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The announcement that General Petraeus, 55, will head the Central Command, and Mr. Gates’s emphasis on operations in Afghanistan as well as Iraq, reinforced the impression that Pentagon leaders expect the United States to have significant numbers of troops deployed in those two countries for some time to come.

As Democratic reaction to the announcement built up during the day, it seemed likely that critics of the Bush administration would use the general’s confirmation hearings to renew debate over the Iraq war.

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