General David PetraeusWASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Gen. David H. Petraeus of the United States Army as commanding officer of the Central Command, the military headquarters responsible for Iraq and Afghanistan, among other areas of operation.
The Senate also approved the nomination of Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to replace General Petraeus as the top military commander in Iraq.
A date for the change in command has not yet been set, a Pentagon spokesman said.
The vote for General Petraeus was 95 to 2, with only Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, and Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, voting against his nomination. The vote for General Odierno was 95 to 1, with only Mr. Harkin opposed.
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More News On General Petraeus's Promotion
Why I Voted Against Promoting Petraeus -- Yahoo News
US Senate confirms Petraeus for Middle East command -- Reuters
Senate OKs Petraeus as head of Mideast forces -- CNN
Senate confirms Petraeus as top Mideast commander -- AFP
My Comment: I usually find myself on the opposite side of Senator Byrd, but I find his voting "no" to General Petraeus's promotion to be right. Sen. Byrd's reasons are here. General Petraeus should stay in his command until the security situation and the results of the "surge" are in. Everyone agrees that Iraq is entering a critical time in it's evolution and development to a stable state. The key people behind this development should not be leaving now.
Some are speculating that he is being promoted to examine options and/or to position the United States into a confrontation with Iran. I hope that this is not the case. But if war with Iran breaks out, he would be the ideal commander for all Mideast forces.
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