On some of the occasions when Zinni made the sorts of decisions that diplomats usually make, they were disastrous. While head of U.S. Central Command, he snuggled up with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who at the time was building up the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. He also piled on the port calls in Yemen, despite its reputation as a terrorist haven, prior to the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. Zinni was heavily criticized for both moves. In his book, he defends them. He felt it important, at the time, to keep Pakistan from going nuclear. He also saw Yemen as a logistically convenient locale. For a different view, read the relevant pages in Steve Coll's magisterial history of al-Qaida and U.S. policy, Ghost Wars. Zinni remains a controversial figure, even in otherwise admiring circles, for those decisions. If Kerry is elected and Zinni doesn't get a job, that will probably be the reason.