David Petraeus

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Gen. David Petraeus briefing reporters at the Pentagon on his view of the military situation in Iraq, 2007.

Sen. Robert Byrd meeting with David Petraeus, Jan. 23, 2007, after Petraeus was appointed to command multinational forces in Iraq.

Stanley McChrystal (left), commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and David Petraeus, commander in chief of Central Command, 2009.

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History & Society

David Petraeus

United States commander in chief of Central Command

Also known as: David Howell Petraeus

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 7, 2024 • Article History

David Petraeus

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Category: History & Society

In full:: David Howell Petraeus

Born:: November 7, 1952, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. (age 71)

Role In:: Afghanistan War; Iraq War

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David Petraeus (born November 7, 1952, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.) U.S. army general who was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to head multinational forces in Iraq (2007–08) and who later served as commander in chief of Central Command (Centcom; 2008–10) and as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan (2010–11). He later was director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; 2011–12). Petraeus was the son of Dutch American parents. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1974, he was commissioned into the infantry as a second lieutenant. Later, as a captain, he ...(100 of 775 words)

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