CIA Director David Petraeus submitted his resignation Friday

[nsaspook]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/0...ubmits-resignation-over-extra-marital-affair/

Editor's note: Retired Gen. David Petraeus stepped down Friday as head of the Central Intelligence Agency - 14 months after taking the job, days after the presidential election and days before he was set to testify before Congress about an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya that left four Americans dead.

 

[lisab]

This really surprised me.

Well, he can always go into politics .

 

[Evo]

Conspiracy theories have been deleted. They are not allowed on this forum.

 

[edward]

Her Name Is Paula Broadwell. They allegedly had an affair. She was his biographer and they used to run together during interviews. The name of her book is "All In" She was embedded with him in Afghanistan.

Here she is on the Daily Show.

http://www.businessinsider.com/paul...raeus-biographer-daily-show-interview-2012-11

OK so the books sub title is: The Education of General David Petraeus

It looks like his education is complete now.

 

[nsaspook]

He of all people should have known the danger. Old saying: "In god we trust, All others we monitor"

A Justice Department official tells CBS News that Petraeus' name surfaced while the FBI was undertaking a separate investigation into whether Petraeus' computer might have been compromised.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547958/cia-director-david-petraeus-resigns/

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134871n

 

[MarneMath]

This is unfortunuate. I had the honor to meet him while in Iraq and then again in Afghanistan. He came off as one of the few generals who took time to actual consider the poor ground pounders in the mud. I have a lot of respect for the guy. As far as I can tell, he was doing a pretty darn good job at the CIA.

 

[rootX]

This really surprised me.

Well, he can always go into politics .

He and Bill Clinton would make a great President-VP pair!

 

[Mentalist]

If he leaked classified evidence, he should resign. But not because had some extra-marital affair. That has nothing to do with him being able to conduct his job. Stay out of this man's sex life!

 

[jedishrfu]

General Petraeus did the right thing to resign. As CIA director, this could have been held over his head by a master spy as this is one of the common methods of causing someone to betray his country (honeypot).

Other methods include disgruntled employees or money or jailing a close relative in another country.

As the story unfolds it implies the FBI was tracking some strange email activity meaning spylike activity that lead to exposing the affair.

I hope he, his wife and his family recover from this and that he returns to service. He's done many great things for our soldiers and for resolving the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The great Irish politician Parnell was brought down by a similar scandal and the end result was that Ireland waited a few more decades before it became free of English rule.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

She was embedded with him in Afghanistan.

Well put.

 

[russ_watters]

If he leaked classified evidence, he should resign. But not because had some extra-marital affair. That has nothing to do with him being able to conduct his job. Stay out of this man's sex life!

It speaks negatively of his character and due to the nature of the job, the military (particularly officers) are held to high standards of character than civilians are used to.

Since he has only been out of the military for a year and presumably had this affair while still in active duty status, I could see the military going after his retirement pay.

 

[Curious3141]

Her Name Is Paula Broadwell. They allegedly had an affair. She was his biographer and they used to run together during interviews. The name of her book is "All In" She was embedded with him in Afghanistan.

That was either a very good or very poor choice of word.

And the biographer's name ("Broadwell") in this context sounds like a character made up by the Onion "News" Network.

 

[Curious3141]

Well put.

I'm sure she agreed (vociferously, multiple times). Since he was "all in" and all.

 

[Astronuc]

It is an unfortunate disappointment. General Petraeus took personal responsibililty and did the right thing in resigning. As CIA director, an affair could potentially adversely affect national security.

As Russ indicated, miltary officers are held to a high standard of conduct. And when one gets involved in national security, one's life comes under close scrutiny.

The FBI counter-intelligence was investigating the relationship between Petraeus and Broadwell. It is not so much about the affair as it is about the disclosure of national security information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/us/citing-affair-petraeus-resigns-as-cia-director.htm

I hope General Petraeus can reconcile with his family.

 

[atyy]

It speaks negatively of his character and due to the nature of the job, the military (particularly officers) are held to high standards of character than civilians are used to.

Since he has only been out of the military for a year and presumably had this affair while still in active duty status, I could see the military going after his retirement pay.

There's a (formal) difference between US military rules for enlisted men and officers?

Also, I've heard that the US President commands the armed forces, but is he technically considered civilian or uniformed?

(Sorry, I know this is common knowledge to US citizens, but I'm not one.)

 

[russ_watters]

There's a (formal) difference between US military rules for enlisted men and officers?

In some cases, yes: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/fraternization.-ukn.htm

Also, I've heard that the US President commands the armed forces, but is he technically considered civilian or uniformed?

He is a civilian and that's a very important distinction in the US that doesn't exist in some countries. Eisenhower, for example, had to resign from the army before becoming President.

 

[edward]

In all seriousness they spent a lot of time toghether in Afghanistan. She was't just some low life. They actually had a lot in common including the fact that they both are runners, and both military.

