Why Google blurs surface images of Israel, and why that blurring could end
Link here. A 1997 U.S. law requires that all satellite imagery of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank be blurred. The law also sets the resolution standard based on the best images produced by other commercial companies outside the U.S.
NOAA is now reviewing the law, since high resolution European commercial images have been available since 2012. If it decides this is the new standard, high resolution views of this very politically hot region could become publicly available for free.
The article focuses on the wonderfully good things in science and research this change would bring. It completely ignores the use that terrorist organizations, set on killing as many Israelis as possible, could put to such images.
In general, I prefer freedom and the wide distribution of information. In this case I am torn.
Readers!
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Link here. A 1997 U.S. law requires that all satellite imagery of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank be blurred. The law also sets the resolution standard based on the best images produced by other commercial companies outside the U.S.
NOAA is now reviewing the law, since high resolution European commercial images have been available since 2012. If it decides this is the new standard, high resolution views of this very politically hot region could become publicly available for free.
The article focuses on the wonderfully good things in science and research this change would bring. It completely ignores the use that terrorist organizations, set on killing as many Israelis as possible, could put to such images.
In general, I prefer freedom and the wide distribution of information. In this case I am torn.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Israel is in a war zone. Nothing wrong with covering one’s windows when at war.
Speaking of covering windows, the OPCW’s Report was just published on the gas attack in Syria. I’ll results and interviews have come back negative.
https://www.opcw.org/news/article/opcw-issues-fact-finding-mission-reports-on-chemical-weapons-use-allegations-in-douma-syria-in-2018-and-in-al-hamadaniya-and-karm-al-tarrab-in-2016/
I suppose this vindicates Russia. Another deep dark state fake news operation.
Israel is still preparing for what’s going on across the border in Syria.
Actually the OPCw report does not vindicate anyone.
read the whole article. they even state themselves that their job and objective was to not find the offenders but to ONLY find evidence of chemical weapon use in the area.
they admit to finding traces of Sarin gas, mustard gas and chlorine.
They also found traces of explosives. Imagine that, explosives in a war zone.
No data on when those chemicals were used.
No real facts other than that.
Here is a fact. They are still finding traces of Mustard gas in France from WWI.
The chlorine could have come from a truckload of pure chlorine intended for water treatment use. Accidentally blow up the truck in a populated area and guess what you get? People dying from Chlorine poisoning.
Unless someone intended to blow it up and then blame the other side. An act of a terrorist.
A simple fact is, a single small chemical weapon attack on civilians is a terrorist act. For it to actually do anything other than scare people they would have to make more attacks and use it to drive people out of an area.
A single attack is the act of a terrorist. Multiple attacks is a tactical attack.
A terrorist attack has political ends, a tactical attack has a military end.
What was gained from this attack? And who gained the most?
Right after it happened what was called for in the news?