I read your article on Syrian deception with interest. I have concerns of my own, but I would ask you to set the story straight on Iraq. People keep repeating the story that the power lines to Tarmiya were buried for deception. The truth is that there are two high voltage steel tower power lines marching across the landscape to a huge power substation 1.5 km outside the gate. It is still there to be seen in Google Earth. The lines are only buried for the last little bit. The substation was noted before the first Gulf War and was one of the reasons Tarmiya was thoroughly bombed as a precaution, even though the IC did not know what it was. Image analysts are trained to look around a site, not just zero in on it and the source of power needed to be found, and it was.
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The other reason for bombing was the high security around the site: walls anti-aircraft, fences, security lighting. The sometimes repeated story that Tarmiya had a low security signature is not true! (the same was true at Ash Sharqat which was a virtual carbon copy of Tarmiya and the power lines to the substation are plainly visible from the Mosul highway.) All of this was known before the first Gulf War and was used for targeting. If it has been forgotten since then, it is to the shame of the rumour repeaters! I don't think anyone is using IR imagery to spot power lines these days. Panchromatic and SAR work just fine. The transformers at the power station should give a nice glow! Now, was it really a reactor at Kibar? Maybe we'll know some day!
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