I see where retired Army Gen. John Abizaid is going to become the next American ambassador to Saudi Arabia. That’s just fine and I think he will be good.
Among other things, Abizaid was head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees our endless wars in the Middle East, from 2003 to 2007. I mention this because the current defense secretary, James Mattis, also was chief of CENTCOM from 2010 until he was defenestrated by the Obama White House in 2013.
So when Gen. Joseph Votel, the current CENTCOM commander, now has two former holders of his job, that could be a pretty crowded sandbox on some days, especially when it involves U.S. military operations in and around Saudi Arabia.
