Geospatial Intelligence Support to Joint Operations
A newly updated doctrinal publication (pdf) from the Joint Chiefs of Staff describes the various types of geospatial intelligence products produced by U.S. intelligence agencies and their role in the conduct of joint military operations.
Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) includes imagery, maps and other data that characterize a target or area of intelligence interest.
The new publication “covers the foundation and evolution of GEOINT; discusses GEOINT support to operations; provides a complete discussion of the roles and responsibilities for GEOINT; discusses GEOINT in terms of the intelligence process;” and more.
See “Geospatial Intelligence Support to Joint Operations,” Joint Publication 2-03, 22 March 2007 (135 pages, 2.3. MB PDF).
The potential implication of these evidence gaps becomes more consequential when you look at how institutions actually make decisions day to day.
Every new institution inherits something – existing incentives, existing staff, decades of prior investment that shaped what’s possible.
This is not the first time Google has agreed to censor imagery at the behest of governments, but be warned: obfuscation at this broad level poses a direct threat to the public’s ability to monitor and scrutinize government operations.
America’s affordability problem is bigger than home prices and rents. The best housing policies make it easier to build homes, and recognize how housing connects to other domains.