According to AFP, General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, has been named to head US forces in the Middle East, replacing Admiral William Fallon, a US defense official said Wednesday.
“Every indication I have is that’s going to happen,” the official said, of Petraeus’s nomination to the post of commander of the US Central Command.
It was unclear how soon Petraeus would fill the post, which was vacated last month when Fallon stepped down following reports of differences with the White House over Iran.
Speculation on Petraeus’s replacement centered on General Raymond Odierno, until recently the number two commander in Iraq, and General Peter Chiarelli, Gates’s senior military assistant and Odierno’s predecessor in the number two spot in Iraq, added AFP.

In the press conference, Gates was asked: General Petraeus and Odierno have been very tough on Iran’s meddling in Iraq, while Admiral Fallon pursued a softer policy. Should the people see this change as a signal not only to Iraq, but also to Iran?

Gates: They can of course talk about their views, but I believe that Admiral Fallon and General Petraeus and Odierno, all had exactly the same opinion when it goes back to Iran. Because what the Iranians are doing, in fact, has been killing American men and women in Iraq.