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A four-star Marine general known equally for blunt speech, combat prowess and understanding counterinsurgency warfare will be nominated to command American forces across the Middle East, officials said Thursday.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates described the nominee, Gen. James N. Mattis, as “one of our military’s outstanding combat leaders and strategic thinkers, bringing an essential mix of experience, judgment and perspective to this important post.”
If confirmed by the Senate as the top officer of the military’s Central Command, General Mattis would be in charge of American military forces in a strategic area from Egypt through Pakistan, and from Central Asia past the Persian Gulf.
His area of responsibility would include Iraq and Afghanistan, but most of his focus would be on other trouble spots in the region, as each of those two conflicts have a four-star officer specifically in command.
General Mattis would replace Gen. David H. Petraeus, whose tour at Central Command was cut short when President Obama asked him to take over the allied mission in Afghanistan after Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was relieved for comments he made to Rolling Stone magazine.
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