Marine General James Mattis has been named to head US Central Command, which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, dpa quoted US Defence Robert Gates as announcing today. If confirmed by the Senate, Mattis will replace General David Petraeus, who became the commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan earlier this month. Central Command is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, and has been at the front of the war on terrorism. Mattis has a long and distinguished career in the Marines, serving as a battalion commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been the head of US Joint Forces Command since 2009. Petraeus was an emergency replacement in Afghanistan for General Stanley McChrystal. McChrystal was ousted from his position over an article in Rolling Stone magazine last month in which he and his staff made comments viewed as disparaging toward President Barack Obama and the White House.
