David Petraeus, considered to be one of the best war-time generals and who till recently was commander of US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan, was on Tuesday sworn in as the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Petraeus, 58, who succeeds Leon Panetta, now the defence secretary hung up his army uniform less than a week ago after a 37-year military career to take on the new role.
He was sworn in as the Director, CIA by Vice-President, Joe Biden, in a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. He was drafted into the CIA by US President Barack Obama, as his predecessor, Leon Panetta, was appointed by his as the Defence Secretary.
Petraeus served in the US Army for 37 years, during which he not only successfully lead the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in difficult times, but also is credited with writing the Army's now famous field manual on counterinsurgency, or in military parlance, "COIN".
Among others who attended the swearing in ceremony were CIA director's wife, Holly Petraeus, as well as Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan.
In his opening remarks Biden said the ceremony was taking place in the Roosevelt room because "there's literally no time to waste. The President wants him on the job."
Biden said the group would be "going from here to downstairs," a reference to the situation room, for the Presidential Daily Briefing.
But the briefing actually took place in the Oval office. Biden praised Petraeus for his leadership of the military "in what has become an extended war against terror".
"You led the 9-11 generation," Biden said, "turned it into the greatest group of warriors this country has ever seen."
