Google is playing an unlikely role in the Iraq war. Its online satellite map of the world, Google Earth, is being used to help people survive sectarian violence in Baghdad.

As the communal bloodshed has worsened, some Iraqis have set up advice websites to help others avoid the death squads.

One tip - on the Iraq League site, one of the best known - is for people to draw up maps of their local area using Google Earth's detailed imagery of Baghdad so they can work out escape routes and routes to block.

It's thought that insurgents have also used the map site, examining the detailed images to pick out potential targets.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6357129.stm


Thoughts?

What's the percentage of Iraqis that own and/or have access to computers and the Internet? If it's not a fairly substantial percentage, then this "google-thing" ain't gonna' do much good in the overall issue.

Baron Max

What's the percentage of Iraqis that own and/or have access to computers and the Internet? If it's not a fairly substantial percentage, then this "google-thing" ain't gonna' do much good in the overall issue.

Baron Max

Needs only one in each group, wouldn't you think? I'm sure many of them have mobile phones.

What's the percentage of Iraqis that own and/or have access to computers and the Internet?
probably where all the computers and cell phones donated to charity is going.
how many of the above items do you see at your local goodwill store?

still, if someone had a computer, that's valuble information. I doubt this is a new development.