What the Petraeus Promotion Means
General David H. Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, was tapped to head Centcom, the U.S. strategic command in the Middle East.
TIME takes a look at the promotion of the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and the intersection with the presidential campaign. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who have called for a major troop withdrawal from Iraq, will need to vote in the coming weeks on Petraeus’ promotion. His presence will also raise questions about the long-term prospects for the surge strategy in Iraq as well as counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan.
