Senate confirms Petraeus

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Senate on Thursday confirmed Gen. David Petraeus as the new chief of U.S. Central Command, placing him in charge of American forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Petraeus has served as the top U.S. commander in Iraq since January 2007 and has led the 15-month "surge" effort to pacify Baghdad and its surrounding provinces. His new post gives him the additional responsibility of leading American forces in the tense Persian Gulf region and managing the war in Afghanistan, where U.S. and allied troops are battling a resurgent Taliban and its al Qaeda allies.

The vote was 95-2.