A Needle In The Haystack

Remember trying to find hidden objects in a picture when you were young?  One with Mickey's friends blended into the scene.  Another with animals to be identified.  You'd be given a number to find; fourteen of this, ten of that.  Often there'd be a story describing why the characters or the creatures were hiding.

Is that a hood ornament on that car, or Donald?  A bare branch on that bush, or a deer's antler?  The tough ones were like trying to find a needle in the haystack.  Were you good at finding them?

Well, I was.  Still am.  The pictures I study now involve more serious issues; characters that don't want to be found, trying to avoid the aerial surveillance deployed to hunt them down.  My job is not only to spot them, but to try and figure out what they're up to.  If they're up to no good, then what action should be taken.

Many times there isn't a clear cut answer.  There's no guessing.  The results of a mistake are not only morally wrong, but potentially disastrous for our nations relationships with other countries.  We can't afford any more non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

A series of photos came in a couple of weeks ago that's taken a lot of my time.  A compound in what passes for a good section of a bad area.  Not far from an army barracks.  Local intelligence suggests that it might be what we've been seeking.

Satellite reconnaissance is requested to study traffic patterns.

Sure enough.  Traffic picks up shortly before video pronouncements from the great man.

A report is prepared; a course of action proposed, send in the SEALS.  If POTUS approves, we might finally get him.  Almost 10 years since the towers went down.  But we might finally get him.