"Facing huge problems with calm realism" was Petraeus's working attitude towards the media before he took office, and it was also his successful experience on the battlefield in Iraq. Shortly after taking office, he first visited Afghanistan to fully understand and evaluate its security situation and plan its strategy for Afghanistan. On the one hand, Petraeus advocated sending more troops, on the other hand, he insisted on holding peace talks with the Taliban, and military strikes and political disintegration were used at the same time. On October 2011110, a number of veterans wrote to the National Assembly, demanding that Petraeus be awarded the title of five-star general. Stephen clemons, a senior researcher at the New America Foundation, pointed out: "This is because the American people are looking for a new Eisenhower, and Petraeus, who entered the war as a retired soldier in 20 12, is the best candidate.
In this context, Obama is expected to replace Michael mahlon as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Petraeus, and be transferred to the director of the CIA. Mainly based on two considerations, on the one hand, the political general was drawn into the democratic party and government camp through creative means, on the other hand, he was secretly promoted, his military power was seized, and his development was restricted under the condition of fledgling. As we all know, due to the restriction of secrecy law, the intelligence community has spent 50 years to decrypt and praise achievements, and mistakes will immediately become famous all over the world. On June 30th, the US Senate approved President Obama's nomination of david petraeus, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. On the same day, the Senate passed the nomination with 94 votes in favor and none against. Petraeus will replace incoming Defense Secretary leon panetta as director of the CIA. David petraeus10, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, announced his involvement in extramarital affairs on 9 October, and submitted his resignation to President Obama, which was approved.
David petraeus, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, resigned. He admitted: "After 37 years of marriage, I lost my head in an extramarital affair. Whether as a husband or as the leader of our organization, this behavior is unacceptable. " While studying at West Point Military Academy, Petraeus met his current wife Holly Knowlton. Holly's father, William Knowlton, is a four-star general of the U.S. Army and the director of the West Point Military Academy. It was his marriage and excellent personal ability that paved the way for Petraeus to become a general. This is the unwritten iron law of the US military-that is, a general's son, daughter, daughter-in-law or son-in-law can mix at least one star as long as they stay in the US military. Holly has been committed to helping veterans and military families for many years. Before the extramarital affair was exposed, the husband and wife showed their love in public. A month ago, Petraeus and his wife attended the activities of the Canadian Embassy in the United States.
Several US government officials who did not want to be named said that the heroine of the scandal was the biographer Paula Broadwell. She spent a year in Afghanistan following the general and writing a biography for him. According to Reuters, the FBI first discovered Petraeus' extramarital affairs. Two officials said that the FBI was informed that Broadwell had access to Petraeus' personal email account. In the process of monitoring Petraeus' e-mail, the agency found that the two were "closely related".
Some people familiar with the matter said that Petraeus's admission of extramarital affairs did not violate any CIA regulations. Even if it is found that the contacts of CIA personnel are suspected foreign agents, it may pose a security threat to American agents. The CIA has no regulations prohibiting employees from having extramarital affairs, but Petraeus insisted on resigning.
Related figures
The hero and heroine of extramarital affairs were met by West Point alumni when they were doing research at Harvard.
Petraeus is 60 years old. 1974 graduated from West Point Military Academy and served as the highest commander of the US military in Iraq from 2003 to 2008. In 2007, he was promoted to a four-star general; In 2008, he served as commander of the US Central Command, in charge of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; 20 10 was appointed as the highest commander of the US military in Afghanistan. Petraeus also received a doctorate in international relations from Princeton University.
The 39-year-old gossip heroine Broadwell released Petraeus' biography All In. She met Petraeus when she was doing research at Harvard University, where he gave a speech.
She said in her biography: "I introduced myself to Petraeus, who was still a lieutenant general at that time, and explained my research interest. He gave me a business card to help me get in touch with other researchers and soldiers studying the same topic. " According to the British "Daily Mail" report, Broadwell also said: "Petraeus often guides me."
Broadwell graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the United States Army for more than ten years. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her husband is Dr. Scott, a radiologist, and she has two young sons, Lv Xian and Langdon.
