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● 09.16.11

●● Cablegate: Government Uses Google Earth, Blames Google Earth

Posted in Google at 6:51 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: What diplomatic cables tell us about Google Earth

Google Earth is a piece of proprietary software, long ago acquired by Google and still boasting Qt. But it has proven quite valuable for particular tasks and according to the following Cablegate cable, even politicians or government employees make use of Google Earth in order to spy on us, the people.

We add emphasis to the following cable:

UNCLAS GABORONE 000570

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- CAPTION ADDED

DEPT FOR CA/FPP

DEPT PASS TO KCC WILLIAMSBURG KY

DHS FOR CIS/FDNS

JOHANNESBURG FOR RCO

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KFRD [Fraud Prevention Programs], CVIS [Visas],

CPAS [Passport and Citizenship],

CMGT [Consular Administration and Management],

ASEC [Security], BC [Botswana]

SUBJECT: FRAUD SUMMARY: BOTSWANA JULY 2009

REF: 09 GABORONE 110

NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION

(A) COUNTRY CONDITIONS

(U) Botswana is a politically stable, middle-income country with a

small population of about 1.8 million. While unemployment remains

high at 17.6% and Botswana continues to combat an HIV/AIDS

prevalence of 25%, the government has been lauded by the

international community for the progressive social programs it has

implemented. Batswana [plural for citizens of Botswana] enjoy an

advanced medical aid program, a free education through post-graduate

university, and enterprise facilitation programs. Anti-retroviral

drugs (ARVs) are generally available to most of the population in

need. While employment opportunities for young adults are often

elusive, the social benefits one receives here are good reason to

stay.

(U) The government of Botswana continues to be the largest employer,

and government jobs are considered stable and desirable. Many

people also find jobs in the large NGO sector. The government is

also sponsoring modest initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and

some privatization of selected industries, but these have not proven

successful yet. Recently, traditionally strong sectors of the

economy, especially the mining industry, have felt the effects of

the worldwide economic slowdown; several mines have closed or scaled

back production.

(U) Botswana's greatest problem with illegal immigration stems from

its neighbor, Zimbabwe, from where illegal and legal immigrants are

arriving in great number, especially after the disputed Zimbabwe

elections of Spring 2008. otswana's vast, porous border and

stability are ttractive for those fleeing political oppression,

unemployment, hypr-inflationary markets, hunger,and disease. This

has had still had little bearig to date on visa or ACS operations

in Gaboroe, as post has not noticed any surge in applications from

Zimbabweans or residents of Zimbabwe. The government of Botswana

has been generally welcoming to legitimate refugee and asylees from

Zimbabwe. However, this remains a potential problem as Zimbabweans

attempt to establish residency and find employment in Botswana or

look to move from Botswana to brighter horizons elsewhere.

(U) There is also a sizeable amount of legal migration and temporary

settlement in Botswana. The government of Botswana recruits people

with specialized skills, such as medical expertise or teaching

experience, to work in Botswana. Many of these people stay in

Botswana for many years and can gain permanent residency or

citizenship. Visa applications reflect this, with nearly half of

all applicants coming from third countries.

(U) It will become more difficult for Botswana Immigration or Home

Affairs officials to detect a mala fide applicant for a genuine

passport or a holder of a forged or fraudulent passport as the

population of Botswana becomes more multicultural and citizenship is

extended to those whose ancestry is not of any indigenous tribe.

Similar to the U.S., individuals can acquire citizenship in Botswana

through jus sanguinis or naturalization, and the large expatriate

community has taken advantage of this.

(U) While there has been little reason to suspect that official

documents (i.e. passports, residence permits) produced by Botswana

authorities and seen in conjunction with visa interviews are mala

fide, the quality and technology of such documents are poor,

antiquated, and inconsistent. Fraudulent versions of the low-tech

Botswana passport have been intercepted in several countries,

including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Cameroon. In the

past, rumors have indicated that fraudulent Botswana passports could

be obtained in Nigeria.

(U) In late December 2008, a newspaper article revealed police

arrests and investigations into the selling or renting of Botswana

and South African passports to allow for easier travel throughout

the region. The article reported that several of the recovered

passports had forged bio data and photo pages. In February 2009,

another newspaper article raised concerns over the integrity of

Botswana's record keeping and accounting for passport applications

and books, primarily for lost, stolen, or damaged passport books.

