WHO/WHAT: Retired General John Abizaid, former Commander of the United States Central Command, will discuss his insights into the United States’ involvement and future plans in the Middle East from a political and military standpoint, as part of a unique, interactive event at Northeastern University. Titled “The Way Ahead in the Middle East,” the event is presented by the Office of the President in conjunction with Northeastern’s Middle East Center.

Denis Sullivan, Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University, will lead the interactive lecture and discussion. Sullivan is also Director of the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development and Director of the International Affairs Program, both of Northeastern.

General Abizaid retired from the U.S. Army in May 2007 after 34 years of active service. He rose from infantry platoon leader to become the youngest four-star general in the Army and the longest-serving commander of United States Central Command.

During his career, he commanded units at every level, serving in the combat zones of Grenada, Lebanon, Kurdistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Units under his command have included the 1^st Infantry Division, a brigade in the 82^nd Airborne Division and two Ranger companies.

Widely considered an expert in the field of Middle Eastern affairs, General Abizaid holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and was one of the first to recognize the protracted nature of the ongoing conflict against religious-inspired extremists, which he has termed “The Long War.”

General Abizaid is president of his own international security consulting firm, JPA Partners, LLC, which advises corporations and public agencies. He was recently named the first Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.He works with the Preventive Defense Project at Stanford and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He regularly speaks on leadership and international security through the Washington Speakers Bureau. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 30th at 9:50 – 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: West Village F, Room 20, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115.

For more information, please contact Jason Kornwitz at 617-373-5471 or j.kornwitz@neu.edu.

About Northeastern

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.