Petraeus taking over CentCom today

[unhappycamper]

Petraeus taking over CentCom today
By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 31, 2008 7:01:54 EDT

WASHINGTON — Gen. David Petraeus knows Iraq and he’s learning Afghanistan. But the biggest test facing him as he takes charge of Central Command is probably Pakistan — threatened with financial ruin, torn by an Islamic extremist insurgency and armed with nuclear weapons.

Although most of the troops under his command are in Iraq or Afghanistan, Petraeus plans to visit Pakistan on his first trip after being sworn in Friday as the Central Command chief. Pakistan’s leaders are struggling to balance their own domestic pressures with Washington’s demands that they do much more to stamp out Taliban and al-Qaida havens in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to preside at the change-of-command ceremony at Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Less than two months ago, Gates was in Baghdad to see Petraeus hand off to Gen. Ray Odierno as the top American commander in Iraq.

Petraeus spent 20 months leading a turnaround in Iraq, from what many saw as the brink of all-out civil war to the beginnings of a perilous peace. He also led troops in the initial invasion in 2003 and spent more than a year heading the organization responsible for training Iraqi security forces.

Iraq will be a key part of Petraeus’ broader responsibilities at Central Command, which manages U.S. military relations with nearly two dozen countries in an area stretching from Egypt, across the Middle East to Central Asia.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_petraeus_103108/%2e