NBC NEWS: CIA Director David Petraeus resigns, cites extramarital affair

[JMS]

The timing of this is interesting. I wonder if Petraeus purposefully delayed his decision to avoid affecting the election. It would be the kind of thing I would expect a "good soldier" to do.

I don't think any part of this has to do with being a good soldier.

---------- Post added November-10th-2012 at 05:00 PM ----------

[/color]

Another dazzling career and life ruined by CBS (Crazy ***** Syndrome).

You mean another General succomming to CGS.

[JMS]

Not sure i understand how having an mistress excludes you from giving testimony before Congress?

replacing him with someone else that can't have the same knowledge?

Haveing a wife you you don't want to hurt and a mistress; and being the head of an intelligence organization are entirely incompatable...

Having your mistress send threatenning emails to your co-workers such that they feel obliged to get the FBI involved for their own security is again a disaster.

On a briter not Petraeus seems like he will be available to talk to the GOP money men in the lead up to declareing for the 2016 elections.

[Dan T.]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/magazine/a-message-from-beyond.html?_r=1&

Read the second letter.

That is wild. I actually remember reading that edition of the column** at the time. Earlier today I saw an article speculating whether the husband of Petraeus' mistress wrote the letter. It really seems to fit.

** The column is "The Ethicist" which appears in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. People write in letters for advice or comment on whether something is ethical. This letter in a July column is from a man whose wife is having an affair with a high government official. He asks the columnist whether it would be ethical to expose the affair, knowing that it would disrupt or end the important work the man is doing.

I'd really like to know if it was indeed Scott Broadwell, husband of Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer and mistress.

[Dan T.]

I'll note, too, that the biography she wrote of Petraeus is called "All In." Yes he was.

[AsburySkinsFan]

BTW, this is blowing up on the Right as more evidence to a Benghazi cover-up conspiracy. Sometimes I hate everything we've become!!!!

[visionary]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83681.html

Report: FBI whistle-blower contacted Eric Cantor on David Petraeus affair

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor spoke to an FBI whistle-blower two weeks ago who accused then-CIA Director David Petraeus of having an extramarital affair and potentially jeopardizing the security of classified information, according to a news report.

Cantor’s chief of staff, Steve Stombres, later met with FBI officials to pass on the accusations from the whistle-blower, the New York Times reported on Saturday night.

Cantor’s involvement in the Petraeus scandal is the first indication that anyone outside of the FBI knew Petraeus was under scrutiny for an extramarital relationship or potentially leaking classified information.

[AsburySkinsFan]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83681.html

Wow, this got so far out of hand. There are people now speculating that Petraeus will "commit suicide" to keep the conspiracy secret.

[visionary]

So this all came out on her birthday? Wow...coincidence?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/with-paula-broadwell-gen-david-petraeus-let-his-guard-down/2012/11/10/f54d3f38-2b8b-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_story.html

With Paula Broadwell, Gen. David Petraeus let his guard down

Gen. David H. Petraeus had just assumed his new role as U.S. Central Command chief in 2009 when he began introducing his staff to a young Harvard University researcher who was writing his biography. The woman, Paula Broadwell, then 37, had never written a book and had almost no journalistic experience. But that wasn’t the only thing about her that made the general’s aides nervous.

Petraeus — already the most acclaimed U.S. military commander in recent decades — had until then been extraordinarily careful in managing his public image, allowing limited access to a handful of journalists, former aides say. Yet, when it came to Broadwell, he seemed eager to throw his own rulebook out the window.

Broadwell, who turned 40 on Friday, lives in Charlotte, with her husband and her two sons. As the news of Petraeus’s resignation made national news Friday, Broadwell and her husband were visiting friends in Virginia, celebrating her birthday with dinner at the Inn at Little Washington, one of the region’s most famous and most expensive restaurants.

[Elessar78]

^

Maybe I'm just cynical but his aides should've had alarm bells going off when a young, attractive woman started working so closely with the general—regardless of whether she wrote one biography or twenty biographies on generals in middle eastern conflicts.

All dating is, is a getting to know you phase. What's writing a biography? The only diff is Petraeus and trying to get with Norman Mailer. Not saying a decent man can't keep it in his pants, but that's what I'm saying.

[Thiebear]

Wow, this got so far out of hand. There are people now speculating that Petraeus will "commit suicide" to keep the conspiracy secret.

House investigators asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify next week about the September 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, but she declined citing a scheduling conflict.

Thats right, I gots me a tin foil hat the size of a car.... Not about the suicide, but things left "off" the table if you just don't testify to certain things... we'll let you go...

[AsburySkinsFan]

House investigators asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify next week about the September 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, but she declined citing a scheduling conflict.

Thats right, I gots me a tin foil hat the size of a car.... Not about the suicide, but things left "off" the table if you just don't testify to certain things... we'll let you go...

You do know that Congress has subpeona power right?

[visionary]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PETRAEUS_RESIGNS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Official: Petraeus paramour emailed woman in Fla

senior U.S. military official says the author who had an affair with David Petraeus sent harassing emails to a woman who was the State Department's liaison to the military's Joint Special Operations Command.

