2005 Press Releases

General John Abizaid

U.S. Central Command Chief Meets Turkmen President Niyazov

Aug. 23, 2005

Commander of the United States Central Command General John B. Abizaid paid an official visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, August 22-24, 2005. Today, he met President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, and discussed areas of mutual interest, including broad security issues of regional consequence. He reassured the President that the presence of the United States in this region is to stabilize Afghanistan -- not to seek confrontation with any of the nations in the region. General Abizaid also met with Minister of Defense Agageldy Mammetgeldyev and Commander of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan Orazberdy Soltanov.

General John Abizaid assumed duties as the Commander of the U.S. Central Command on July 7, 2003. During his more than three decades of military career, General Abizaid has participated in commanding different types of troops during the invasion in Grenada, an island in the Caribbean; in Vicenza, Italy, during the Gulf crisis; during the deployment to Kurdistan in Northern Iraq; in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and in Wurzburg, a city in southwestern Germany, to provide the first U.S. ground forces into Kosovo. General Abizaid served as the Deputy Commander of Combined Forces Command during Operation “Iraqi Freedom”. The General has also held several high-level positions in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Among other degrees, General Abizaid’s military education includes the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a U.S. Army War College Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. In his civilian studies, General Abizaid earned a Master of Arts degree in Area Studies at Harvard University. His decorations include numerous medals, clusters and badges, among which are the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star medals.