(U) In a February 2009 change to United Kingdom's visa regulations,

citizens of South Africas and several other southern African

countries, excepting Botswana, now require visas in advance of

visits to the United Kingdom. However, nationals of Botswana still

do NOT require visas to enter the UK or Canada as tourists, thus

making the country's travel document a potentially attractive target

for criminals. The UK continues to closely examine document

security and the quality of the passport issued by Botswana and

expects Botswana to implement plans to introduce a new, secure

passport in 2010.

(U) In November 2008, the government of Botswana announced the award

of a tender to German company Giesecke and Devrient produce a new

e-passport for Botswana. In preparation for the new passport, the

government has centralized all processing of passport applications

in Gaborone. Full details on the price and application procedures

for the new passports are not yet available. However, production of

the new passport is not anticipated to begin until 2010.

(B) NIV FRAUD

(U) Post has received several turnaround reports from DHS concerning

citizens of Botswana. However, few clear trends emerged. The

applicants concealed key elements of their personal details, such as

parents living in the United States, job interviews, or plans to

attend school. DHS found evidence of their plans in their luggage,

often in the form of emails, application forms, or resumes.

(U) Post previously reported on a possible trend involving young,

professional women transiting the United States with the intention

of remaining in Canada (see reftel). Since several similar cases

were refused under section 214(b) in 2009, post has not seen such

applications repeated.

(U) Although post processes relatively few H1B applications, a spate

of recent applications have required additional review. Internet

(including GoogleEarth) and Lexis Nexis searches have indicated that

employers' office spaces were private residences. The number of

employees listed on the potential employers' quarterly tax reports

did not appear to match the total number claimed in petition

materials and in one case, indicated that the employer was H1b

dependent. The applicants were to be consultants and in one case,

the applicant was to be located at a client's office for 90 percent

of his time. Searches showed the office space to be a private

residence and revealed that the client's business was registered in

the name of one of the petitioning companies employees and her

husband. In these cases, the applicants were Indian passport

holders and worked in accounting or IT in Botswana.

(C) IV FRAUD

(U) Post does not process IV cases, but responds to requests for

investigations from other posts or agencies. At the request of the

Fraud Prevention Unit at another U.S. mission, post confirmed as

fraudulent a Botswana passport presented in conjunction with an

immigrant visa case.

(D) DV FRAUD

(U) Several members of the public contacted post to confirm they had

won the Diversity Visa lottery. Some of these people had applied

for the DV program, but others received unsolicited emails informing

them of their luck. These notifications were easily confirmed as

fraudulent because they had arrived via email from addresses that

did not end in .gov. Moreover, they asked for additional personal

information from the applicants and often requested payment to

continue processing the applications. In response, post added the

Department's warning about DV fraud schemes to the Embassy's

website, and put the information into a press release.

(E) ACS AND U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD

(U) Post has not encountered any apparent ACS or U.S. passport fraud

in recent memory. Demand for ACS and passport services is

relatively low. Providing additional passport pages is the most

frequently performed service.

(F) ADOPTION FRAUD

(U) Post does not process adoption visas.

(G) USE OF DNA TESTING

(U) Post has not resorted to DNA testing since at least 2006.

(H) ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD

(U) Post has not processed any V-92 or V-93 cases and has

encountered very few cases of lost Green cards or other cases

requiring transportation letters.

(SBU) However, post has processed several cases of Cuban applicants

requesting parole into the United States under the Cuban medical

personnel parole program administered by DHS. Most applicants are

currently working in a medical field for the government of Botswana,

so little fraud is indicated. However, most of their credentials

are from Cuban universities and professional societies and would be

difficult to verify.

(I) ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL

(SBU) In the past, post received information about a possible

document fraud scheme operating in Botswana. Some of this

information was conveyed to Diplomatic Security via the Embassy of

Botswana in Washington, D.C. A local informant served as another

source (See Reftel).

(SBU) The Botswana police did question the Zimbabwean head of a

consulting service for possibly providing false or altered Botswana

residence documents. He has since been released on bail and the

investigation continues. Post continues to make inquiries about the

status of this investigation, but the RSO has not yet received any

additional information from the police.

