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                           INTELLIGENCE

   TOPIC:    Operational security assessments in the desert are
different from the temperate zone.

   OBSERVATION:    Because the threat is considerably different
from that which most units have trained against in the past,
commanders should consider a top-to-bottom review of security
procedures.   For example, in most conventional settings, the
primary target for enemy rear area operations may be headquar-
ters or Petroleum/Oils/Lubricants (POL) storage areas.  The
most critical target for the desert environment might well be
the water supply.   Therefore, a commander might want to put
more effort in securing water points than POL points.

   LESSON LEARNED:   That commanders review their current
Operational Security (OPSEC) procedures in light of the current
threat and,  if at all possible, assign a soldier to each
company/battery and scout platoon who speaks the language of
the local populace.  The soldier may question local inhabitants
and/or direct prisoners of war.   Additionally, issue to each
soldier or squad English-Arabic dictionaries and phrase books
and foreign area handbooks covering the history, customs, and
psychological makeup of the local populace.

   VIEWER NOTES:


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