The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, was nominated Wednesday to become the next commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East. Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the announcement and said he expected Petraeus to begin the job in late summer or early fall. Petraeus will be succeeded by Lieutenant General Ray Odierno – until recently the deputy commander in Iraq. “I am honored to be nominated for this position and to have an opportunity to continue to serve with America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and civilians,” Petraeus said in a brief statement from Baghdad. Gates said that Petraeus was ideal for the position, which includes oversight of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I don't know anybody in the U.S. military better qualified to lead that effort,” he said.
