CIA Director David Petraeus submitted his resignation Friday

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, prompted by revelations of an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Participants explore the implications of his resignation on national security, personal conduct, and the standards expected of military officers, while also touching on the personal aspects of the affair and its potential consequences for Petraeus's career.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise at Petraeus's resignation and speculate about his future in politics.
  • Others emphasize the importance of maintaining national security and argue that an affair could be exploited by adversaries.
  • A few participants defend Petraeus, suggesting that his personal life should not impact his professional capabilities.
  • There are discussions about the implications of his affair on military standards and potential repercussions for his retirement pay.
  • Several posts provide background information on Paula Broadwell, including her qualifications and professional history, suggesting a deeper connection between her and Petraeus beyond the affair.
  • Some participants question the relevance of personal conduct to professional duties, while others argue that military officers are held to higher standards than civilians.
  • There is a mention of the FBI's investigation into Petraeus's email activity, indicating concerns about national security rather than the affair itself.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the implications of Petraeus's affair for his professional conduct. While some believe it undermines his character and could affect national security, others argue that it should not impact his ability to perform his job effectively.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the formal differences in military rules for enlisted men and officers, as well as the civilian status of the U.S. President in relation to military command. There are also references to the potential for personal conduct to affect national security, but no definitive conclusions are drawn.

  • #61
edward said:
Apparently the FBI didn't get the joke. They pulled the agent off of the case.

We won't know who to believe now;



http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/broadwells-bio-embedded-with-petraeus/?cat_orig=us

Wow it was hard to find a link on the crisis management deal. It was all over the net yesterday.

I thought the kellys were broke.
Would it ever be appropriate for an FBI agent to send a topless photo of himself to some woman who pretends to be an 'ambassador" to the military, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.

Even at my job, you could not send such photos. I was under non-disclosure to the Department of Homeland Security in my job. If it's not appropriate in the office, it's not appropriate...period.

My first husband was in Naval Intelligence. He had a very high clearance, just above top secret, his clearance was letters, not "top secret", it was something like "BI", just for example, he could read these documents at the highly secure office, he COULD NOT remove them from the premises. Isn't that the issue here? Documents you take home must be declassified? That she has these classified documents in her home was a breach of security/protocol, was it not?
 
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  • #62
Will this ever end.

A New York businessman who discussed a multi-billion-dollar Korean business deal with Jill Kelley said the Tampa woman at the center of the Petraeus scandal told him Gen. Petraeus had arranged for her to become an honorary consul for South Korea and promote free trade, and then asked him for $80 million to complete the deal.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/jill-...bragged-petraeus-connection/story?id=17732754

OK now I don't know whether to believe this or not:-p
 
  • #63
Evo said:
Isn't that the issue here? Documents you take home must be declassified? That she has these classified documents in her home was a breach of security/protocol, was it not?
If Broadwell was a courier, she might be able to have certain documents, but they would have to be secured, e.g. kept in a safe until delivered to a secure location. However, secret documents would not be kept at a persons home, but only at a secure facility like the Pentagon, government or contractor's site.

Electronic documents would have to be on an approved encrypted and protected computer, and certainly not on a home computer.

Unfortunately, we don't know the specifics, but it sounds ominous for Broadwell.
 
  • #64
russ_watters said:
Does the CIA utilize the same database? I would expect this information to be special access.

The reason it implies a Petreus connection:
1. Its CIA.
2. She discusses his use of theinformation in the same context as she mentions the information.

The answer is yes, they do. They also have their own system, but regardless, it's a bit premature to just assume her only source of information is Petraeus.
 
  • #65
MarneMath said:
The answer is yes, they do. They also have their own system, but regardless, it's a bit premature to just assume her only source of information is Petraeus.

Agree. In fact in the early days of this story (I can't find it now), Patraeus said as much. When asked about Broadwell having secret documents in her possession, he said other officers in Afghanistan may have given them to her. I'll see if I can find the article...kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack at this point though :rolleyes:.

Edit:

Retired Gen. Petraeus also denied ... that he had given Broadwell any of the sensitive military information alleged to have been found on her computer, saying anything she had must have been provided by other commanders during reporting trips to Afghanistan.

Bolding mine.

http://www.wsbtv.com/ap/ap/crime/info-emerges-about-2nd-woman-in-petraeus-case/nS4YW/
 
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  • #66
Evo said:
Would it ever be appropriate for an FBI agent to send a topless photo of himself to some woman who pretends to be an 'ambassador" to the military, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.

Even at my job, you could not send such photos. I was under non-disclosure to the Department of Homeland Security in my job. If it's not appropriate in the office, it's not appropriate...period.
I'd never use my corporate email for such a purpose either. I barely use it for any personal purposes at all and nothing that I wouldn't be willing to discuss in front of my bosses.
 
  • #67
MarneMath said:
The answer is yes, they do. They also have their own system, but regardless, it's a bit premature to just assume her only source of information is Petraeus.[emphasis added]
The word was "imply". Don't read into my post something different from what I said.
 
  • #68
i'm failing to see the drastic difference, but if you want to go that route, then I retract my original statement and now "it's a bit premature to assume her statements imply Petraeus is or was her only source of information."
 
  • #69
MarneMath said:
i'm failing to see the drastic difference, but if you want to go that route, then I retract my original statement and now "it's a bit premature to assume her statements imply Petraeus is or was her only source of information."
That doesn't make any sense. "assume" and "it implies" are completely different. It makes no sense to put them together in the same sentence.

"Assume" is to believe something to be true regardless of if there is any evidence or not.
"It implies" is just stating that the facts suggest a connection.

So:
1. I don't believe it to be true.
2. There is evidence.

So "assume" has no place there at all. You're trying to put words in my mouth. Stop.
 
  • #70
Once again, I fail to see the drastic difference and to be honest I care for it little. I think most people got the point I was making. So, can we move on? If not, feel free to make a new thread arguing the merits of the word assumed over implied. I won't be there, but if it makes you feel better, feel free too!
 

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