John Abizaid
John Abizaid | |
---|---|
United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia | |
In office June 16, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
President | Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Joseph W. Westphal |
Succeeded by | Michael Ratney |
8th Commander of the United States Central Command | |
In office July 7, 2003 – March 16, 2007 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Tommy Franks |
Succeeded by | William J. Fallon |
Personal details | |
Born | Officer of the Order of Australia | April 1, 1951
John Philip Abizaid (born April 1, 1951) is a retired United States Army general and former United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander who served as the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2021.
In 2007, Abizaid retired after 34 years of service.[1] As of 2007, Abizaid is employed as a fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.[2] He assumed the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point in December 2007. Abizaid was appointed to the board of directors of RPM International on January 24, 2008, and also sits on the board of directors of the Defense Ventures Group.[3] In 2008, he was selected as a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College.[4]
On November 13, 2018, he was nominated as the
Early life and education
Abizaid was born in Redwood City, California, to a family of Lebanese Roman Catholic Christians; his grandparents had immigrated from Lebanon in the 19th century.[10] He was raised in Coleville, California, where he graduated from high school in 1969. His father, who served in the United States Navy as a machinist during World War II, raised him after Abizaid's mother died of cancer.[10]
Abizaid's military education includes the
In his civilian studies, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Middle Eastern studies at Harvard University, and was an Olmsted Scholar at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. Abizaid greatly impressed his teachers at Harvard University. Nadav Safran, the director of the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies kept Abizaid's 100-page paper on defense policy for Saudi Arabia, the only paper of a master's student he has kept, saying, "It was absolutely the best seminar paper I ever got in my 30-plus years at Harvard."[11]
Career
Abizaid was commissioned a
Abizaid commanded the
His
Staff assignments include a tour with the
Following the Iraq War and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, he assumed command of Central Command from General Tommy Franks.
On December 20, 2006, it was announced that Abizaid would step down from his position and retire in March 2007. He had planned to retire earlier, but stayed at the urging of Donald Rumsfeld.[12] On March 16, 2007, Abizaid transferred command to Admiral William J. Fallon, after serving longer as commander of U.S. Central Command than any of his predecessors.
On September 8, 2016, Abizaid was appointed advisor to Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.[13]
On November 13, 2018, he was nominated as the
Personal life
Abizaid is married[10] and has three children, including Christine Abizaid.[10] He learned Arabic in the military.[10]
Global War on Terrorism speech
In November 2005, Abizaid gave a speech on the Global War on Terrorism at the Naval War College.[16]
2006–2007 comments on Iraq
On August 3, 2006, Abizaid, in testimony before the
Bob Woodward on Abizaid and Murtha
In
On October 1, 2006, an interview of Woodward by CBS reporter Mike Wallace was broadcast on the television show 60 Minutes. Wallace mentioned the Murtha-Abizaid conversation. Wallace asked Woodward to confirm that Murtha had told him of this tale of meeting with Abizaid; Woodward nodded his head in assent and said yes.[18]
Iran's nuclear program
In remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported on September 17, 2007, Abizaid stated, "We need to press the international community as hard as we possibly can, and the Iranians, to cease and desist on the development of a nuclear weapon and we should not preclude any option that we may have to deal with it." He also said, "I believe that we have the power to deter Iran, should it become nuclear."
"There are ways to live with a nuclear Iran," Abizaid said, "Let's face it, we lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we've lived with a nuclear China, and we're living with (other) nuclear powers as well."[19]
Awards and decorations
Abizaid has been decorated for service, to include:[20][21][22]
International decorations
- Officer of the Order of Australia[23]
- Gold Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr (Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Gold)
References
- ^ Jim Tice (May 2, 2007). "Former CentCom chief retires". Army Times. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
- ^ "Stanford welcomes back retired Army general, political scientist". Stanford Report. May 10, 2007. Archived from the original on June 21, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
- ^ "Spratt to tour Defense Venture Group facility in Lancaster | News Talk 94.3 WRHI". August 23, 2010. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ "Dartmouth News - Retired U.S. General John Abizaid to Discuss, "The United States and the Middle East: Strategic Choices for the Way Ahead," October 14 as a Montgomery Fellow - 10/10/08". Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
- ^ "Trump names retired general John Abizaid to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Byrnes, Jesse (April 10, 2019). "Senate confirms Trump's pick for ambassador to Saudi Arabia". TheHill.
- ^ "US Ambassador John Abizaid, Indian Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed join other envoys in presenting their credentials to King Salman in Jeddah this morning". Al-Bilad English. June 16, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Message for U.S. Citizens: A Farewell Message from U.S. Ambassador John Abizaid to the American Citizen Community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia. January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "News | Albright Stonebridge Group". www.albrightstonebridge.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e de la Garza, Paul (September 3, 2006). "In search of ground truth". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
- ^ Barnard, Anne; Swidey, Neil (March 27, 2003). "U.S. Commander's Background Considered a Strength in War with Iraq". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Spiegel, Peter (December 20, 2006). "Top general in Mideast to retire". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
- ^ Burns, Robert (September 8, 2016). "Retired Gen. Abizaid to advise Ukraine's defense minister". Military Times. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "Trump names retired general John Abizaid to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ "US Ambassador John Abizaid, Indian Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed join other envoys in presenting their credentials to King Salman in Jeddah this morning". Al-Bilad English. June 16, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Notes From a Student at the Naval War College on Army Gen. Abizaid's Recent Speech" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 11, 2005.
- ^ Shanker, Thom (August 4, 2006). "U.S. General Says Iraq Could Slide Into a Civil War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
- ^ Bob Woodward, Mike Wallace (October 1, 2006). Bob Woodward: State of Denial. 60 Minutes (TV-Series). Archived from the original on February 19, 2007.
- ^ Abizaid: World could abide nuclear Iran Yahoo News, by Robert Burns Mon Sep 17,[dead link]
- ^ "Dartmouth 2009 Honorary Degree Recipient John P. Abizaid (Doctor of Laws)". Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "USIS Advisory Board members bio". Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "Guest speaker Gen John P. Abizaid". Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "Appointed an Honorary Officer (AO) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
Further reading
- Cloud, David; Greg Jaffe (2009). The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army. Random House.
External links
- Interview with GEN(R) John Abizaid discussing September 11, 2001 on the West Point Center for Oral History; see also www.westpointcoh.org
- Interview with GEN(R) John Abizaid about his career on the West Point Center for Oral History; see also www.westpointcoh.org
- "West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient 2009"
- "Newsmaker: General John Abizaid" Archived January 15, 2014, at the PBS, March 4, 2004.
- John Abizaid bio at the Preventive Defense Project.
- "Centcom's Renaissance Man", The Washington Post
- Paul de la Garza, "In Search of Ground Truth: CentCom chief Gen. John Abizaid crisscrosses the front lines to get intel on the war on terror....", St. Petersburg Times, September 3, 2006
- "Abizaid plans to leave post in March" The Boston Globe, December 20, 2006
- New Hand at Helm at Centcom
- Appearances on C-SPAN