Broadwell grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota and attended Century High School, where she was homecoming queen and valedictorian for the class of 1991.[5] Broadwell graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995. She earned a master's degree from the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies in 2006.[6][7] She earned a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[8] She has served as Director of the Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She later entered the Ph.D. program at Department of War Studies at King's College London.[9] She served in the United States Army and the United States Army Reserve. She was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Reserves in summer 2012.[1]

Broadwell has written for the New York Times and the Boston Globe.[10][11] Her biography of Petraeus, All In, was published in January 2012.[12] In November 2012, law enforcement officials said Broadwell was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for improperly trying to access Petraeus' email.[13][14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Broadwell

http://www.businessinsider.com/paul...raeus-biographer-daily-show-interview-2012-11

This may have been an old fashioned love affair, it happens.

 

[nsaspook]

Like most people I don't really care about her or his love life. I do care about the nation security of the country. The man was open to compromise before he ever took the CIA job and either lied about it during his background investigation or told the truth and a determination was made at the executive level it didn't warrant disqualification. Either way it was a ticking time-bomb that the woman could trigger at anytime. The proper thing should have been to not take the job in the first place.

 

[russ_watters]

I didn't realize that she was in the military. That makes it worse. I expect she will be dishonorably discharged because of this.

 

[AlephZero]

Not sure where this fits into the picture either - see "Current Research" at the bottom of the web page. Looks like what the French call "l'ecole horizontale"...
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/people/phd/broadwell.aspx

 

[MarneMath]

In some cases, yes: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/fraternization.-ukn.htm He is a civilian and that's a very important distinction in the US that doesn't exist in some countries. Eisenhower, for example, had to resign from the army before becoming President.

The link you provided applies equally to enlisted and officers. Any difference in treatment between enlisted and officers is often to the benefit of the officer. Lastly the notation the military would go after his retirement is absorb.

The guy served beyond measure for over 30 years. He took personal responsibility. What more could be ask?

 

[russ_watters]

The link you provided applies equally to enlisted and officers.

No, it doesn't. The very first criteria is:

(1) That the accused was a commissioned or warrant officer;

Any difference in treatment between enlisted and officers is often to the benefit of the officer.

Nonsense.

Lastly the notation the military would go after his retirement is absorb.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. It wouldn't surprise me either way. We'll have to see.

The guy served beyond measure for over 30 years. He took personal responsibility. What more could be ask?

I agree that he generally did a good job, but he only took responsibility because he got caught. What more could I ask? That senior military officers act ethically.

 

[MarneMath]

You obviously need to read each branches regulation on this. Or trust the guy who used to give this brief your choice!

The guy is human, I can forgive that. As far as I can tell the journalist is the one accused of the crime.

 

[russ_watters]

You obviously need to read each branches regulation on this.

? The link I posted was clear. It directly contradicted what you said. Did you read it?

Or trust the guy who used to give this brief your choice!

What are you talking about?

I don't understand why you are getting so upset about this.

As far as I can tell the journalist is the one accused of the crime.

I haven't seen suggestion that she is being accused of a crime. Could you provide a source?

 

[MarneMath]

We are talking about article 134. The policy is the officer policy that does only apply to officers; however, you failed to overlook the fact that there exist policy within each branch that approach this issue for the enlisted side. While yes, an enlisted cannot be given an article 134, an article 92 is often given in stead. Thus there exist consequences for a SSGT having improper relations with a PVT. Often times the punishment is worse.

My last reference was, you can rely on your internet knowledge or the guy who spent his last three years of his military career giving the brief regarding this. Your choice. No one is upset here. Just be rational. Your alternative would be to read the actual regulations.

 

[MarneMath]

To get back more on topic. I don't like speculative remarks. THis issue is new and we obviously do not have all the facts. My personal belief is if this ends up only being an affrair, while it's unfortunate for the man's family, I can stil have respect for the service he provided his country for over 35 years. I found 5 years to be hard enough.

IF this turns out a case of leaking national sercrets, then that is something that cannot be forgiven. From what I understand though, it was the journalist trying to unlawfully access his emais, not so much about him willfully handing them to her.

 

[edward]

You obviously need to read each branches regulation on this. Or trust the guy who used to give this brief your choice!

The guy is human, I can forgive that. As far as I can tell the journalist is the one accused of the crime.

Actually there is an ongoing investigation, but no one has been accused of a crime.

 

[MarneMath]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...-his-email-law-enforcement-officials-say?lite

You're right, poor choice of words on my part. I should've said under investigation.

 

[Astronuc]

When F.B.I. agents following up on the complaint began to examine Ms. Broadwell’s e-mails, they discovered exchanges between her and Mr. Petraeus that revealed that they were having an affair, said the official, who spoke of the investigation on the condition of anonymity.

. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/u...mbled-into-news-of-david-petraeus-affair.html

Apparently, the FBI was investigating Broadwell based on a harrasment complaint of another person. The FBI stumbled across emails between Broadwell and Petraeus.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Poor guy was getting harassing emails from his mistress. I only get them from my wife.