The official says 37-year-old Jill Kelley in Tampa, Fla., received the emails from Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell that triggered an FBI investigation.

The official was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Morell was expected to testify in place of Petraeus, and lawmakers said he should have the answers to their questions. But Feinstein and others didn't rule out the possibility that Congress will compel Petraeus to testify about Benghazi at a later date, even though he's relinquished his job.

"I don't see how in the world you can find out what happened in Benghazi before, during and after the attack if General Petraeus doesn't testify," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wants to create a joint congressional committee to investigate the U.S. response to that attack.

Feinstein said she first learned of Petraeus' affair from the media late last week, and confirmed it in a phone call Friday with Petraeus. She eventually was briefed by the FBI and said so far there was no indication that national security was breached.

Still, Feinstein called the news "a heartbreak" for her personally and U.S. intelligence operations, and said she didn't understand why the FBI didn't give her a heads up as soon as Petraeus' name emerged in the investigation.

[twa]

http://www.businessinsider.com/paula-broadwell-david-petraeus-biographer-daily-show-interview-2012-11

[JMS]

BTW, this is blowing up on the Right as more evidence to a Benghazi cover-up conspiracy. Sometimes I hate everything we've become!!!!

Come on the birthers have to have some conspiracy to whack around. I mean we've taken 9/11 never happenned off the table... then Obama's birth certificate is gone as when anybody brings it up now they are immediately self identified as whackadoodle heavy.... So they are moving on to Bengahzi... Which will work great for about 4-6 months and then it will be on to the next whackadoodle fly paper topic.

---------- Post added November-11th-2012 at 07:46 PM ----------

You do know that Congress has subpeona power right?

Wouldn't execitive privledge kick in if she really wanted to avoid testifying. She works for the President and thus has a get out of testifying card, if she wanted to play it... So basically congress has to work to her schedule if they want her to testify they can't necessarily subpeona her.. I think it's a grey area.

But I can see why she wouldn't want to testify. There are currently 4 different investigations going on into what occured in Benghazi. I would think Hillary would want to wait until the investigations have concluded in order to testify rather than go in without the benifit of knowing who said what to whom.

---------- Post added November-11th-2012 at 07:47 PM ----------

Thats right, I gots me a tin foil hat the size of a car.... Not about the suicide, but things left "off" the table if you just don't testify to certain things... we'll let you go...

Yes you do, and that's not a good thing.

And I don't even know what the heck the second part of your post means.

You think Hillary is pulling Peutraus's strings? Or somebody is pulling Hillary's? Like either is posible.

[Thiebear]

Now wanting to know about Benghazi is equal to or greater than birther. Shocked the guy that is keeping the timeline is saying this.

[zoony]

Clearly, Obama ordered the death of the Libyan ambassador. He's trying to cover his tracks. Fight onward ye soldiers of truth

[Redskins Diehard]

Clearly, Obama ordered the death of the Libyan ambassador. He's trying to cover his tracks. Fight onward ye soldiers of truth

Not Obama. He has never done anything wrong. Not only that...there is nothing that could have been done different. At least not by mere mortals

[visionary]

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/11/11/did_petraeus_mistress_reveal_new_benghazi_details

Did Petraeus mistress reveal new Benghazi details?

So here is a bizarre twist in the David Petraeus resignation saga.

Paula Broadwell, the biographer revealed as the woman having a secret affair with the now-former CIA director, gave a talk at the University of Denver on Oct. 26 in which she appeared to reveal sensitive, maybe even classified, information about the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

The most interesting revelation is her claim that the CIA was holding several Libyan militia members prisoner, which may have prompted the attack. (Though she also sought to explain the Obama administration's initial view that the attack was linked to the YouTube video Innocence of Muslims, an anti-Islam polemic that sparked riots across the Muslim world.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/us/us-officials-say-petraeuss-affair-known-in-summer.html?pagewanted=1&smid=tw-nytimes&partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Officials Say F.B.I. Knew of Petraeus Affair in the Summer

High-level officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department were notified in the late summer that F.B.I. agents had uncovered what appeared to be an extramarital affair involving the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus, government officials said Sunday.

The involvement of the F.B.I., according to government officials, began when Ms. Kelley, alarmed by about half a dozen anonymous e-mails accusing her of inappropriate flirtatious behavior with Mr. Petraeus, complained to an F.B.I. agent who is also a personal friend. That agent, who has not been identified, helped get a preliminary inquiry started. Agents working with federal prosecutors in a local United States attorney’s office began trying to figure out whether the e-mails constituted criminal cyber-stalking.

Because the sender’s account had been registered anonymously, investigators had to use forensic techniques — including a check of what other e-mail accounts had been accessed from the same computer address — to identify who was writing the e-mails.

