A controversial and leading U.S. general is in line to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday.

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis - if he wins presidential and Senate approval - will move from being the outgoing commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command to leading the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia - including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. It also monitors Iran.

He would take over the post left open by the departure of Gen. David Petraeus, who was asked to take over command of the war in Afghanistan.

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