The nomination of General John Allen to serve as supreme allied commander of NATO will go forward, the White House said Wednesday, after the Pentagon cleared him of misconduct in a scandal that took down former CIA director David Petraeus, dpa reported.
"General Allen's nomination to serve as the next supreme allied commander-Europe will proceed," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "We hope the Senate will consider it in a timely manner."
The Pentagon Tuesday said it had cleared Allen, who now serves as commander of NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, of allegations of professional misconduct that emerged during the unravelling of a sex scandal that forced the resignation of Petraeus.
Allen's candidacy for Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and head of US forces in Europe was put on hold during the investigation. The White House has now renewed its push for his confirmation.
The Pentagon said "allegations of professional misconduct (against Allen) were not substantiated by the investigation," press secretary George Little said.
Secretary Leon Panetta had "complete confidence in the continued leadership of General Allen, who is serving with distinction in Afghanistan," Little said.