Petraeus wins unanimous Senate vote

The Senate voted 99-0 Wednesday to approve the selection of Army Gen. David Petraeus to take over as commander of U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan. Petraeus, who was on a fast track toward confirmation, was tapped by President Obama last week after the resignation of the Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Petraeus, the former Iraq war commander who has been overseeing both wars as head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday he supported the Obama administration's strategy to deploy an additional 30,000 troops into Afghanistan.

He also said the administration's plan to begin reducing U.S. forces there in July 2011 sends a "message of urgency" to Afghanistan to have their military and police forces provide most of their country's security. But he said it would be years before Afghan forces will be able to do this.

Petraeus told the committee he plans to stop in Brussels, Belgium, on the way to Kabul, Afghanistan, to meet with top NATO officials and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry.

Petraeus said he plans to press NATO officials about the additional forces they have not sent to Afghanistan to train security forces.