Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on General David Petraeus being nominated to serve as the next commander of U.S. Central Command and Lieutenant General Ray Odierno being tapped as the next commander of the Multi-National Forces Iraq.

Graham said:

“I’m extremely pleased President Bush has decided to place General Petraeus and General Odierno in these important positions.  They are excellent choices. 

“General Petraeus and General Odierno deserve great credit for the success of the surge of troops in Iraq. 

“What General Petraeus has done in the last year and a half in Iraq will go down in history as one of the most successful counter-insurgency operations in history.  Working together, General Petraeus and General Odierno have been a dynamic duo spearheading our efforts in Iraq.

“As the new commander of CENTCOM, General Petraeus will oversee the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I’m confident he will take the vast experience he has accumulated in Iraq and apply it to the situation in Afghanistan.  Winning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are central to our efforts to win the war on Islamic extremism.

“General Odierno is experienced in the situation in Iraq and our troops greatly admire his leadership.  In addition, our Iraqi allies know and respect his work in bringing about a more secure and stable country.

“The jobs General Petraeus and General Odierno will hold are critical to winning the War on Terror.  I have tremendous confidence in them.  They are two of our best commanders.”

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