WASHINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Gen. David Petraeus as the chief of the U.S. military's Central Command that takes charge of Middle East and Central Asia areas.

    By voting 95 to 2, the Senate allowed the 55-year-old general, who is currently the top commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, to take his new post whose responsibilities include the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

    The floor is also expected to approve the nomination of Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the former deputy top commander in Iraq, to replace Petraeus as the chief military officer in Iraq.

    Petraeus was named to command U.S. troops in Iraq in late 2006 by President George W. Bush and directed the president's troop "surge" plan.

    When announcing Petraeus' nomination in April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that he has been successful for his current assignment in Iraq and is the best man to run the Central Command.

    Petraeus would succeed Admiral William Fallon, who stepped down last month after a dispute with the Bush administration over perceived policy differences on Iran and reports that he had clashed with Petraeus over how deeply to draw down troop levels in Iraq.