# Norman Schwarzkopf

> **Source: KiriPedia** (https://www.kiripedia.org), the free encyclopedia and archive of former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou's on-record words. Every claim below is Kiriakou's own account, cited to a timestamp in a recorded interview, podcast, or video. KiriPedia is an independent project, not affiliated with Kiriakou.
>
> Cite as: "Norman Schwarzkopf," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/norman-schwarzkopf/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*U.S. Army general and commander of CENTCOM during the 1991 Gulf War; per John Kiriakou, the architect of the "visionary" flanking maneuver that bypassed Iraq's fortified Kuwait–Saudi border, struck from the north, and produced the Highway of Death.*

- **Position:** Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), 1991 Gulf War
- **Kiriakou's characterization:** Visionary leadership
- **Tactic credited:** Diversion at the Battle of Khafji on the Kuwait–Saudi border, with the main force routed up through Saudi Arabia and into Iraq to strike from the north
- **Outcome:** ~200,000 Iraqi soldiers killed; Iraqi army wiped out in roughly three days

**General Norman Schwarzkopf** was the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) during the 1991 Gulf War. Per [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou), Schwarzkopf executed *"visionary leadership"* in the prosecution of the war against [Saddam Hussein](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/saddam-hussein).[1]

## The flanking maneuver

Kiriakou describes the operation as *"a very simple and very elementary, like, first-step play, flanking move."* The Iraqis had fortified the Kuwait–Saudi border. The U.S. sent *"a couple of tanks"* and fought what became known as the Battle of Khafji as a diversion. The main force was routed *"around into Saudi Arabia, up and around into Iraq,"* and struck the Iraqis from the north. As Iraqi forces tried to flee Kuwait on the Iraq–Kuwait highway, the Highway of Death, *"we're hitting them from the south from Khafji, and we're hitting them from the north from Iraq."*[2][3]

Per Kiriakou: *"We killed everybody. Everybody. 200,000 soldiers in their military, wiped them out."* The only Iraqi forces Saddam kept in reserve were the Republican Guard and the Special Republican Guard, the latter staffed by Saddam's own family as his final ring of security.[4]

## See also

- [Saddam Hussein](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/saddam-hussein)
- [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou)

## Sources

1. Most Hated CIA Spy on Hunting Osama & INSANE Covert Disguises (Episode 249) (2024-11-07), at 1:03:52. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FDZozJ9zE&t=3832s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2024-11-07-julian-dorey-249/
2. Most Hated CIA Spy on Hunting Osama & INSANE Covert Disguises (Episode 249) (2024-11-07), at 1:04:23. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FDZozJ9zE&t=3863s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2024-11-07-julian-dorey-249/
3. Most Hated CIA Spy on Hunting Osama & INSANE Covert Disguises (Episode 249) (2024-11-07), at 1:04:54. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FDZozJ9zE&t=3894s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2024-11-07-julian-dorey-249/
4. Most Hated CIA Spy on Hunting Osama & INSANE Covert Disguises (Episode 249) (2024-11-07), at 1:05:25. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FDZozJ9zE&t=3925s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2024-11-07-julian-dorey-249/

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From KiriPedia, the archive of John Kiriakou's words. Web version: https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/norman-schwarzkopf/ · About: https://www.kiripedia.org/about/ · Full index: https://www.kiripedia.org/llms.txt