36+ John Abizaid Quotes On Religion, Education And Brave

John Abizaid is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He served as the commander of the United States Central Command from July 2003 to March 2007. Abizaid was the longest serving combatant commander of CENTCOM and oversaw military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following is our collection on famous quotes by John Abizaid on religion, education, love.

Top 10 John Abizaid Quotes

1. You know as well as I do that counterinsurgency is a very nuanced type of military operation.
2. But the key shift in focus will be from counter-insurgency operations to more and more cooperation with Iraqi security forces and to building Iraqi security capacity.
3. We'll try to include Iraqi officers in our staffs. We will do everything we can to empower Iraqi security forces to stand up on their own and operate where they can alone.
4. But clearly the fact that we've gone from zero Iraqi security forces on duty in May to up to 200,000 today is an enormous accomplishment, but it's not enough.
5. So, these political activities will create friction in and of themselves, and in this environment of friction there'll be additional violence.
6. And so I think that if the person has the funds, the network, and the equipment to do this, and also the experience, which is the key factor, then they can be quite deadly.
7. Morale is good; troops are confident; leaders are capable.
8. Undoubtedly, there are members of the former regime that are cooperating in some fashion and then there are extremists that are within Iraq that are cooperating with them.
9. Everybody needs to understand that I learned Arabic from the United States Army as a second language. I never spoke it at home.
10. You don't build a new power plant in the United States overnight. It takes years to build.

John Abizaid Short Quotes

• As far as Zarqawi is concerned, there is a network of extremists; it's not just Zarqawi.
• But I am satisfied that the information that we have that this is the work of Zarqawi, is accurate.
• Nobody's more mindful of the sacrifices of our troops than those of us that command them.
• I think what actually works best is local-level individual targeting of key leadership nodes.
• I don't believe Iran is a suicide state.

John Abizaid Quotes About Forces

We've got to ensure that the quality and the capability of these forces will be good enough to withstand the challenges that the insurgents and the terrorists will present to the new Iraqi government. — John Abizaid

Certainly our goal is to leave Iraq, but we can't leave Iraq with our forces until we know that the Iraqi security forces are capable and efficient enough to defend the sovereignty of the nation. — John Abizaid

The power to prevent violence is a power that no police force seems to have anywhere in the United States. — John Abizaid

Our forces will not be on the sidelines. — John Abizaid

John Abizaid Quotes About Security

Being on the run, having to change the way that you do business, being unable to plan in a safe and secure environment, always looking over your shoulder, knowing that some day somebody's going to knock on your door and it's going to be your last. — John Abizaid

But the truth of the matter is that there is there is an opportunity for them to participate in the economic and political future of the country and certainly in the security life of the country. — John Abizaid

And over time, I think, as Iraqi security capacity builds, you'll see American and coalition presence there decline. — John Abizaid

John Abizaid Quotes About Political

Oh, the transition concerns me because as we move towards an important political event, it's clear to me that the terrorists and insurgents will move as hard as they can to disrupt this process. — John Abizaid

It's clear to me now that we've got to reach out to the Arab Sunni community in particular in an effort to cause some moderate political activity to take place so they join the future of Iraq. — John Abizaid

I think you will see a lot of strains develop in the political process that will result in violence everywhere in the country - but it's controllable, it's workable and it will lead to a much better future for these people. — John Abizaid

John Abizaid Quotes About People

Capturing any member of any terrorist cell or any insurgent cell that we may happen to come across is always very, very valuable, and the thing that interests me is that in most instances after a time people talk and they tell us what they know. — John Abizaid

I think you also understand that one of the key things that's got to be done in Iraq is to build a mentality of understanding that the military needs to be subordinate to civilian control and respectful of its own people. — John Abizaid

It's also natural in that part of the world to blame what people view as the... as the most important authority in the region, and that currently is the United States of America. — John Abizaid

But my Arabic is pretty good. It's good enough to have conversations with people, to understand what they say, to understand what they're feeling. — John Abizaid

But all that having been said, you can't, in a city of a million people like Karbala, or 5 million like Baghdad, you can't be in all places at all times. — John Abizaid

John Abizaid Famous Quotes And Sayings

Clearly the Secretary of Defense, my boss, would like nothing better than to get Osama bin Laden and to get... to ensure the complete defeat of al-Qaida, because we know that al-Qaida is planning operations against the United States even as we speak here. — John Abizaid

Well, the hardest thing to do, as we know from our own experience on 9/11 is protect everything all the time. — John Abizaid

But as we move from this period of what many Iraqis regard as perceived occupation, we need to move towards one of partnership. — John Abizaid

I believe we've... we've worked very hard with the Iraqis to build a better place ever since the fall of Saddam's government. — John Abizaid

Well, the reports are correct that we're conducting very robust military operations on the Afghan side of the border in areas where we think al-Qaida is operating and Taliban remnants are. — John Abizaid

In other words, for every 10 enemy you kill you bring on 20 new recruits to their anti-coalition cause then essentially you are working against yourself. — John Abizaid

Life Lessons by John Abizaid

1. John Abizaid's work demonstrates the importance of dedication and perseverance in the face of adversity, as he rose from humble beginnings to become a four-star general in the United States military.
2. His career is a testament to the power of leadership and the ability to inspire others, as he was able to earn the respect of both his peers and his subordinates.
3. Finally, Abizaid's work serves as a reminder of the importance of service to one's country, as he dedicated his life to protecting the United States and its citizens.