Potential Syrian Missile Targets Pinpointed in Google Earth
As the U.S. government continues the debate about potential strikes against the Assad regime in Syria, GIS professionals are busy mapping out potential missile targets in Google Maps and Google Earth.
ForeignPolicy.com, for example, has mapped 36 locations in Syria that represent the most likely targets for U.S. missiles.
While the goal of the attacks is still unclear, it seems plausible that the strikes will target chemical plants, arms depots, airfields and other military assets.
The map below, created in Google Earth, shows suspected locations of Syrian government chemical weapons sites drawn from data provided by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission to reduce the risk of use and prevent the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons) combined with the locations of known Syrian air bases.
The map also shows suspected chemical weapons manufacturing facilities, Assad’s palace in Damascus, intelligence headquarters, as well as other key senior military installations.
The team at Google Earth has also made it possible to view the data in Google Earth for a different perspective using this KML file.
Expect more maps and GIS data in the coming weeks as the threat of action against the Syrian government unfolds.
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