MAC WEAPONS, THREAT, AND TACTICS SPECIAL REPORT 17-90:

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CONCEALMENT IS POOR TO NON-EXISTENT THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE MIDDLE
EAST EXCEPT FOR COASTAL AREAS. COASTAL AREAS PROVIDE THE BEST
OPPORTUNITY FOR SURVIVAL. CONDITIONS ARE RELATIVELY POOR DUE TO
FLAT, BARREN TERRAIN (EXCEPT FOR SOME COASTAL MOUNTAINS}.
ORCHARDS AND THIN FORRESTS ALONG THE LOWER TIGRIS-EUPHRATES RIVER
{SE IRAQ} PROVIDE FAIR TO GOOD CONCEALMENT FROM AERIAL
0BSERVATION AND POOR TO GOOD CONCEALMENT FROM GROUND OBSERVATON.
MARGINIAL CONCEALMENT IS PROVIDED IN MARSHLAND AREAS WHERE A
CROUCHING EVADER IS WELL HIDDEN FROM GROUND OBSERVATION BUT NOT
AERIAL OBSERVATION. 
A.  (U} IRAQ: IRAQ CONTAINS HIGH MOUNTAINS. FOOTHILLS, PLAINS,
DESERTS. MARSHES, AND IRRIGATED DESERT LAND. THE GREATEST
DETERRENT TO AN EVADER IS THE EXTREME HEAT AND LACK OF WATER AS
IS THE CASE THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE REGION. IN THE TlGRIS AND
EUPHRATES LOWLANDS, MOVEMENT IS DIfFICULT MOST OF THE TIME.  IN
THE VALLEYS AND PLAINS OF THE NORTH, MOVEMENT IS RESTRICTED IN
LOW LYING AREAS. IN THE DELTA REGION, LAND IS MARSHY WITH
SEVERAL LARGE LAKES. IT CONSISTS OF FLAT, FEATURELESS TERRAIN
WHICH MAKES CONCEALMENT DIFFICULT, AND CANALS AND IRRIGATION
DITCHES EXIST WHICH MAKES CROSS COUNTRY MOVEMENT DIFFICULT.  THE
MOST DIFFICULT TERRAIN FOR MOVEMENT IS ALONG STREAMS AND GORGES.
B. {U} KUWAIT: THF LANDSCAPE IN KUWAIT IS TYPICALLY DESERT.
OFF ROAD TRAVEL IS GENERALLY GOOD EXCEPT FOR PATCHES OF 50FT
SAND. DEEP, STEEP-SLOPED WADI AL BATIN WOULD HINDER CROSS- 
COUNTRY MOVEMENT. IN THE SOUTH, THE WADI ASH SHAGY IS EASIER TO
NEGOTIATE.  KUWAIT'S PARTITIONED ZONE EXPERIENCES SOME OF THE
MOST DESOLATE AND FORBIDDING WEATHER IN THE WORLD.
C. {U) SAUDI ARABIA: NORTH-SOUTH MOVEMENT ALONG THE COASTAL
PLAIN NEAR THE RED SEA IS POSSIBLE ON SANDY-GRAVEL CORRIDORS
BETWEEN SANDY DUNES AND SALT FLATS. MOVEMENT FROM THE PLAINS TO
WESTERN HIGHLANDS IS DIFFICULT DUE TO SHEER CLIFFS AND LOWER
SHRUB-COVERED SLOPES. IN THE CENTRAL REGION. CROSS-COUNTRY
MOVEMENT IS EASY ON HARD. FLAT-TO-ROLLING DRIFTS OF SOFT SAND.
WADIS, HILLS, AND SALT FLATS. THE COASTAL ZONE BACKING THE
PERSIAN GULF CONSISTS OF DESERT PLAINS WITH SAND DUNES, SALT
MARSHES, AND OCCASIONAL FLAT-TOPPED HILLS. THE SOUTH HAS LONG







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