Petraeus, currently the commander of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and now nominated by President Bush to take over as head of U.S. Central Command, appeared before the senators for a confirmation hearing. But the gathering quickly turned from his job qualifications to a progress report on Iraq.

His comments were markedly more optimistic than his last update to the committee only six weeks ago.

Petraeus reported that recent attempts by Iraqi security forces to secure parts of the nation -- including Basra, Mosul and the sprawling Shiite slum known as Sadr City in Baghdad -- with diminished U.S. military involvement have proven successful.

The general also said the U.S.-backed central government was enjoying more support among the Iraqi people, after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki showed his resolve to attack not only al-Qaida in Iraq, but also Shiite militia groups.

He said the recent move by Iraqi forces into Sadr City, much of which had been controlled by Shiite religious leader Moqtada Sadr's militia, was met with little resistance and was openly welcomed by some Iraqi citizens. Petraeus said the U.S. military had played only a support role in the operation.

Petraeus pointed to other positive developments and predicted that Sunni factions that had quit the Iraqi central government would return, aiding the reconciliation process.

The general's comments were in sharp contrast to those he made before the committee just six weeks ago, when he declined to predict when or if any further troop drawdowns could be made after those already planned leading up to July.

The mood among senators from both parties was also markedly more optimistic than it was in April, when the senators expressed skepticism about the war's progress.

"Tough fights and hard work lie ahead," Petraeus told the committee. "Nonetheless, I believe that the path we are on will best help achieve the objective of an Iraq that is at peace with itself and its neighbors, (and) that is an ally in the war on terror."

Petraeus, who, if confirmed, will command U.S. military forces in the CENTCOM region, covering 27 nations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including both Iraq and Afghanistan, appeared with Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, his current deputy, who has been nominated to succeed him as commander of the U.S.-led Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Democrats and Republicans alike praised both men, with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., saying that the two had "earned their place in military history."

Even with the bipartisan support on the committee for the two war leaders, an ongoing battle regarding the U.S. military presence in Iraq continues in Congress, which so far has blocked the passage of a $162.5 billion emergency supplemental bill that would fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars through the end of the year. Meanwhile, public support for the war remains low.

The Armed Services Committee will now send both nominations to the Senate floor for a final vote before both men can officially be promoted to their new positions, according to the chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York was one of the few senators to sound a critical note, calling Afghanistan the "forgotten front lines on the war on terror." She asked Odierno when a "responsible withdrawal" from Iraq could be anticipated, but the general declined to give her a firm answer.

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