Petraeus confirmed as top Mideast commander

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to confirm the promotion of General David Petraeus, currently the top U.S. general in Iraq, to head all U.S. operations in the Middle East, including the war in Afghanistan.

Petraeus, the architect of the troop surge escalation strategy credited by the Bush administration with improving security in Iraq, will be promoted to run U.S. Central Command.

The chamber also voted to confirm Lieutenant General Raymond Ordierno to replace Petraeus as the senior U.S. officer in Iraq.

Petraeus's promotion puts him in charge of the U.S. military's biggest challenges -- Iraq, an expanding military effort in Afghanistan, an al-Qaeda revival in Pakistan, and challenges from Iran on various fronts.

He replaces Admiral William Fallon, who abruptly stepped down in March after saying that media reports describing him as at odds with the White House over how to deal with Iran had become "a distraction."

Petraeus will make a recommendation in mid-September, before he leaves his current post, on whether the drawdown of U.S. forces can continue after the last surge brigade leaves Iraq in July.

In March, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the long lead time and Petraeus's replacement with Odierno were intended to avoid disrupting the momentum gained from the surge and to assure a smooth transition.