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Pentagon officials are voting for Gen. David H. Petraeus as the head of NATO. The opportunity of the top American commander of U.S. armies in Iraq to receive the high-level post for the period of the next administration, raised worries regarding the practice of rotating war commanders.

"He deserves one and that has also always been a highly prestigious position. So he is a candidate for that job, but there have been no final decisions and nothing on the timing," outlined an official from Pentagon.

The idea of placing General Petraeus on the top level position in NATO came after Pentagon thought of changing top-level assignments in 2008. It is worth mentioning that President Bush is highly supporting the candidacy of General Petraeus and according to some officials the U.S. president looks forward to keep the general in Iraq as long as possible. This is due to the fact that Petraeus was previously credited with supervising the increase of troops and counterinsurgency plan meant to lower the sectarian violence in Iraq.

It is possible that General Petraeus would be recommended and confirmed for the highest post in NATO before the end of September 2008. This is the time when the U.S. Congress is to break for the election of the United States president. Probably General Petraeus will stay in Iraq for an undetermined period of time and later move to the headquarters of alliance, located in Brussels. He would take the post before the new president swears in.

In case General Petraeus is moved from his current post, there are two main candidates to replace him: Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who is currently managing the classified Special Operations activities in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, ex-second-ranking commander in Iraq and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's senior military assistant.

In case General Petraeus receives the NATO post, his main task will be to shape the cold-war-era alliance's identity, deal with weak relationships with Russia and control the mission in Afghanistan.

There are some experts who say that the general's departure would put at risk the efforts of U.S. troops in Iraq. This is mainly because Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who is currently No. 2 officer in Iraq, plans to complete his tour and then leave Iraq in the middle of February.

Anthony Cordesman, a military specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said about General Petraeus that he "should stay at least through this year". "We really need military continuity in command during this period in which we can find out whether we can transition from tactical victory to some form of political accommodation. We have in Petraeus and Crocker the first effective civil-military partners we have had in this war," he added, referring to Ryan C. Crocker, who is currently the United States ambassador in Baghdad.

There have been rumors regarding the fact that the position of General Petraeus as the head of NATO would give him the possibility to continue manipulating the events in Iraq. In addition he will also control the military operation in Afghanistan.

It is worth mentioning that currently the head of NATO is Adm. William J. Fallon, who denied his retirement, and will stay on his current post for the next few months.

"Trying to guess General Petraeus's next assignment is the most popular parlor game in the Pentagon these days. Where and when the general goes next is up to Secretary Gates and President Bush, and they have not yet decided those matters. However, they very much appreciate his outstanding leadership in Iraq and believe he has much more to contribute to our nation's defense whenever his current assignment comes to an end," said Geoff Morrell, the senior Defense Department spokesman.