View Full Version : Gen Petraeus resigns as CIA dir over affair; story seems rather incomplete
So General David Petraeus just announced he is resigning due to an extramarital affair. A few thoughts:
It's not unheard-of for an official to resign over bedroom shennanigans, but it's rare.
In the US military an affair can be grounds for dismissal, but DP is no longer in uniform.
Sounds to me like there is some other, messier situation, and everyone agreed that confessing to an affair was a good way to make an exit without creating further fuss. Not being paranoid—I don't think there's some evil conspiracy—but this prosimian smells a rat.
Linkage (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/09/15054517-cia-director-david-petraeus-resigns-cites-extramarital-affair).
Strike For The South
11-09-2012, 22:01
I don't know hoss, think he got a hold of one of those voting machines?
Oh, sorry, I took a situation that is completely suspicious and mentioned that it was suspicious. I forgot that pointing out things like the well-documented failings and insecurities of e-voting machines is fringe conspiracy stuff dominated by the crazies doing security research at Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Rice, and Stanford Universities, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Government Accountability Office. TINFOIL HAT CROWD!
I apologize, Strike, I really do, and I will never, ever look at a suspicious or seemingly incomplete announcement from a public official and ask "What important bits are they leaving out?" ever again. It's just irresponsible of me.
Strike For The South
11-09-2012, 22:18
Oh, sorry, I took a situation that is completely suspicious and mentioned that it was suspicious. I forgot that pointing out things like the well-documented failings and insecurities of e-voting machines is fringe conspiracy stuff dominated by the crazies doing security research at Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Rice, and Stanford Universities, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Government Accountability Office. TINFOIL HAT CROWD!
I apologize, Strike, I really do, and I will never, ever look at a suspicious or seemingly incomplete announcement from a public official and ask "What important bits are they leaving out?" ever again. It's just irresponsible of me.
Well, you've deflated all the fun out of that.
Getting some strange is probably not the best idea as head of the CIA and there is talk in right wing radio land that this woman had tried to access his computer. Hence the admission and the registration.
Could it have something to do with Bhenghazi or some other kerfuffle in some far off land, it's possible. There may be something coming down the pike that he wants to get out of the way of.
Sorry Dad.
NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM AND NO XBOX.
-edit-
(True story: I was helping a woman I work with who was having trouble with some basic computer stuff. I gentled my tone and tried to be as non-threatening as possible, explaining each step in as positive a way as I could. She recoiled, stared at me, and yelled, "Don't use your dad voice! Your'e using your dad voice! This is really creeping me out!")
Hooahguy
11-09-2012, 22:42
Goddamn it. He was an inspiration for me.
:daisy:.
Excuse me while I take down his picture on my wall.
Strike For The South
11-09-2012, 22:43
Goddamn it. He was an inspiration for me.
:daisy:.
Excuse me while I take down his picture on my wall.
Why do you have his picture on your wall?
Why are you taking it down?
Hooahguy
11-09-2012, 22:56
Why do you have his picture on your wall?
Why are you taking it down?
Back at home I print out pictures of people I find inspirational on my wall. Washington, Jefferson, Churchill, people like that.
Im taking it down because hes not exactly leaving his post in the most respected way.
EDIT: Thinking about it some more, I think Ill keep it up. Reasoning being that instead of fighting it, he took the hard right over the easy wrong. I still think a bit less of him because of this affair, but he still has my respect.
Strike For The South
11-09-2012, 23:16
Meh, affairs aren't good but they are a rather common failing of humanity
Kadagar_AV
11-09-2012, 23:18
I do the same Hooah, but only Barney Stinson made it up so far.
Hooahguy
11-09-2012, 23:19
I think in our culture of raising people up to almost hero status we forget that they are human just like us, with all the vices of the common man.
Kadagar_AV
11-09-2012, 23:21
Might well be that the female in question was an operative for some other nation.
It's not as uncommon as people think, heck, Soviet had a whole training center dedicated to it.
When having positions such as his, the ability to reign in the snake is is absolutely fundamental, so it's no wonder he had to go.
Strike For The South
11-09-2012, 23:35
I think in our culture of raising people up to almost hero status we forget that they are human just like us, with all the vices of the common man.
You did that.....the culture did not
Hooahguy
11-09-2012, 23:49
:stare:
Anyhow, its not just with Petraeus, what about Tiger Woods and other famous people who fell hard because of affairs?
The vixen has been IDed. Looking at some images (https://www.google.com/search?q=paula+broadwell&hl=en&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hYmdUPrdJ-HUygGk94Aw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=955), she doesn't seem worth it, but when do they? Also, with her face and his, they would have made some very strange babies.
P.S.: If this is the first time a married general has played hide-the-appropriations-bill with a female journalist, then I'm the queen of Norway. Still don't understand why this is resignation material.
-edit-
Okay, this is sounding a little more plausible (https://twitter.com/BreakingNews/status/267033382217711617):
FBI investigating Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell for improperly trying to access his email, officials tell @NBCNews
Strike For The South
11-10-2012, 00:03
Damn, Hannity was right
I aint even mad
And Hooah becuase people love to feign outrage over supposed role models. Barkley said it best....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8vh2MwXZ6o
Just replace dunk a ball with killing brown people
Goddamn it. He was an inspiration for me.
:daisy:.
Excuse me while I take down his picture on my wall.
Have you seen his wife? I was gonna be all judgmental, but now I understand. I do not condone, but I understand.
HoreTore
11-10-2012, 00:26
If he resigned because of an affair, it's nonsense.
If he resigned for other reasons and the affair was used as a cover, it's nonsense.
Dismissing someone because of an affair is just absurd, I'm finding it hard to come up with words to describe it. Patreus struck me as a quality official, a highly competent leader. Such people don't grow on trees. Throwing away such men because of ridiculous things like affairs will simply lead to the loss of life, as your armed forces are no longer as qualified to do their jobs. What's better? A cheating commander or dead soldiers? Bite that bullet, "moral majority".
If it's not true... Well, it certainly wouldn't be the first political exit of this kind. These things happen, of course it could be the case here. No tinfoil hats needed, sfts. Ah well, someone will blow the whistle if that's the case in a few years anyway; they always do...
If he resigned because of an affair, it's nonsense...
In America it is normal and expected. He resigned just like he should have done.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:30
:stare:
Anyhow, its not just with Petraeus, what about Tiger Woods and other famous people who fell hard because of affairs?
The Tiger Woods thing was the stupidest thing I ever seen or heard in me life.
HoreTore
11-10-2012, 00:31
In America it is normal and expected. He resigned just like he should have done.
The patriotic flag-wavers are a-okay with their soldier sons dying because they're no longer as well led as they could've been?
That strikes me as weird.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:32
In America it is normal and expected. He resigned just like he should have done.
Why is it normal and expected in what way does it impinge on a persons ability to do there job.
Why is it normal and expected in what way does it impinge on a persons ability to do there job.
Character. It matters.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:35
Character. It matters.
And yet Newt Gingrich is still a politician
HoreTore
11-10-2012, 00:36
If my question to you looked hostile or ridiculing, rvg: it wasn't meant that way.
I'm honestly intrigued to know how a flag-waving patriotic soldier or his son can accept a lower standard of leadership because the man had an affair. I honestly can't wrap my head around it, could you help me understand?
If my question to you looked hostile or ridiculing, rvg: it wasn't meant that way.
I'm honestly intrigued to know how a flag-waving patriotic soldier or his son can accept a lower standard of leadership because the man had an affair. I honestly can't wrap my head around it, could you help me understand?
Certainly. We do not accept a lower standard of leadership. There are no irreplaceable men, some are more difficult to replace than others, but nobody is indispensable. We can find an equally qualified man who does not compromise his character.
And yet Newt Gingrich is still a politician
Did you see how handily he won republican nomination?
Hooahguy
11-10-2012, 00:41
The Tiger Woods thing was the stupidest thing I ever seen or heard in me life.
Care to explain?
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:49
Care to explain?
He plays golf and he is good at it but apparently our society demands he be something he is not
Frankly the idea that we get upset and or that sponsors demand there money back cos he was shagging a few women is daft.
Was he any less an excellant golfer during the time he cheated on his wife, in fact it was only when everyone lost there mind that his game suffered.
He plays golf and he is good at it but apparently our society demands he be something he is not
Frankly the idea that we get upset and or that sponsors demand there money back cos he was shagging a few women is daft.
