Senate panel endorses Petraeus as Afghan war chief

Photographers gather around Gen. David Petraeus as he gives a thumbs-up, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, prior to his testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Photographers gather around Gen. David Petraeus as he gives a thumbs-up, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, prior to his testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted in favor of Gen. David Petraeus to become the next commander of the Afghanistan war.

The panel vote paves the way for his swift confirmation by the full Senate.

Republicans and Democrats alike praised Petraeus during a hearing Tuesday. Petraeus, who heads U.S. Central Command, replaces Gen. Stanley McChrystal. McChrystal was fired last week after he and his top aides were quoted in a Rolling Stone article making disparaging remarks about their civilian counterparts in the administration.

Obama has said troops will begin to leave in July 2011, but that the pace and size of the withdrawal will depend upon conditions.

Petraeus reminded the Senate Armed Services Committee that the president has said the plan to bring some forces home next summer isn’t a rush for the exits. He said the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan is “enduring,” and that it will be years before the Afghan security forces can fully take over.

“My sense is that the tough fighting will continue; indeed, it may get more intense in the next few months,” Petraeus said. “As we take away the enemy’s safe havens and reduce the enemy’s freedom of action, the insurgents will fight back.”

Petraeus pledged to cooperate with all his civilian counterparts and bosses. Disparaging remarks about civilian war chiefs sank the previous war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

He ticked off numerous conversations he has had with White House officials, international allies and others since Obama’s surprise announcement last Wednesday that he had tapped Petraeus to take over.

Petraeus also promised to “look very hard” at the rules of engagement governing troops in Afghanistan, if confirmed as the war’s next top commander.

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