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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | RE: GISList: Afghanistan data |
| Date: |
09/21/2001 09:25:17 AM |
| From: |
Dimitri Rotow |
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> Greetings all,
> I'm trying to help someone track down some base map data of Afghanistan -
> preferably topo maps 1:100K or better
>
> Any ideas on where to start?
>
Glenn -
The perfect set of data for you is VMAP1, the 1:100K upgrade to VMAP0
(formerly "DCW"). NIMA publishes the VMAP1 series on CD and via download
from their site. Unfortunately, to protect the commercial interests of
foreign cartographic monopolists like the Ordnance Survey, NIMA is denying
access to US citizens to US data as is required by law. They've only
published about 60 of the 232 CD and are withholding the rest. In
conversations with NIMA staffers I've been told by several people that the
reason they are not publishing these CDs is to not get their foreign
partners angry. At least one has told me that they know it's illegal but
nobody can force their hand so they don't care.
Afghanistan is covered by CD109 and CD110 with parts in CDs 88, 89 and 131.
All of this data was created by the US military, it is declassified, and
there are absolutely no security issues involving it since the high
resolution paper charts on which it is based are in wide circulation. The
digital data is also in wide circulation in a declassified way (for example,
to NIMA's vendors and other insiders) but it is not available to the general
public. That's illegal.
People have been filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for this
data which NIMA has ignored. That's also illegal, but they appear not to
care. As a journalist, if you file an FOIA request for the data the DoD
handbook for information officers says they must give it to you immediately.
An FOIA request is as easy as sending a one page letter. Send it certified,
return receipt requested so you can later prove that it was sent and
received by NIMA. You'll need the proof to file an administrative appeal
(another letter) after they blow you off.
NIMA's informal pitch on this is that some of the CDs were created with
"foreign source" data that is copyrighted and thus can be excluded.
However, that doesn't justify an illegal response to a FOIA request. When
denying a FOIA request they have to say exactly why. If foreign source data
is the reason they have to specifically identify what is the foreign source
data, to segregate it and to provide the US origin data. They can't just
deny everything because someone in NIMA allegest that at one time they
traded some data withthe UK. They also have to show it is actually foreign
source and fulfills all the (very stiff) requirements for exclusion. They
can't just wave their hands and say "oh, it's copyrighted". This is
especially important because much formerly copyrighted data automatically
enters the public domain when given to the federal government unless certain
highly specific procedures are followed.
I've been working with Vietnam veterans who are steadily pursuing access to
the Vietnam CDs that NIMA refuses to release. The vets want to create maps
showing various campaigns and sites where their friends died in the war.
Clearly, the US data on Vietnam is US origin since it was our guys fighting
and dying there. Likewise, the data on Afghanistan is also US origin since
we mapped the life out of that place in support of the effort against the
Soviet invasion.
It's a good chance that American soldiers will be fighting and dying in
Afghanistan. Every American has a right to see the declassified government
data on this. I, for one, believe that concealment of information is a
great way for a bureaucracy to conceal ineffectiveness or poor execution of
military actions. If we had maps of Afghanistan a few years ago, for
example, it would have been clear to all citizens that the previous
Administration's "strikes" against Osama bin Laden were carefully crafted to
avoid hitting any targets of real importance. They just plowed up sand and
worthless tents and avoided hitting any real assets. Whether you agree or
disagree with what they did, it is important in a democracy for Americans to
be able to at least see and discuss what is being done. It is also
important for a democracy to show that we feel so strongly about our beliefs
in open government and citizen participation in government that we will
apply our principles even as we go to war against those who hope we adopt
their totalitarian ways.
Remember, in VMAP we're not talking about anything sensitive: we're talking
about a rather low level of resolution compared to what is actually used for
military purposes, for TERCOM guidance of weaponry, etc. It would, however,
allow Americans to "follow along" with what will be happening in
Afghanistan.
I think it would be great if GeoCommunity would file an FOIA with NIMA and
would pursue it. The more of us that do this, the greater will be the
evi
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