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Senate approves Petraeus, Odierno

The Senate approved the Bush administration’s nominees to guide strategy on Iraq and Afghanistan, with only token opposition.

The appointment of Army Gen. David Petraeus to head the U.S. Central Command was confirmed by a 95-2 vote.

The promotion of Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to four-star rank and his appointment as Petraeus’ replacement as the top U.S. military officer in Iraq was confirmed by a 96-1 vote.

Sens. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voted against the Petraeus appointment. Only Harkin voted against Odierno’s promotion and new assignment.

Missing the vote were the two presidential candidates, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., who were on the campaign trail. Also not present for the vote was Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.

Petraeus replaces Adm. William Fallon, who stepped down from the top CentCom post in March after making controversial remarks about the Bush administration’s policy toward Iran.

Byrd, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, who has been trying to find a way to cut off funding for the war in Iraq, said he had nothing personal against Petraeus.

“I appreciate General Petraeus’ evident intelligence and his expertise and experience in Iraq,” Byrd said, which is one of the reasons why he wants the general to remain the Multi-National Force-Iraq commander.

“Continuity of command has been a problem in Iraq,” Byrd said. “Since President Bush believes that General Petraeus has done well in his current position ... it does not seem prudent to remove the mastermind behind the fragile successes that have been thus far achieved.”

Byrd said he is concerned about whether Petraeus is ready for a broader assignment, noting that the general was difficult to pin down when questioned by the Senate Armed Services Committee about larger regional issues.

“Such evasiveness is not politic; it is troubling at a time when news reports suggest that the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan and that President Bush may be contemplating military action against Iran,” Byrd said.

In a statement issued from his III Corps headquarters at Fort Hood, Texas, Odierno said he is “honored” by the Senate’s confirmation vote.

“Iraq has undergone significant change in the last several months and we seek to build on the positive developments,” he said. “We are also fully aware that continuing to move forward will entail a great deal of work. I have great faith and pride in the extraordinary strengths of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians in Iraq who have served and are serving valiantly. I return to Iraq with optimism and will serve our nation and troops to the utmost of my abilities."