Was he any less an excellant golfer during the time he cheated on his wife, in fact it was only when everyone lost there mind that his game suffered.
He's still playing. What's the problem?
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:53
Certainly. We do not accept a lower standard of leadership. There are no irreplaceable men, some are more difficult to replace than others, but nobody is indispensable. We can find an equally qualified man who does not compromise his character.
Did you see how handily he won republican nomination?
Well thats prob cos there like communists that are capable of all sorts of double think where he can be viewed as a moral leader
Well thats prob cos there like communists that are capable of all sorts of double think where he can be viewed as a moral leader
I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 00:58
He's still playing. What's the problem?
I dont have a prob with Tiger but for a while it looked like he would have to quit and it was you got to admit a silly silly thing
I dont have a prob with Tiger but for a while it looked like he would have to quit and it was you got to admit a silly silly thing
It only looked like that. He took his hiatus of shame, then came back with a vengeance.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 01:02
I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
How do they square what he says on telly about the nations family values with what he has done over the years ??
How do they square what he says on telly about the nations family values with what he has done over the years ??
Who does?
HopAlongBunny
11-10-2012, 01:06
The only reason I can think of for a CIA dir resigning is a breach of national security. The CIA has been involved in some loopy stuff in the past, but it is very rare for anyone "up chain" to take a fall. Likely this will play as a personal decision, motivated by personal reasons and quietly disappear.
gaelic cowboy
11-10-2012, 01:09
Who does?
Who indeed
No one has mentioned the obvious reason? Obama was reelected. :shrug:
Seamus Fermanagh
11-10-2012, 03:20
Possibly. On the other hand, he's worked at CIA for the administration already....
In a sad parallel, the heir apparent at Lockheed Martin stepped down for having an affair with a subordinate. Better parachute than the general's though.
Possibly. On the other hand, he's worked at CIA for the administration already....And one term was apparently enough....
Are you suggesting that Petraeus was a peace living hippy who didn't support Obama's exceptionally aggressive tactics?I'm suggesting that less than 3 days after Obama was reelected, Petraeus resigned.
Could it be as simple as being caught/blackmailed over an affair? Sure. But the timing is awfully strange.
The timing is actually very good for a hand over. As there is all the ruckless and upheaval of people losing seats and others gaining seats, a shakeup at the start of an election is a good idea.
The timing is actually very good for a hand over. As there is all the ruckless and upheaval of people losing seats and others gaining seats, a shakeup at the start of an election is a good idea.
And there is a lot going on, this will have less attention brought to it as a result.
As I suspected, it's a bit more involved and messy (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2012/11/10/fbi-probe-into-biographer-harassing-emails-uncovered-petraeus-affair/Qd02NqATEdplZErythw8NP/story.html) than the announcement led us to believe. Moral of the story: Wimmenz be crazy.
The FBI investigation [...] began with a complaint several months ago about ‘‘harassing’’ emails sent by Paula Broadwell, Petraeus’ biographer, to an unidentified third person, a government official briefed on the case said Saturday.
When FBI agents following up on the complaint began to examine Broadwell’s emails, they discovered exchanges between her and Petraeus that revealed that they were having an affair [...]
The [woman] who complained about harassing messages from Broadwell, according to the official, was not a family member or a government official. One congressional official who was briefed on the matter Friday said senior intelligence officials had explained that the FBI investigation ‘‘started with two women.’’
''It didn’t start with Petraeus, but in the course of the investigation they stumbled across him,’’ said the congressional official, who said the intelligence officials had provided no other information about the two women or the focus of the inquiry. ‘‘We were stunned.’’
normally I would say that you Americans are all prudes, that this is another sex "scandal" that is a personal matter and nothing else.
but in this case I see the point.....the head of the CIA should be able to keep an affair secret....this is just incompetence.
CrossLOPER
11-11-2012, 16:46
Who indeed
When he talks himself into a corner his brain reboots, but still produces replies.
normally I would say that you Americans are all prudes, that this is another sex "scandal" that is a personal matter and nothing else.
but in this case I see the point.....the head of the CIA should be able to keep an affair secret....this is just incompetence.
