Trump has finally decided to appoint an ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Retired General John Abizaid. (Prince MBS' pocket buddy Jared has done such a smashing job with Middle East issues.)
John Abizaid, a retired four-star army general of Lebanese Christian descent, is prominent for his stint as the longest-chief of US Central Command - of which the Middle East is part - starting shortly after the Iraq war in 2003 all the way through to 2007.
[...]
Trump has been slow to react to evidence increasingly suggesting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's involvement in the killing of [journalist Jamal] Khashoggi, in large part due to the close ties he forged with the 33-year-old heir apparent, also known as MBS.
alJazeera
At Central Command, Abizaid opposed the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq, instead believing the U.S. should focus on training Iraqi forces and maintaining sensitivity to local sentiments.
Then-President George W. Bush disagreed, and in 2007 the surge of 30,000 additional troops went ahead under a new commander, Army Gen. David Petraeus. Abizaid retired that same year.
NPR
So, maybe not a bad choice. I wonder who suggested it.
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