Famed Gulf War US General Schwarzkopf dies
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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Norman Schwarzkopf, the US general who led Operation Desert Storm that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 1991, died on Thursday at the age of 78.
General Schwarzkopf, an American hero known popularly as "Stormin' Norman" died in Tampa, where he retired after his last posting as head of US Central Command, which controls US operations in the Middle East and South Asia.
"The men and women of the Department of Defence join me in mourning the loss of General Norman Schwarzkopf," Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said.
He said the decorated combat leader - a hulking, shaven-headed bruiser of a commander - had in "35 years of service in uniform left an indelible imprint on the United States military and the country".
