Pentagon denied British newspaper’s claim that U.S. war commander General David Petraeus would leave his post by the end of this year, adding that no decision had been taken on this matter yet. "Despite some sensational speculation by one of the London papers, I can assure you General Petraeus is not quitting as ISAF commander, but nor does he plan to stay in Afghanistan forever," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said in a statement.
| Source: | (AHN) | Reporter: | AHN Staff |
| Location: | Washington, D.C., United States | Published: | February 16, 2011 11:23 pm EST |
| Topics: | Politics, Defense, Armed Forces | ||
Just eight months after his appointment, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus is expected to leave his NATO post as part of a major reorganization of senior American military officials in Afghanistan, according to a British newspaper. The paper claims his resignation is likely to come before the end of this year.
The Times newspaper quoted Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell as saying that Petraeus was doing a brilliant job, but he's been working virtually non-stop since 9/11 (and) he could not do it forever. "This is a heck of a demanding job, he will have to be rotated out at some point," he said, disclosing similar views of President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates on it.
However, the Pentagon denied the claim and said that no decision had been taken on this matter yet.
"Despite some sensational speculation by one of the London papers, I can assure you General Petraeus is not quitting as ISAF commander, but nor does he plan to stay in Afghanistan forever," Morrell said in a statement. "Obviously he will rotate out at some point, but that point has not yet been determined and it will not occur anytime soon. Until then, he will continue to ably lead our coalition forces in Afghanistan," he added.
US ambassador in Kabul Karl Eikenberry along with four other senior diplomats are likely to come back as part of the restructuring. Petraeus had replaced General Stanley McChrystal in June last year when President Obama had fired him for making unflattering remarks in an interview to media.
Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90034649?Pentagon%20rejects%20report%20claiming%20Petraeus%20will%20leave%20NATO%20post#ixzz1EPd1Gr5K
