IMAGES OF THE IRAQI AIR BASE THAT IRAN ATTACKED.
ANALYZED THEM WITH THE HELP OF
AN EXPERT TO GET A SENSE OF THE
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE. >> THESE ARE SATELLITES THAT ARE
GOING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE
EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE
AL ASAD AIR BASE IN WESTERN
IRAQ.
IRAQ. LET’S CALL PROFESSOR JEFFREY
LEWIS WHO WORKS AT THE MIDDLE
BURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES AND HE SPECIALIZES IN
IMAGE ANALYSIS AND WEAPONS
ANALYSIS.
ANALYSIS. HE’S GOING TO HELP US LOOK AT
THESE IMAGES AND ANALYZE THEM
AND HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY
TELL US.
TELL US. >> THE SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW AN
AIR BASE IN WESTERN IRAQ, AND
WHAT WE SEE IS THAT THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF STRUCTURES THAT HAVE
BEEN STRUCK REALLY QUITE
PRECISELY, SO THERE ARE
PARTICULARLY BUILDINGS THAT HAVE
BEEN DESTROYED, SOME OF WHICH
ARE QUITE SMALL, OTHERS OF WHICH
THERE ARE CLUSTER BUILDINGS, AND
THE CENTRAL BUILDING HAS BEEN
DESTROYED.
DESTROYED. OUR BEST ASSESSMENT IS THAT
THESE FACILITIES ARE IN THE
AMERICAN SECTION OF THE BASE.
BASED ON THE KINDS OF EQUIPMENT
WE HAVE SEEN AROUND THEM IN THE
PAST, AND IT LOOKS TO US LIKE
MANY OF THE FACILITIES, THOUGH
NOT ALL, WERE INVOLVED IN
MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF AIR
OPERATIONS.
OPERATIONS. SO IT SEEMS THAT THE IRANIANS
CONDUCTED A STRIKE REALLY
DESIGNED TO DEGRADE THE ABILITY
OF THE BASE TO SUPPORT THE KIND
OF OPERATION THAT KILLED QASSEM
SOLEIMANI.
SOLEIMANI. >> WHAT DO THE IMAGES TELL US
ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE
DONE?
DONE? >> WELL, WE’RE LOOKING AT ABOUT
FIVE OR SIX BUILDINGS THAT WERE
DESTROYED, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU
COUNT IT.
COUNT IT. SOME OF THOSE BMGS BUILDINGS ARE
TEMPORARY SHELTERS THAT WERE
CONSTRUCTED FOR EXAMPLE WHERE
MAINTENANCE MIGHT BE DONE ON A
HELICOPTER OR DRONE, SO YOU
KNOW, I DON’T THINK BY ANY MEANS
IT PUTS THE BASE COMPLETELY OUT
OF COMMISSION, BUT IT DOES A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO
THE BASE.
THE BASE. >> DO THESE IMAGES TELL US
ANYTHING NEW ABOUT IRANIAN
CAPABILITIES?
CAPABILITIES? >> YES, I THINK WE’LL PROBABLY
BE REASSESSING HOW ACCURATE SOME
OF IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES
ARE.
ARE. OBVIOUSLY WE’LL HAVE TO LOOK
CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE IT REALLY
WAS BALLISTIC MISSILES THAT DID
THE DAMAGE RATHER THAN A
COMBINATION OF BALLISTIC AND
MAYBE CRUISE MISSILES.
THERE’S A LOT OF RESEARCH LEFT
TO BE DONE, BUT THE FACT OF THE
MATTER IS THAT THESE BUILDINGS