Generals aren't in the business of commenting on the correctness or incorrectness of the President's decisions. Anybody who thinks he should be able to do that ought to be fired on the spot.
Norman SchwarzkopfRead
As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier. Other than that, he's a great military man, I want you to know that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques Saddam Hussein's military abilities while humorously acknowledging his perceived greatness.
Norman Schwarzkopf's quote highlights the contradiction in labeling Saddam Hussein as a 'great military man' while simultaneously listing his lack of essential military skills and knowledge. This statement serves to emphasize the absurdity of Hussein's reputation relative to his actual capabilities, illustrating how perception and reality can diverge, especially in leadership roles where competence is crucial.
Themes
Saddam HusseinMilitaryLeadershipStrategyCompetence
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership seminar, one could reference this quote to illustrate the importance of competence in leadership roles.
More from Norman Schwarzkopf
All quotes →All you have to do is hold your first soldier who is dying in your arms, and have that terribly futile feeling that I can't do anything about it... Then you understand the horror of war.
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I am living proof that if you catch prostate cancer early, it can be reduced to a temporary inconvenience, and you can go back to a normal life.
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Good generalship is a realization that... you've got to try and figure out how to accomplish your mission with a minimum loss of human life.
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I'm not proud of killing, of being responsible for the death of a single person. I never will be.
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The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.
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