Tom Ricks of the Washington Post is reporting that Army Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli appears to be the most likely officer to succeed General David Petraeus as commander Multi-National Force - Iraq by the end of this year.

Since taking over in Iraq in February 2007, Petraeus has become the face of the war effort, receiving unusual deference from the White House and using high-profile testimony last September to stave off Democratic efforts to sharply curtail the U.S. presence in Iraq. Widely credited with the success of the "surge" -- the counteroffensive that sharply reduced violence in Iraq last year -- Petraeus has indicated interest in moving sometime this year to the top U.S. military slot in Europe, where he could attempt to revitalize the flagging NATO alliance.

Chiarelli is currently the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Prior to that he was the Special Assistant to the Commander of United States Central Command for the Development of Regional Military Capability. From November of 2005 through February 2006, he served as the Commander of the Multi-National Corps - Iraq. Prior to that he was Commanding General, 1st Cavalry Division to include the Division's participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom.