>>Fooling the satellite imagery is quite a different game. And that can be done. Was done a lot, actually.
>
>I was being facetious of course, but I just meant if the purpose was to convince us they had arms they didn't have ( as some have explained Saddam's otherwise inexplicable behavior regarding the inspections ) that would have been crazy enough to be worthy of Saddam.

Waht's more dangerous, a loaded or an empty gun?

Empty, both sides are scared of it.

I wouldn't be surprised that he was showing off the empty to the world, yet manouvering the spies into believing he's got some bullets up his sleeve. It may have worked for years, until he was faced with an army which didn't really care whether he really had them or not.

>But of course you are right - moving boxes around to fool satellite imagery is not uncommon - and generally means you are doing something else you don't want the sats to know about.

Speaking of which, the story that the Russians have moved truckloads of stuff out of the country during the last few days before the attack... wouldn't that be in plain view of satellites? In infrared, I don't think whatever coating was applied to the engine hoods would have helped much. The exhaust and the people loading would still show. Specially if it was done in known places, like Al-Qaqaa. My serious doubts it would have passed unnoticed.