UNOSAT Data on Sri Lanka: Interpretation not substantiated with out
ground verifications - Says Remote Sensing expert
 The image analysis (circulated and provided to Al-Jazeera
TV) was done with WorldView-1 & QuickBird satellite imagery (by UNOSAT)
which are acquired from 450 - 500 Km from the earth. Most of the
analysis was done probably based on object oriented classification
algorithm which interprets an image based on size, shape, colour and
other attributes of ground features and the rest of the analysis was
purely based on visual interpretations by a group who are totally alien
to ground situation in CSZ. Therefore, it is not possible to provide
conclusive interpretation based on these analyses without a detailed
ground assessment being carried out. Conclusions drawn from the
interpretations of these images have no scientific validity.
Further, assessment by UNITAR/UNOSAT - 26 April 2009
refers only to the following two areas.
Damages Inside CSZ:
1. Putumattalan: Three permanent buildings have been
destroyed between 29 March and 19 April, bringing the total for the
northern section of the CSZ to six destroyed since 15 March.
Our comment: The
terrorist occupy this area with a large dump of arms and ammunitions,
which were earlier distributed over 15000 km2 area held by them. This
sort of concentration of arms and ammunition handled by newly recruited
terrorists could easily be attributed to the damage shown on the images.
There are potentially large amounts of moderate to
severe damages to the remaining permanent buildings in this area
Our comment: this is
not verified by images
2. Valayanmadam: one additional permanent building has
been destroyed, and further South there is a cluster of likely impact
craters within an area previously densely populated with IDP shelters.
Our
comment: IDP shelters in the area have been removed and only one
permanent building has been shown to be destroyed. This can also be due
to terrorist activity
Comments on some of the images shown (with image numbers)
1. Most of the damaged sites shown on image views are
outside the CSZ.
2. ID 256 is outside the CSZ. Vadduwakkalu is located
outside the CSZ as shown by UNOSAT map (slide2).
3. ID 259 is also outside CSZ. Although it shows a few
craters, there is no evidence that Sri Lankan army shelled this area.
4. ID 250 shows a damaged building where only the
structure exists on April 19. However, it is noted that large number of
temporary IDP shelters are disappeared on April 19 image compared to the
March 29 image. Therefore, the statement that 'the damage is due to
shelling' is not acceptable. If that is the case, what happened to the
IDP shelters ?
5. ID 229 shows some buildings appear to be damaged.
But there is no image to make a comparison.
General disagreements on the interpretation of imagery
 During the Iraqi war, USA used spy satellites and
American reconnaissance spacecraft with ultra violet, optical, infrared
and radar sensors (all 4 types) and the image interpretation was
assisted by the experts who had ground knowledge and military
strategies. In spite of all the gathered knowledge from physical
sensors, human knowledge and interpretation skills, Sadam Hussains dummy
weapons were targeted and destroyed. This points to the fact that
satellite data interpretation would only be useful after ground
verifications.
U.S. 'Almost All Wrong' on Weapons: Report on Iraq
Contradicts Bush Administration Claims' carried an article in Washington
Post in 2004 October 07. "A controversy has existed over the performance
of U.S. (and British) intelligence in collecting and evaluating
information about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs. The
reliability of sources has been questioned. It has been suggested that
some human intelligence may have been purposeful deception by the
Iraqi intelligence and security services, while exiles and
defectors may have provided other intelligence seeking to influence U.S.
policy."(www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB80)
(What we see on imagery could even be a ploy by LTTE to show
international community how the damages have taken place in CSZ).
Ranjith Premalal De Silva, PhD ( UK )
Professor of Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS
Head, Department of Agricultural Engineering
University of Peradeniya. |
