Christine Abizaid
Christine Abizaid | |
|---|---|
| Director of the National Counterterrorism Center | |
| In office June 29, 2021 – July 5, 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Christopher C. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Brett M. Holmgren (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christine Sandra Abizaid February 7, 1979 |
| Relations | John Abizaid (father) |
| Education | University of California, San Diego (BA) Stanford University (MA) |
Christine Sandra Abizaid (born February 7, 1979) is an American intelligence officer who was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2024, becoming the first woman and first openly gay person to hold the position.
She previously held roles in the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense, where she was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. Abizaid also worked in the private sector with Dell and led the Defense Innovation Unit in Texas.
Appointed by President Joe Biden, her tenure at NCTC included key counter-terrorism efforts, such as the 2022 drone strike on al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. She later stepped down in July 2024.
She is the daughter of General John Abizaid, former U.S. Central Command commander and U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia.