Petraeus to Hand Over Iraq Command Sept 16

Middle East Online. Posted September 9, 2008.

General Davis Petraeus starts as chief of Central Command in October,
at a time when the administration is refocusing on Afghanistan.

Baghdad -- U.S. General David Petraeus will hand the command of
U.S.-led forces in Iraq to General Raymond Odierno on September 16,
his spokesman said Sunday.

"He will hand over the command on September 16 in Baghdad," Colonel
Steven Boylan said.

Petraeus will take over as the new chief of Central Command in late
October, with responsibility for U.S. troops from the Horn of Africa
to Central Asia, including live conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq,
Boylan said.

The expected shift will come at a time when pressure is growing to
beef up the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, where the level of
violence is now said to be higher than in Iraq.