Marine Lieutenant General John Allen has been chosen to replace General David Petraeus as commander,U.S. Central Command.General Petraeus is slated to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.Lt.Gen.Allen is currently deputy commander of CENTCOM.As commander,he will lead coalition forces in the Afghan War.
Lt.Gen.Allen taught political science at the U.S. Naval Academy.He earned three master's degrees himself.In 2006,the general became a deputy commander in Anbar province,Iraq,and distinguished himself as a skilled political operative there.He persuaded Sunni Muslim leaders in the region to reject al Qaida in Iraq and align themselves with the Iraqi government.
Described as quiet and unassuming,Lt.Gen.Allen cultivated relations with the tribes and sheikhs of Iraq,based on his study of the nation's history.He is regarded as one of the architects of their tribal movement called the Awakening,which transformed Anbar province from tempest to tranquility,and into a template for other Iraqi provinces.
As deputy commander of CENTCOM,the general has become respected in the region,and has been deeply involved in planning and executing Afghan War strategy,according to President Barack Obama,who nominated him for the commander's post recently.Lt.Gen.Allen doesn't believe the war can be won without diplomacy such as he practiced earlier in Iraq.
No comments:
Post a Comment