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We report on ground-based FTIR observations being performed within the framework of the ESA-NIVR-KNMI project 2907 entitled "OMI validation by ground based remote sensing: ozone columns and atmospheric profiles" for the purpose of OMI data validation. FTIR observations were performed during the time frames August-October 2005, June-October 2006 and March-October 2007, mostly under cloud free and clear sky conditions and in some days from early morning to sunset covering the full range of solar zenith angles possible. Ozone column and ozone profile data were obtained for the year 2005 using spectral modeling of the ozone spectral band profile near 9.6 microns with the MODTRAN3 band model based on the HITRAN-96 molecular absorption database. The total ozone column values retrieved from FTIR observations are biased low with respect to OMI-DOAS data by 8-10 DU on average, where they have a relatively small standard error of about 2%. FTIR observations for the year 2006 were simulated by MODTRAN4 modeling. For the retrieval of ozone column estimates and particularly ozone profiles from our FTIR observations, we used the following data sources to as input files to construct the (a priori) information for the model: satellite Aqua-AIRS water vapor and temperature profiles; Aura-MLS stratospheric ozone profiles (version 1.5), TEMIS climatological ozone profiles and the simultaneously performed surface ozone measurements. Ozone total columns obtained from our FTIR observations for year 2006 with MODTRAN4 modeling are matching rather well with OMI-TOMS and OMI-DOAS data where standard errors are 0.68% and 1.11%, respectively. AURA-MLS data which have become available in 2007 allow us to retrieve tropospheric ozone profiles., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, pablished in Kosmichna Nauka i Tekhnologiya (ISSN 1561-8889), Vol. 14, No. 5, p. 85 (2008)