On November 13, the White House announced the president’s intent to nominate retired U.S. Army four-star General John P. Abizaid to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The WH released the following brief bio:
John P. Abizaid of Nevada, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
General Abizaid currently serves as the first Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and works as a private consultant at JPA Associates. Previously, he held the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has worked with the Preventative Defense Project at Stanford University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. General Abizaid began his career in the U.S. Army as an infantry platoon leader and rose to become a four-star general and the longest serving commander of United States Central Command. He served as the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff and then Director of the Joint Staff among other leadership positions. General Abizaid was a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and earned his M.A. in Middle Eastern Area Studies from Harvard University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. General Abizaid is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star.
If confirmed, General Abizaid would succeed Joseph William Westphal (1948–) who was Ambassador to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh from March 28, 2014–January 9, 2017. Ambassador appointments to Saudi Arabia going back to the mid-1990’s have all been noncareer political appointees. The last career diplomat appointed as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia was Charles W. Freeman Jr. who served from 1990-1992 under George H. W. Bush.
New: After nearly two years in office, President Trump has finally announced the nomination of an ambassador to Saudi Arabia: John Abizaid, a former US Army general and current visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution
— Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) November 13, 2018
If confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, John Abizaid would fill a key diplomatic vacancy at a time of tense U.S.-Saudi relations over the slaying of a journalist critical of the Saudi royal family. https://t.co/rP47Bl4s4E
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 14, 2018
John Abizaid would take up the posting in Saudi Arabia at a time when U.S. ties with the kingdom are strained by the killing of Jamal Khashoggi https://t.co/a1L814EZy3
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 14, 2018
Trump nominates Abizaid as US Ambassador to Saudi signaling it will be business as usual plus. Would be a good move if it suggested adult supervision and limiting of Kushner role. https://t.co/VjQdhdeCTX rump nominates Abizaid as US Ambassador
— Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2) November 14, 2018
General John Abizaid, nominee as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in Conversations With History (2008) https://t.co/CfgdY1jUxn via @YouTube
— Diplopundit (@Diplopundit) November 14, 2018
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