pdunn: Comments

Considering their entire nuclear program seems to be at the mercy of this river, I imagine the river's dams are a bit of a vulnerabillity to everything from their reactors to the reprocessing facilities.

I guess the reprocessing facility at the bend in the river explains the stream of melted ice eminating from an outlet due east of the facilities.

If they are decoy planes, I wonder, why here on the riverbank with no corresponding decoy airstrip? It's very odd to me. I'd suggest they were targets, but they are far too close to civilization for that (if there is such a thing in North Korea). Also, the fact that their new nuclear reactor is just up stream makes it all the more odd. Perhaps they are using the "Phantom Squadron" to make the reactor look like it is more safely guarded than it actually is.

Thanks for the great tips. I'll post the missile sites you discovered; however, don't feel I own North Korea. Part of the reason I've concentrated there is to help build interest so others will start peering into the super-secretive dictatorship.

The North Korean regime has worked so hard to keep a tight lid on even the most basic of information, there is something rewarding about being able meander down the runway of one of their airbases and count the dandilions sprouting...

It looks to me as if this has been painted onto the airstrip.

I also find it odd I keep running into planes parked in fields far from an airbase of any type.

Check these out:

ttp://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.875714,125.503827&spn=0.003809,0.005606&t=k&hl=en

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.860003,125.530982&spn=0.003591,0.005606&t=k&hl=en

I manipulated this image, manually adjusting levels, sharpness and hue saturation and am certain this is, conclusively, a tank.

Great. Thanks once again for the detailed explanation.

It looked to me that the berms directly behind the mounds, outside the fenced enclosure, contained missiles(three yellow triangles on thumbnail). Is this likely?

"Located 13 miles southeast off Baghdad, Tuwaitha is one of the main nuclear program sites that survived the Gulf War. Activities reportedly include research reactors, plutonium separators and waste processing, uranium, metalurgy, neutron initiator development and uranium enrichment."(source: MSNBC)

Unexplained is another category it would fit under.

It's interesting. The gray structures surrounding each bunker each have a circular platform in front with something in position. It's interesting that if it they are missiles, each is oriented to face in a westerly direction.

Homes built on 45-degree angles are popular in that neighborhood. If you'd like I can reserve one for you. Perhaps you should give your old eyes a rest.

Here is a link to the online album of a soldier stationed in and around Camp Babylon with photos of life in the area:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangerholton/43607725/in/photostream/

Here is a link to a soldier's photo album showing what Babylon looks like from the ground and helo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangerholton/43607725/in/photostream/

The image is of Tallil airbase, home of the Iraqi 23rd Squadron (pre war) and the US 407th Expeditinary Group (post war). Notable: The An Nasiriyah Weapons Storage Area beleived to house Chemical Munitions is to the North East.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/tallil.htm

Notice the large Iraqi flag on the center of the dam

Island is near Najaf. There is a (very) small airstrip directly to the Northwest of here.

Thanks for the detailed analysis. There are a number of tread trails leading up to the berms which I imagine could have been left by the demolition crews or are just reminants of normal base traffic.

I find the man-made dam at the southern base of this site curious. It looks like it was designed to hold back much more water than it does. The riverbed where it sits also seems to be accustomed to much more water than is present in this image.

The helicopters are located at what has been labled the Interstate 10 Staging Area.

Follow the terrain to the South East and you'll come across the heavily bombed airbase Kjftiz posted. By the number of destroyed positions far from the airstrip, it looks like not much escaped the attention of the bomber crews in this area.

That explains a lot. I thought it was curious the military would park its aircraft in the sand where rocks and debris could easily be ingested. And the combination of F-18s and A-10s would be an unusual teaming of Navy and Airforce aircraft.

Which makes this such a remarkable find. After all, how many 600 ft subs do you see everyday? As far as I know this could be the only one in existence. ;0)

Farther to the south, four destroyed fighters still litter their taxiways and many of their hardened shelters sport holes in the top.

Great info. Thanks for the update.

Here is a link to Space Command's official website:

http://www.peterson.af.mil/hqafspc/

The sites are commonly known and are not secret locations. Do a web search for Space Command or Buckley Air Force Base and you will see just how widely the information is available.

Making it more interesting, this is all taking place on the grounds of Buckley AFB, the United State's Space Command headquarters.

I'm still waiting on Google to finish their promised Google Earth for the Mac. Until then, I'll have to rely on the aid of folks like you. Thanks for the update.

Other examples of surface to air sites in Iraq have been emptied of their weaponry. This is the only one I've come across that is still occupied.

They could be anti-air artillery; however, I'm still inclined to believe they're missiles.

Thanks for the help. Also, thanks to the link to MSN Virtual Earth, I now know this is in Syria and not Iraq. And, when hiking by satellite, how easy it is to cross borders without even knowing it.

Looks to me like what you are seeing is a small land mass barely protruding above the surface. Look closely and you can see its shadow attached to the sea floor.

I'm pretty confident this shot was taken post invasion. Zoom out a couple clicks and follow the river to the north west. There is another small airbase there, that, if you look directly north has a complex adjacent that is riddled with bomb craters.

I originally thought they looked like the Navy's SM 120 missile (which doesn't explain why it would be on an airstrip). However, I think kjfitz may be right. They could be helicopters wrapped in white plastic for transport incountry.