General David Petraeus will likely step down later this year as commander of Allied forces in Afghanistan, Foreign Policy magazine reports. Lt. Gen. John Allen, an experienced Marine commander, will likely replace him.
Petraeus, who is widely credited with saving the US mission in Iraq, took over control of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan after General Stanley McChrystal’s resignation last year. After a decade of high profile commands over the last decade, the magazine reports Petraeus is “worn out.” He is scheduled to testify before congress next week.
General Allen, the first Marine officer to join the Council on Foreign Relations, is a favorite of General Petreaus and General James Mattis, the head of Central Command. He was deputy commander of the Marines in Iraq in 2007, the year of the “Anbar Awakening” that saw Iraqi Sunnis abandoning the insurgency and partnering with American forces.
After leaving Afghanistan, Petraeus may become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or join the administration, perhaps as the next National Security Advisor.