Bush's War Room: Gen. John Abizaid

— -- As commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command since July 7, 2003, Army Gen. John Abizaid is responsible for U.S. security interests in a region that stretches from North Africa across the Arabian peninsula to Central Asia and Afghanistan — 25 countries in all.

The grandson of Christian Lebanese immigrants, Abizaid is a fluent Arabic speaker and is a self-confessed lover of the Arab world.

At a time when the United States is waging a battle to win hearts and minds in the Arab world, Abizaid's intimate knowledge of the Middle East is considered an asset in U.S. military circles.

With a master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University, as well as academic stints at Stanford University and the University of Amman in Jordan, Abizaid has a unique background.

His expertise in the Middle East earned him the nickname "the mad Arab" while at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, where he graduated in 1973. Many military experts believe his combination of battlefield experience and scholarly achievements make him part of a new breed of U.S. military heroes.

A Scene From Heartbreak Ridge

Born in California to a Christian Lebanese American family, Abizaid started his military career with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as a rifle and scout platoon leader.

From a platoon leader, he rose quickly up the ranks, commanding companies in the 2nd and 1st Ranger Battalions and leading a Ranger Rifle Company during the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983.

It was during the Grenada invasion that Abizaid is believed to have caught the eye of his superiors when he reportedly ordered one of his soldiers to start up a nearby bulldozer and use it as a tank, allowing his company to advance on enemy positions.