She said in the book: "A few months after my research began, General Petraeus invited me to run with him and his staff on the Potomac River in Washington. I think I can visit him while running. " When Broadwell promoted his new book on a talk show, he insisted that running together was quite normal: "This is a typical way for Petraeus to meet young people. He has done this all his life, which is also the basis of our relationship. "
In an interview with another radio program, the host said that they "obviously" liked each other. Broadwell replied: "As I said before, he has coached many people, which is different from other senior generals." She said, "But we are very close. I think this may be related to the fact that we are all from West Point Military Academy. "
For Petraeus' wife Holly, who has been married for 37 years, Broadwell once said: "She is a great military family and has done a lot for their children and the children of other fallen soldiers. I respect her very much. "
Gossip heroine
The scandal was discovered after 201211013:
No.65438 +0 gossip heroine
Broadwell (40 years old)
20 12 65438+ 10 14, biographer Broadwell was interviewed by the media in Charlotte with his own biography of Petraeus. A few days ago, the American media called her Petraeus' lover.
The gossip heroine won the second place
Gill kelly (37 years old)
On October 2012165438+10/3, gill kelly left his home in Tampa, Florida. It was Kelly's report that was threatened by an anonymous female email, which led to the intervention of the FBI and the exposure of Petraeus' extramarital affairs.
Gossip heroine number three
Natalie Kavam (37 years old)
This is a photo of Natalie Kavam released by the British media. She is Kelly's twin sister, and at the same time, she is suspected to be very close to Petraeus and US military commander Allen in Afghanistan.
David petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, broke the news on 13. He and John Allen, commander of the US military in Afghanistan, once put in a good word for gill kelly's twin sister, one of the key figures in the unrest. The US Department of Defense confirmed earlier that day that Allen was involved in the storm and was under investigation. Petraeus's resignation comes at a time when the CIA was questioned by the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.
20 12 September, the American consulate in Benghazi was attacked, and Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador to Libya, and three other Americans were killed. Some people criticized the CIA for not performing its protection duties correctly.
According to the original plan, Petraeus should attend a series of closed-door hearings held by Congress next week to answer questions about the Benghazi attack. Petraeus said on the 9th that his resignation was entirely due to personal misconduct and had nothing to do with the Benghazi attack investigation.
Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told NBC that Petraeus no longer needed to testify at the hearing. She said it was "completely wrong" to link resignation with the attack. Members of Congress estimate that Morrel is more likely to attend the hearing next week than Petraeus.
At the same time, leon panetta, the US Secretary of Defense, argued on Sunday that after the attack on the Benghazi consulate, the military failed to reinforce in time because of the distance. The Associated Press quoted an internal report of the Ministry of National Defense as saying that 50 minutes after the consulate was attacked, Panetta and other senior officials of the Ministry of National Defense received information that the first reinforcements of the US military arrived in Libya more than 14 hours after the attack.
Some people criticized the military for its slow response and should have sent unmanned aircraft, helicopter gunships or fighter jets to reinforce it quickly. On the same day, Panetta wrote to Senator John McCain, a Republican, explaining that the plane was far from Benghazi and was not an "effective option". He said that the military responded as much as possible and spared no effort to rescue American personnel.
Email threat
When the FBI was investigating e-mail, it was found that Petraeus and his autobiographer, a 40-year-old woman with two children, Paula? Paula Broadwell's extramarital affairs. According to media analysis, the FBI was criticized for the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, so it retaliated against the CIA with the Petraeus incident. This makes it more intertwined with the CIA's "new hatred and old hatred."
However, Angel, a diplomatic correspondent of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), disagreed with this statement and bluntly said that the "culprit" who ousted Petraeus was inside the CIA. Angel said that the organizational culture of the CIA is very traditional and conservative, and he believes that only starting from the grassroots level can he be qualified to take over as the director, while Petraeus, who belongs to the "airborne troops", has been unable to break into the circle of the CIA. Therefore, when someone inside the CIA caught him having an extramarital affair, they tipped off the FBI and completed the plan of "killing someone with a knife"
successor
Obama issued a statement later on the 9th, confirming his acceptance of Petraeus' resignation and praising his "extraordinary contribution" to the United States for decades. In his statement, Obama said that Deputy Director Morrel will be the acting director of the CIA. According to sources, Morrel is a popular candidate to succeed Petraeus. In addition, John Brennan, Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser, Thomas donilon, deputy national security adviser, and Jane Harman, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, are all possible candidates.
At the same time, a number of sources revealed to the media that Mike Morrel, the current deputy director of the CIA, will succeed Petraeus as the acting director and take charge of the overall situation of the CIA. In the future, the possibility that Morrel will officially "turn positive" will not be ruled out. The resignation of Petraeus, the former director of the CIA, continued to ferment, and even John Allen, commander-in-chief of the US military in Afghanistan, was involved. However, some analysts believe that being involved in extramarital affairs is not the real reason why Petraeus broke off diplomatic relations. In addition, informed sources revealed that Petraeus' first wife Holly was extremely "angry" about her husband's infidelity, while "Little Three" Broadwell was broad-minded and praised her rival in public many times.