Eventually they identified Ms. Broadwell as a prime suspect and obtained access to her regular e-mail account. In its in-box, they discovered intimate and sexually explicit e-mails from another account that also was not immediately identifiable. Investigators eventually ascertained that it belonged to Mr. Petraeus and studied the possibility that someone had hacked into Mr. Petraeus’s account or was posing as him to send the explicit messages.

Eventually they determined that Mr. Petraeus had indeed sent the messages to Ms. Broadwell and concluded that the two had had an affair. Then they turned their scrutiny on him, examining whether he knew about or was involved in sending the harassing e-mails to Ms. Kelley.

[Rodriggo]

The guy wanted some strange, he shouldn't lose his job.

I agree. Why do government officials, elected or not, have to lose their job if they are unfaithful? Granted he resigned but who cares who you have sex with? As long as it's legal and consensual?

The biographer is hot. Not pretty but athletic and hot, she probably ***** a ton.

Check that, she's crazy and sending harassing e-mails?....for sure she's great in bed.

[Prosperity]

I agree. Why do government officials, elected or not, have to lose their job if they are unfaithful? Granted he resigned but who cares who you have sex with? As long as it's legal and consensual?

The biographer is hot. Not pretty but athletic and hot, she probably ***** a ton.

Check that, she's crazy and sending harassing e-mails?....for sure she's great in bed.

Because it shows a propensity to create elaborate webs of lies, a lack of moral fortitude and self control, and leaves open a vulnerability that others can use as leverage.

To be fair, I'm sure much worse sorts of corruption exist just as widely, but this sort of thing is just so much harder to hide.

[Rodriggo]

Because it shows a propensity to create elaborate webs of lies, a lack of moral fortitude and self control, and leaves open a vulnerability that others can use as leverage.

To be fair, I'm sure much worse sorts of corruption exist just as widely, but this sort of thing is just so much harder to hide.

Good points but what if you just admit it but don't lose your job b/c you might actually be good at it? The job I mean.

[DjTj]

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/11/11/did_petraeus_mistress_reveal_new_benghazi_details

Did Petraeus mistress reveal new Benghazi details?

This is probably the most interesting question in the story.

In an Oct. 26 speech at the University of Denver, she said that Libyan militants had attacked the post to retrieve some fellow fighters who’d been taken prisoner at the nearby CIA annex. She also seems to suggest that Petraeus himself knew about it, implying that he may have been her source. Here’s the relevant passage from the speech, transcribed in full here by Foreign Policy’s Blake Hounshell.

Now, I don’t know if a lot of you heard this, but the CIA annex had actually, um, had taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to try to get these prisoners back. So that’s still being vetted.

The challenging thing for General Petraeus is that in his new position, he’s not allowed to communicate with the press. So he’s known all of this — they had correspondence with the CIA station chief in, in Libya. Within 24 hours they kind of knew what was happening.

The CIA is flatly denying this. “CIA adamant that Broadwell claims about agency holding prisoners at Benghazi are not true,” The Post’s Greg Miller tweeted. Fox News cites a single anonymous source saying that the CIA annex had prisoners at the time, and “multiple intelligence sources” as saying that the annex had at different times held prisoners. So why did she say it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/12/why-did-paula-broadwell-think-the-cia-had-taken-prisoners-in-benghazi/

Did she get that info from Petraeus? And is it true?

[Bang]

Because it shows a propensity to create elaborate webs of lies, a lack of moral fortitude and self control, and leaves open a vulnerability that others can use as leverage.

To be fair, I'm sure much worse sorts of corruption exist just as widely, but this sort of thing is just so much harder to hide.

All of the people in this position have the ability to weave extensive webs of lies.

h's the head of the CIA for pete's sake, that is pretty much a top qualification.

But the leverage point, this is what is important, and the demonstration to make a very poor personal judgment.

Sex has been used to pry secrets from powerful people since time began.

Can't take the chance.

~Bang

[AsburySkinsFan]

Not Obama. He has never done anything wrong. Not only that...there is nothing that could have been done different. At least not by mere mortals

Not sure if you're trying to suggest that you think Obama orchestrated the assassination of the ambassador to Libya. :whoknows:

[Redskins Diehard]

Not sure if you're trying to suggest that you think Obama orchestrated the assassination of the ambassador to Libya. :whoknows:

Not at all. Anyone that thinks that there was information out there that indicated an increased threat level. Or that there were a few things that could have been done prior to September 11th to mitigate that threat. Have probably been brainwashed by I think the term that smart people use is Fox News..or as the clever people refer to it "Faux News". Because clearly there are only 2 positions out there...1) That Obama orchestrated and assassination.(which I have seen nobody advocate by the way) and 2) Everything was handled exquisitely prior to and on the night of September 11th. Don't listen to what that conservative windbag Dianne Feinstein has to say on the matter...she can't be trusted.

---------- Post added November-12th-2012 at 03:36 PM ----------

This is probably the most interesting question in the story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/12/why-did-paula-broadwell-think-the-cia-had-taken-prisoners-in-benghazi/

Did she get that info from Petraeus? And is it true?

That certainly isn't a question than anyone was asking last Thursday.