The Associated Press — May 22, 2008(excerpts) : Army Gen. David Petraeus, who is to assume control of U.S. forces in the Middle East, says that a continued U.S. presence in Iraq is more likely to blunt, rather than inflame, Iran’s growing influence in the region.

In a 46-page question-and-answer document submitted in advance of his confirmation hearing on Thursday, Petraeus says the U.S. must work on developing more leverage – primarily diplomatic or economic – to pressure Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. But, he notes, the U.S. must retain military strike options as a “last resort.”

A destabilized Iraq, rampant terrorism in the region and a nuclear-armed Middle East are not in any nation’s long-term interest, including Iran’s,” according to the document, obtained by the Associated Press.