Well, reading not-too-terribly-deeply between the lines, it looks like the following took place:
Gen. Petraeus had at least one mistress, possibly (probably?) more
Mistress A was convinced that another woman was, in fact, Mistress B
Mistress A sent threats to potential Mistress B
The threats were sufficiently convincing/unhinged/creepy that Mistress B contacted the FBI (and they musta been doozies, 'cause you don't normally call the feds when somebody emails you to KEEP YOUR WHORE HANDS OFF MY MAN)
FBI discovers the love triangle, as well as Mistress A's access to Things She Should Not Have Access To
And everyone does the hokey-pokey ...
The Lurker Below
11-11-2012, 19:29
Well, reading not-too-terribly-deeply between the lines, it looks like the following took place:
Gen. Petraeus had at least one mistress, possibly (probably?) more
Mistress A was convinced that another woman was, in fact, Mistress B
Mistress A sent threats to potential Mistress B
The threats were sufficiently convincing/unhinged/creepy that Mistress B contacted the FBI (and they musta been doozies, 'cause you don't normally call the feds when somebody emails you to KEEP YOUR WHORE HANDS OFF MY MAN)
FBI discovers the love triangle, as well as Mistress A's access to Things She Should Not Have Access To
And everyone does the hokey-pokey ...
when senior public officials get caught doing the hokey pokey they should step down. theirs is a position of trust and respect: a portion of that "competence" referred to earlier is maintaining the trust and respect.
when entertainers get caught for the same behavior it's understandable for them to lose their sponsorships. but it seems just about hypocritical to lose their fanbase. backstabbing bastards want to see their heroes in the headlines and then when they get the biggest headlines ever they jump ship.
when senior public officials get caught doing the hokey pokey they should step down. theirs is a position of trust and respect: a portion of that "competence" referred to earlier is maintaining the trust and respect.
Well, I dunno, if a public official can do his or her thang and be discreet, I don't see a problem. Seems like the issue that took out Gen. Petraeus was a lover who (a) went nutso and (b) demonstrably had access to stuff she should not have.
gaelic cowboy
11-11-2012, 22:40
When he talks himself into a corner his brain reboots, but still produces replies.
so you dont think society gets het up on all sorts of silly stuff while real scandalous behaviour can be ignored??
Generically WHO means society what ever it's supposed to mean today it's probably shaped by the media and the watershed on tv
although specifically the WHO is Republican voters who can elect Newt on a VALUES vote I just assumed I didnt need to spell it out thats all.
CrossLOPER
11-12-2012, 06:31
she doesn't seem worth it, but when do they? Also,
7761
No one has mentioned the obvious reason? Obama was reelected.
We should call that Xiahou's razor: When choosing between competing explanations, or faced with uncertainty, it is Obama's fault.
I'm not what you would call a social conservative, but having been married i do think adultery is wrong. People in top government positions should be too busy doing their freaking jobs to cheat on their wives; otherwise they're probably just abusing their position to get some pussy and/or other non-productive endeavors.
he broke the 11th commandment.
Major Robert Dump
11-13-2012, 04:51
Since no one has made reference to the title of the book written by his biographer/mistress
I hope he went ALL IN.
FYI some sources are saying the emails were more cryptic and harassing than threatening, and the only reason an investigation was launched is likely because the victim as BFFs with some agents...
As per the "accessing his computer" accusation, the way they exchanged letters was to write drafts on their civilian emails, save them in the draft folders, and then the other would log into the others account and read those drafts, so that there would be no actual email trail. Pretty smart. But I bet you a zillion copies of ALL IN that she read his other emails, which is what turned her on to this other woman. She also mentioned some things at a university lecture that led people to believe the ideas came from the General, notably that we had detainees in the Libya consulate
And for the consipracy theorists, it should be noted that REPUBLICAN Eric Cantor had this info 10 days before the election and sat on the fact that the Generals affair had come up during an indirect investigation.
It should also be noted that as soon as the FBI asked the General about it, he copped to everything and told them stuff they didn't even know..... such honestly is rare in DC
**edit: I'd hit it
rory_20_uk
11-13-2012, 12:23
Americans do seem to have a very odd respect for elected officials - such as how Presidents get to keep the title after leaving office which to me makes no sense.
Based upon these almost religious ideals, anyone who is caught breaking them generally then takes a tumble even though it is highly likely there are many others that are not caught.