The intelligence boss dismounted, which has nothing to do with "sex"
Analysts pointed out that unlike other American politicians who resigned because of extramarital affairs, Petraeus was pulled down from the position of director of the CIA by "national security" rather than "sex". It is said that the four-star general, who once served as the commander of the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaked some "state secrets" to his lover, and the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya was also involved.
Shortly after Petraeus announced his resignation as director of the CIA, the video of his mistress Broadwell's speech at the University of Denver last month was exposed by the media. In his speech, Broadwell hinted that there was a shocking inside story behind the attack, and the secret prison of the US Consulate in Benghazi was the real target.
"I don't know if you have heard of this. There are several Libyan militants in an annex building of the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. They (CIA) believe that the consulate was attacked because someone tried to save these secret prisoners. " CNN believes that the above remarks indicate that Broadwell may have mastered some unknown "national security secrets".
However, many security officials came forward to deny the existence of "secret prisons". A senior intelligence official said on 12: "What Broadwell said is complete nonsense! No one in the consulate was detained before, during or after the attack! "
It is not clear where Broadwell got the information that the US Consulate in Benghazi has a secret prison, and there is no conclusive evidence that her lover Petraeus is a "source". According to another report, investigators found some confidential documents in Broadwell's laptop, and Petraeus immediately clarified that these documents were not from him.
In addition, CNN confirmed that Petraeus recently flew to Libya to discuss the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi with the local CIA stationmaster. This week, the US Senate and House of Representatives will hold a joint hearing on the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi. Petraeus chose to resign at this sensitive moment, which is really "suspicious". Some Republicans also suspect that Petraeus' resignation has something to do with the hearing. "He is an important witness, perhaps the most important one. All these signs are linked together, and people are increasingly curious about the real reason for Petraeus' resignation. "
Petraeus was deeply sorry. He was exhausted.
As a close friend and former spokesman of Petraeus, Steve Bojland witnessed the couple's painful struggle after the extramarital affair was exposed.
Bojland said: "He regrets his mistakes and disciplinary actions. This feeling can't be described in words. " Boland talked with Petraeus at the weekend. According to him, the former director was exhausted by the extramarital affair, and so was his family. He said: "Although the children have grown up, Petraeus still needs their trust and respect. Holly is disappointed, frustrated and angry ... I hope they can survive this difficulty. " A close friend of former CIA Director david petraeus said on Monday that he had a conversation with Petraeus over the weekend, and Petraeus deeply regretted ending his extramarital affairs in military and intelligence career. Steve Bojland, Petraeus's friend and former spokesman, told AFP: "He felt remorse. I don't think anyone can really imagine what impact this has had on his family, himself and-to some extent-this country. "
Bojland also revealed that Petraeus did not move out after the affair, and still lived with his wife Holly. "Both Petraeus and Broadwell realized their mistakes. They voluntarily dissolved the' lover relationship', but they still kept in touch. Broadwell would consult Petraeus about their academic papers."
The FBI is behind this.
David petraeus, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, resigned due to extramarital affairs. An agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may be the "behind-the-scenes pusher" of all this. Associated Press 14 reported that this meritorious agent was Frederick Humphries. Humphries also attracted attention after the spread of extramarital affairs. He is called "naked-breasted agent" because he sent Kelly many photos of himself without a shirt before.
The real relationship between Humphries and Kelly is still unclear for the time being. Natalie Sheppard, a reporter from a television station in Tampa, said that the two met at the Citizenship College of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on 20 1 1.
The "Civic College" project aims to let the public and media reporters know about the work and operation of the FBI. Shepard said that Kelly took part in the activity and Humphries taught a course on terrorism one night.
Humphries thought those emails were very interesting because the anonymous sender knew all kinds of things about Petraeus and Allen.
Allen has been "following" in Petraeus' footsteps, having served as Petraeus' deputy in the Central Command and Afghanistan, replacing the latter as the commander of the US military in Afghanistan.
Humphries then reported the preliminary findings to his superiors. After the identity of the sender was confirmed by the cyber crime department of the FBI, he was "shelved".
Sources told this newspaper that Humphries was worried that the FBI would cover it up. 101at the end of 0/0, he told Congressman David Reichert about his worries, and Reichert passed this information on to the majority party in the House of Representatives, namely * * * and eric cantor, the party leader. Canto contacted FBI director robert miller.
A federal law enforcement official, who asked not to be named, told the Associated Press 14 that the FBI was re-examining some of Humphries' behaviors in this investigation, especially his phone call to Reichert.