203-251. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 216-7 ]