The chain of events might be very simple. It might be very complicated. I don't imagine anyone will know for several decades.
~:smoking:
Oh for crying out loud, heard on the radio while driving to work that yet another general is involved (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/john-allen-petraeus_n_2120609.html). You gotta be freakin' kidding me.
And one of the FBI agents in the case was sexting one of the suspects (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578115410189757452.html).
And it turns out Elmo is giving hot love to teen boys (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/national_world&id=8883579).
Everybody seems to be having a very difficult time keeping it in their pants.
-edit-
FYI some sources are saying the emails were more cryptic and harassing than threatening, and the only reason an investigation was launched is likely because the victim as BFFs with some agents...
Yeah, all of that seems to be confirmed (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/12/exclusive-paula-broadwell-s-emails-revealed.html)...
Yeah, Elmo disappoints me. Kevin Clash needs to get a Jerry Sandusky puppet.
Just skimming some of the info coming out about the FBI investigation, the various principals' behavior, and the kinda-sorta Congressional involvement, the whole thing looks like a cluster-muck. There's clearly some weird **** that went down, and not just between the sheets. Bunches of people with strange agendas trying to do odd things. Exemplum gratum, apparently the FBI agent who was sending beefcake shots of himself to one of the women also believed everything was a conspiracy to protect Obama, and personally leaked information (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/us/timeline-shows-fbi-discovered-petraeus-affair-in-summer.html) to Cantor and other Congressional GOP peeps. Nobody is clear on whether the shirtless wonder broke the law or not. What a mess.
So, uh, we have various horny generals, an oversexed biographer, a partially-clad conspiracy nut FBI agent, and ... who knows how weird it will get from here on in.
I think I'll wait for someone to write the book. It sure sounds like there's a lot of untangling to do before anyone can accurately assess how this ten-car-pileup went down.
HopAlongBunny
11-13-2012, 23:44
It sounds more like a plot-summary for a Mel Brooks movie. We can only hope
The Lurker Below
11-13-2012, 23:57
It sounds more like a plot-summary for a Sacha Baron Cohen movie. We can only hope
hey old timer, time to download the latest updates
Well, I can't say much for our military-intelligence command structure's ability to keep its collective pants on ...
... but at least it looks like Elmo has been cleared (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/accuser-recants-allegation-against-elmo-puppeteer/).
Too late. Elmo is dead to me. Pervert.
... who knows how weird it will get from here on in.
Apparently there's something to do with twin sisters (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/jill-kelley-twin-sister-closely-tied-top-brass/story?id=17707752#.UKPMKYe7N8E) as well. Just when you think it can't get stranger, it does.
Apparently there's something to do with twin sisters (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/jill-kelley-twin-sister-closely-tied-top-brass/story?id=17707752#.UKPMKYe7N8E) as well. Just when you think it can't get stranger, it does.
Apparently Mrs. Kelly is also a moron, since she claimed diplomatic immunity (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83819.html)... from reporters... in her own country... due to her status as an "honorary consul general." There are so many things wrong with his line of reasoning I don't even know where to begin.
Major Robert Dump
11-14-2012, 22:28
I just solved the entire ordeal:
Mrs Kelly has very large breasts.
Papewaio
11-15-2012, 01:10
Too late. Elmo is dead to me.
Sorry to break this to you. Remember that talk we had last year about Santa Claus, and earlier this year about the Easter Bunny. Elmo isn't real either.
Elmo is a Pervert.
Well Elmo has always been into fisting. :smoking:
Seamus Fermanagh
11-15-2012, 01:53
Apparently Mrs. Kelly is also a moron, since she claimed diplomatic immunity (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83819.html)... from reporters... in her own country... due to her status as an "honorary consul general." There are so many things wrong with his line of reasoning I don't even know where to begin.
I thought the same when I heard it this morning. I think the line from Time Bandits is apt..."Blessedly free of the ravages of intelligence."
And she's the smart twin.
The vixen has been IDed. Looking at some images (https://www.google.com/search?q=paula+broadwell&hl=en&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hYmdUPrdJ-HUygGk94Aw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=955), she doesn't seem worth it, but when do they? Also, with her face and his, they would have made some very strange babies.
:inquisitive:
Taste is a matter of taste but I already wanted her to "write my biography" after watching her interview on the Daily Show...
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