The Gulf: The Desert Bear

With a John Wayne swagger and a growl like a grizzly, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf confronted a camouflage-clad Special Forces company newly arrived in the forbidding desert of Saudi Arabia. "How long have you guys been standing out in the hot sun?" he demanded. "Two hours, sir," replied a soldier. "I think you're tough enough to take it," said the commander. "You better be. We may have some plans for you later on."

Schwarzkopf's inspection was delayed by an unscheduled meeting with Sultan Mohammed al-Haza, administrator of a remote northern principality sparsely populated by Bedouin sheepherders. As incense wafted through the...

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