Rex:

Good point:

In Iraq, I was, at one point, focused on creating a civilian reconstruction GIS Base Layer to drive reconstruction planning.

So I was asked what the base layer should contain, and why. The list was something like this:

1. Basic Place Geography

2. Topography & Physical Geography

3. Core Infrastructure (Roads, Bridges, Power, etc...)

4. Population Distribution

5. Key Government Facilities

The question came back: Tell me about this "topy thing?" What's that about?

So, it depends on whether the decision=makers are going to be able to understand/use it?

I don't believe the background studies we are talking about are strategic intelligence, just background Base Layer stuff. The frame to which somebody attaches strategy, or, at worst, discounts strategy. Like when S-2 in a recent post re: Cities Strategy thought in made sense to add up the population* of the cities in question to determine the relative strength of that posture to the overall country.

Steve

* Not that I would put much credence in many of the pop data sets available.