Petraeus Named as President’s CentCom Choice

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. David Petraeus, the four-star general who led troops in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated by President Bush to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of Multi-National Force-Iraq, answers a question during a meeting with members of the Department of Defense press pool travelling with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates in Baghdad, in this December 6, 2007 file picture. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recommended that Petraeus lead Central Command, the military command responsible for all Middle East operations on April 23, 2008. REUTERS/Haraz N.Ghanbari/Pool (IRAQ)

Gates said he expected Petraeus to make the shift in late summer or early fall. The Pentagon chief also announced that Bush will nominate Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to replace Petraeus in Baghdad.

Central Command oversees the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Asked if moving Petraeus from the Iraq command could interrupt momentum against the insurgency, Gates said that by waiting until late summer or early fall he hoped to “ensure plenty of time to prepare for a good handoff.” He said it also would help that Odierno has had experience as “Petraeus’ right-hand man” over the last year.

If confirmed by the Senate, Petraeus would replace Navy Adm. William Fallon, who abruptly stepped down in March after a magazine reported that he was at odds with President Bush over Iran policy. Fallon said the report, while not true, had become a distraction.

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