President George W. Bush will meet with Army General David Petraeus on Wednesday to discuss his duties as commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia, the White House announced Tuesday. “The president is seeing General Petraeus tomorrow,” said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe. “It's an appropriate time to meet with him as he takes on the challenges of the broader Middle East.” Petraeus, who oversaw the troop surge strategy that the White House credited with improving security in Iraq, has been named to head U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush spoke last week with Army General Raymond Odierno, who formally took over from Petraeus on Tuesday as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Johndroe said.
