The Senate on July 10 confirmed Army Gen. David Petraeus as commander of US Central Command and Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno for promotion to general to succeed Petraeus as head of Multinational Force-Iraq. Petraeus assumed command of MNF-I in February 2007 and is the architect of the US surge of forces. He replaces Adm. William “Fox” Fallon who resigned in March just one year into his assignment amid rumors that he resisted a White House desire to pursue military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Odierno is commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Corps commander and has led Multinational Corps-Iraq since December 2006. (Includes American Forces Press Service report by Jim Garamone)
Some lawmakers in the Senate are advocating for a more bipartisan approach to paying for the Pentagon’s $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense project, arguing that the effort’s goal of bolstering homeland defenses has support across ideological lines but the process for funding it has been politically charged—leaving the program’s…