General Stanley McChrystal, who was fired Wednesday as the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, said he tendered his resignation "out of a desire to see the mission succeed."
US President Barack Obama removed McChrystal as the top military commander in Afghanistan over a magazine article that portrayed him as dismissive of senior US officials for their concerns about the ongoing war effort, DPA reported.
"I strongly support the president's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people," McChrystal said in a statement.
"It was out of respect for this commitment - and a desire to see the mission succeed - that I tendered my resignation," he said. "It has been my privilege and honour to lead our nation's finest."
He will be replaced by General David Petraeus, currently the head of Central Command and the former commander of US forces in Iraq.
"I don't make this decision based on any difference in policy with General McChrystal, as we are in full agreement about our strategy. Nor do I make this decision out of any sense of personal insult," Obama said.
"But war is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general, or a president. And as difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe that it is the right decision for our national security."