March 27, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 23, 1424

WASHINGTON: While a severe sandstorm that hampered US-led troops in Iraq was a big media topic on Tuesday, the US military agency that could intelligently talk about the weather was tight-lipped: its forecasts are secret.

The Operational Weather Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina is responsible for getting accurate weather outlooks to US-led forces throughout Iraq.

In war, simply knowing which way the wind will blow helps make it possible to use US high-tech weaponry to fullest advantage.

“I’ll tell you anything about how we do business, but I won’t tell you the forecast for the next few days. It’s valuable military intelligence,” said Lt. Col. Tom Frooninckx, commander of the squadron.

Using data from satellites, radar, weather balloons and direct observation from weather teams in Iraq, the weather squadron develops forecasts with the help of computers and sends them halfway around the world electronically, with repeated updates.

“We don’t want the adversary to know what we know. We also don’t want them to know what they don’t know,” he said.

These forecasts can cover a large area, such as southern Iraq, or pinpoint locations, such as over airfields.—Reuters