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Petraeus takes over Central Command, plans Mideast visit
Washington (AFP) Oct 31, 2008 General David Petraeus, widely credited for progress in the US-led Iraq conflict, took command of all US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia Friday, before leaving on Saturday to tour the region. Petraeus, 55, whose new responsibilities include the theaters of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, assumed control at a ceremony at the Central Command (Centcom) complex at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Petraeus is credited with turning around a Sunni insurgency in western Iraq with the 30,000 troop "surge" to secure Baghdad and its environs. Many hope that Petraeus will bring his counter-insurgency expertise to bear in Afghanistan, which has seen a spike in violence from a resurgent Taliban in the last two years, despite the presence of 70,000 NATO and US troops. Petraeus will be regarded by history as "one of our nation's great battle captains," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "He is the preeminent soldier-scholar-statesman of his generation and precisely the man we need in this command at this time," said Gates, adding that under Petraeus' leadership US troops "have dealt our enemies in Iraq a tremendous blow." Petraeus himself acknowledged the difficulty of his new position. "The Centcom area contains innumerable challenges," he said, citing transnational extremist groups, weapons proliferation, a rise in piracy and persistent ethno-sectarian conflicts. "The way ahead will be difficult," said Petraeus, who has already ordered a strategic review of the Afghan situation before a 10 to 15 day visit of the region. A senior military official close to Petraeus indicated a possible stopover in Pakistan, a US ally but also a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda. A visit to the country -- which would come following a series of cross-border attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda positions by the US from Afghanistan in recent weeks -- "is probably a good guess," said the official. Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned that Petraeus' approach to success in Iraq may not transfer to Afghanistan. "The challenges of this critical region may not require the same strategy, which brought the gradual peace in Iraq," he said. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
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