(U) In an apparently international fraud scheme, two contacts

reported paying money to find employment in the United States, with

the expectation that they would receive working visas. The

informants paid recruiters for several services, including visa

applications, and both expressed surprise that no visa had been

pre-approved for them. They had transferred all fees, some more

than USD 1,000, to accounts in either Europe or South Africa.

(J) DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

(U) See part I.

(K) HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY

Passport Description:

(U) The passport of the Republic of Botswana is a relatively

low-tech book. The navy cover shows the coat of arms of Botswana

(two zebras and a shield above the word "pula"). The book number is

punched through the front cover and all 64 pages, but it does not

appear on the back cover. Biographic data, including the applicants

name, identity card number, profession, place and date of birth, and

height, are handwritten on the first and second pages.

(U) The photograph is pasted and laminated onto the third page,

under a laminate bearing the coat of arms of Botswana. The bearer's

signature appears below the photograph, often on a small white paper

affixed beneath the laminate. An impressed seal covers the name and

the bottom portion of the photograph. The laminate can become

easly damaged if exposed to water.

(U) Handwritten etails on the validity of the passport and the

barer's previous pssport appear on pages four and ive. [Note:

Botswana authorities usually collec previous passports when issuing

a new passpot, even if the previous passport still contains valid

visas. End note.] The primary fraud prevention device on the

passport pages is a detailed ultraviolet marking. The front cover

tends to split and peel, as does the spine of the passport.

(U) As mentioned in Part A, Botswana announced in November 2008 the

awarding of a tender to German company Giesecke and Devrient to

produce a new e-passport for Botswana. In preparation for the new

passport, the government has centralized all processing of passport

applications in Gaborone. Full details on the price and application

procedures for the new passports are not yet available. However,

production of the new passport is not anticipated to begin until

Identity Documents:

(U) All Batswana (citizens of Botswana) carry a national identity

card, referred to as the "omang." This is a credit-card sized

document, which records the bearer's name, date and place of birth,

digitized signature, and a digitized photograph contained with an

oval beneath the coat of arms of Botswana. The omang does utilize

ultraviolet fraud prevention features.

Residence Permits:

(U) Botswana provides all foreigners living legally in Botswana with

residence or exemption certificates, and work permits, as

appropriate. These are printed on full-sized sheets of very thin

paper, although they might be handwritten. These residence and

exemption certificates usually contain a photograph of the bearer,

which is pasted onto the form and is not laminated or secured by any

other means. The validity varies, but the certificates can be

extended and extensions are recorded by a stamp on the back of the

certificate. Some bearers will carry the same certificate for up to

20 years. These certificates must be displayed upon entering and

exiting Botswana and many certificates can show severe signs of wear

and tear.

Civil Documents:

(U) Reports of birth and death and other civil documents are

generally printed onto half- or three-quarter-sized sheets of heavy

paper. There are few security features, but there can be a wait of

several days for the Registrar to issue the document.

(U) For reports of birth and death, the hospital or morgue often

issues an initial certificate of birth or death that is later used

as the basis for the full report. The initial report might be more

cursory in nature than the final document. For example, the initial

report of birth might not contain the father's name, although the

family might request that this information appear on the final,

formalized report of birth. Additionally, the father's name can be

added to the formal report of birth many years later.

Difficulties in Confirming Documents:

(U) Botswana maintains few electronic records of issuance for any of

the documents discussed above. The applications for most of these

items have generally been held at the district level, and confirming

issuance of any documents can be a time-consuming process.

(L) COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES

(SBU) Cooperation with host government authorities is generally

good. Local police were willing to assist in an investigation into

an alleged supplier of fraudulent documents and participated

discreetly in interviews with possible sources of information.

Additionally, the government of Botswana has in the past conveyed

valuable fraud prevention information brought to the attention of

their embassy in Washington.

(U) However, record keeping in Botswana is often not computerized,

which can make it difficult to search and confirm certain data

quickly, such as entry/exit records, passport applications, or

residence or work permits. In response to a request, the Department

of Immigration did confirm a passport presented as part of an

immigrant visa application at another post as fraudulent.

