John Abizaid

John Philip Abizaid is an American of Arab descent.

He is also a general in the United States Army and the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), overseeing American military operations in a 27-country region, from the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, to South and Central Asia, covering much of the Middle East. CENTCOM oversees 250,000 US troops. Abizaid succeeded General Tommy Franks as Commander, USCENTCOM, on July 7, 2003, and was also elevated to the rank of 4-star general the same week. Previously, he was one of two deputy commanders of CENTCOM during the major combat phase of the Iraq war.

General Abizaid is the most senior military officer of direct Arab descent. The name Abizaid (in Arabic: جون أبي زيد,) means father of Zaid in Arabic. His nickname at West Point was “The Mad Arab.” He started a program to put Arabic speakers on a fast track for promotions. (Wiki)

In a Sept. 19 briefing, Gen. Abizaid said U.S. troops have found in Iraq the Russian-origin RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenade, used by Hizbullah against Israel's military in the war in August. He said the RPG-29, designed to penetrate Western main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, was modified by and produced in Iran. Abizaid also reported the delivery of Chinese-origin rockets to Iraqi insurgency groups aligned with Iran.

+ General Abizaid Wiki biography ++++ PBS Newsmaker: General Abizaid
+ Statement of General John Abizaid Before The Senate Armed Services Committee on the 2006 Posture of the United States Central Command - 14 MARCH 2006 ++++ U.S. Central Command: What Extremists Are Saying

In other news:
I don't know how sound this approach is: Police to brief Muslims before terror raids
Will British police also consult with Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, etc before doing their jobs of arresting the bad guys?
+ Fugitive al-Qaida leader gunned down by British ++++ Pentagon extends combat time for 4,000 soldiers ++++ Army considers more combat units for Iraq ++++ U.S. House approves $70B more for Iraq and Afghanistan
+ Kandahar, Afghanistan: Canadian soldiers escaped injury on Wednesday when a suicide bomber tried to ram a vehicle in a Canadian military convoy in Afghanistan. The attack injured one Afghan civilian.


Canadian, American, British & Dutch soldiers. Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan (September 20, 2006)


Canadian soldiers from 3PPCLI move into the hills to search for Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters after an air assault onto an objective north of Qualat, Afghanistan. The soldiers are participating in Operation Cherokee Sky in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Hyatt, USA, July 2002