THE GULF WAR: The Battle Front : Iraq’s Top General

The Iraqi chief of staff, LT. GEN. HUSSEIN RASHID, is the former commander of the 150,000-man Republican Guard, which is mostly entrenched along the Iraq-Kuwait border. During the early stages of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, Rashid commanded Iraq’s 3rd Armored Division. Unlike many of Saddam Hussein’s armored commanders, he showed considerable tactical flair in the 1980 invasion of Iran. In 1985, he took charge of and expanded the Republican Guard. Rashid was promoted to commander of the 1st Corps in northern Iraq and later deputy chief of staff in charge of operations. He replaced Lt. Gen. Nizar Khazraji as chief of staff when Hussein sacked Khazraji.