(U) Post has met with Immigration Department officials to express

willingness to review suspect U.S. passport and provide more

information on U.S. visas and travel documents. The Immigration

Department, including airport passport inspectors, has contacted

post directly with questions. Post has been able to confirm the

legitimacy of the documents in question.

(M) AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN

(U) Given the high number of third country nationals living in

Botswana, post has generally received nearly 50 percent of all visa

applications from non-Botswana passport holders. South Asian

applicants (those from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) comprise the

largest portion of third country applications. Many of these

applicants are young men claiming to be directors in family

companies traveling alone for either vacation in New York or to

attend a trade show with an open registration policy. Others appear

to be established business owners traveling to visit family or to

explore business possibilities.

(U) In 2008 and early 2009, several sources in the local south Asian

community contacted post to provide information on potentially mala

fide visa applicants. Most sources indicated that they hope to

protect the reputation of their communities, especially in the visa

process. They indicated that applicants with existing visas and

previously lawful travel to the United States might plan to stay

illegally on future trips.

(U) Investigations into these claims have produced mixed results.

While certain applicants demonstrated their successful business

interests in Botswana and previous lawful travel to and from the

United States, informal return checks and site visits on other cases

raised some concerns. Attempts to confirm returns of several

previously issued south Asian applicants indicated that they had not

returned to Botswana as originally stated. Site visits and phone

calls to the supposed businesses of several temporarily refused

cases revealed that the employment had been terminated, the business

relocated, or failed to locate the claimed business.

(U) Post will continue to monitor all third country applications

closely and hopes to conduct a full validity study in 2009.

(N) STAFFING AND TRAINING.

(U) In September 2008, the section's one full-time FSN and one

part-time EFM had some refresher fraud prevention training with the

FPU and DHS offices in Johannesburg. Post's sole consular officer

received some additional fraud prevention training at a regional

consular conference in May 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

NOLAN

Suffice to say, the US government does not like it when its detractors use Google Earth. Then it becomes this “evil terrorist” tool. According to ¶2 of the following cable, “In a 50-minute courtesy call on January 8, Tunisian Minister of State, Special Advisor to the President, and Official Spokesperson of the Presidency Abdelaziz Ben Dhia told the Ambassador with “quasi certitude” that the GOT had wrapped up its security operations against the Salafist group with its December 23 and January 3 operations (reftels). The group had intended to target the US and British Embassies, according to the GOT’s investigation of the matter and interrogation of the suspects. In the several houses used by the group, Tunisian security services found highly detailed maps of the US and British Embassies, including some that had been downloaded from googleearth.com, as well as lists with the names of “some officials” of those Embassies. Asked if the GOT security services had also found indications that the group had been planning to target some of the residences of employees of the US, UK, or French Embassies (as had been indicated by Foreign Minister Abdallah, ref A), Ben Dhia responded negatively. He also said that

See those other cables about Tunisia and the US stance based on the following cable:

=> other | about Tunisia

S E C R E T TUNIS 000053

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/FO - GRAY; NEA/MAG - HOPKINS AND HARRIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2017

TAGS: PREL [External Political Relations],

PTER [Terrorists and Terrorism], TS [Tunisia]

SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SAYS SALAFIST THREAT IN

TUNISIA HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED

REF: A. TUNIS 44

 B. TUNIS 31 

 C. TUNIS 30 

 D. TUNIS 16 

 E. 05 TUNIS 2980 

 F. 05 TUNIS 2973 

Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

¶1. (S) Summary: Minister of State and Special Presidential

Advisor Ben Dhia today told the Ambassador with "quasi

certitude" that the Tunisian security services had finished

their operations against the armed Salafist group (reftels),

which had been planning to target the US and British

embassies. He said that GOT security services had found

detailed plans of the embassies, as well as the names of

"some" US and UK embassy officials, in the houses used by the

armed men. Security services also found between 50-60 kg of

locally produced explosives. Twelve of the suspects had been

killed and 15 arrested; among the Tunisian security services,

two had died and three were injured. End Summary.

Threat Neutralized;

US, UK Embassies Were Targets

¶2. (S) In a 50-minute courtesy call on January 8, Tunisian

Minister of State, Special Advisor to the President, and

Official Spokesperson of the Presidency Abdelaziz Ben Dhia

told the Ambassador with "quasi certitude" that the GOT had

wrapped up its security operations against the Salafist group

with its December 23 and January 3 operations (reftels). The

group had intended to target the US and British Embassies,

according to the GOT's investigation of the matter and

interrogation of the suspects. In the several houses used by

the group, Tunisian security services found highly detailed

maps of the US and British Embassies, including some that had

been downloaded from googleearth.com, as well as lists with

the names of "some officials" of those Embassies. Asked if

the GOT security services had also found indications that the

group had been planning to target some of the residences of

employees of the US, UK, or French Embassies (as had been

indicated by Foreign Minister Abdallah, ref A), Ben Dhia

responded negatively. He also said that the group had not

intended to target Tunisian interests.

¶3. (S) GOT security services found between 50-60 kilograms of

explosives in the group's residences. Ben Dhia described the

explosives as locally produced, "artisanal" in nature. Ben

Dhia explained that the Tunisian security services had been

monitoring the group since an initial group of six armed men

had crossed the Algerian border. The security services kept

these six suspects under surveillance as they were gradually

joined by 21 others in the Grombalia area. On December 23,

concluding that the group was beginning preparations for

attacks planned to coincide with the end of the year, the GOT

decided to act proactively to take the group down. Noting

that local newspapers had published photographs of one of the

residences used by the group, Ben Dhia explained that some of

the suspects in the house during the December 23 shoot-out

had managed to flee via an open window.

Casualties

¶4. (S) In the aftermath of the GOT security operations, 12 of

the suspects had been killed and 15 arrested, accounting for

all 27 suspects, according to Ben Dhia. As for GOT

casualties, Ben Dhia said there had been two killed and three

wounded. Asked whether the GOT had been able to account for

the support network that would have been required to sustain

the group, Ben Dhia responded that the security services had

investigated this matter, and that they consider the

operation "terminated for the instant."

Information-Sharing

¶5. (S) Ben Dhia credited the GOT's intelligence liaison

relationships with friendly countries, notably Algeria and

Libya, with producing the actionable intelligence to

neutralize this threat. Thanking Ben Dhia for sharing this

information, the Ambassador also reiterated that the USG

stands reay to help the GOT in the fight against terrorism,emphasizing that "We are all in this fight togethe."

Ambassador also encouraged Ben Dhia to share his information

directly with the British and Frnch ambassadors, and other

key members of the dilomatic corps, a suggestion Ben Dhia

took on boar.

Comment

¶6. (C) In addiion to immediately sharing the above

informationwith his British counterpart, Ambassador will

folow up on this information in a January 9 meeting ith

Minister of Interior and Local Development Raik Belhaj

Kacem.

¶7. (S) While we welcome the pparent effectiveness of the

Tunisian security srvices, and the willingness of two senior

officils to share some information with us, we are troubed

by several issues. First and foremost is the ailure of the

GOT to share information sooner, ad in more detail. Second,

we are struck by the ontradictions in some of the

information we are eceiving. Tuesday's meeting with the

Minister o the Interior may (and we underscore may) produce

more concrete and detailed information. Until we et better

information, we have only bits and piees of what

increasingly appears to be a complex nd dangerou puzzle.

Bio Notes

¶8. (C) Ben Dhia was confident, friendly, nd gracious during

the meeting, and he appeared o be in good health. Twice

invoking President Bn Ali's name, Ben Dhia underscored that

he well nderstands Ben Ali's intentions, specifically noting

that Ben Ali wants tosolidify relations with the United

States. Ben hia also indicated that he comes from a family

o imams; as such, he said, he takes particular umbrae at

the "deviation" of Islam represented by Islmic extremists.

Repeatedly bemoaning how easy itis for Islamic extremists to

manipulate the ignoant, he ventured that were Mohammed to

return toearth today, he would not recognize the Islam that

many practice. Ben Dhia remembered fondly his fist official

trip to the United States, which he ndertook as Minister of

Higher Education at a tie when the USG and Tunisia were

launching an eduational exchange program. He also noted

that hisson travels to the United States "almost monthly."

GODEC

There are many typos in this cable, almost as though it was OCR’d. █

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