Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Google Earth, terrorists, nuclear plants

Terrorists using Google to pinpoint targets

By Gordon Thomas

Monday, January 15, 2007

London--MI5 has discovered that al-Qaeda is using images displayed by the Google Earth internet facility to pinpoint targets in the UK.

It followed the discovery last week by MI6 that al-Qaeda is already using the cyberspace world map to obtain details of the camps where 21,000 US troops are likely to be based as part of the Bush "upsurge" in Baghdad.

Images taken from Google Earth were discovered in a series of intelligence-led raids on insurgent safe houses in Baghdad and Basra. Hidden under floorboards of several houses were what one intelligence officer called "significant detail" inside the camps.

"These included lavatory blocks, mess tents and sleeping accommodation.The data would enable terrorist rockets to pinpoint their targets with much more precision", said an MI6 officer in Baghdad." On the back of one set of photographs of the Shatt al Arab Hotel, one of the British forces headquarters in Basra, was its precise longitude and latitude".

And in London MI5 has begun an urgent check on known terrorist suspects to establish if they have been using Google Earth.

Already intelligence officers have discovered one suspect, living in Manchester, has been collecting images of sensitive infrastructures such as power stations, including nuclear plants.

"One of the problems is that anyone can sign up to Google Earth and by simply typing in the name of a location they can receive very detailed images down to identifying types of vehicles. In terrorist terms it would be a very effective way to draw up an attack plan.Using Google Earth is like having your own surveillance aircraft in outer space", an MI5 officer said.

A Google spokesman admitted the information it displays can be "used for good or bad and is available to the public in many forms. Of course we are always ready to listen to government requests. We have opened channels with the military.We are not prepared to discuss what we have discussed with them. But we do listen and we are sensitive to requests".

The documents recovered in last week's raids in Iraq are described by an intelligence officer as "current. It indicates that, despite Google assurances, the terrorists are still able to obtain images that can help them".

Major Charlie Burbridge, the British senior military spokesman in Iraq, said: "We face a constant threat of terrorist reconnaissance missions and these internet images are another example of this threat".

Britain's intelligence chiefs are considering asking Google to follow France's example of blanking out scores of sensitive sites available on Google's Geoportal that covers the whole country.

Bahrain has blocked all access to Google Earth after its ruling Al-Khalifa family discovered opposition groups were using the internet tool to discover how many palaces the family owns.

And users of Google Earth in China were startled to discover a previously unknown range of hills to the west of Beijing had appeared.

The range had been built out of canvas and wood for the Chinese People's Liberation Army to conduct military exercises. The fake hills were dismantled afterwards.

But for Western intelligence services the threat from Google Earth is one they admit will be hard to dismantle.

Gordon Thomas 2007


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement