Breaking: Petraeus Resigns

[LongBlade]

Just flashed on Fox:

CIA Director David Petraeus on Friday submitted his letter of resignation to President Obama.

The move was announced in a statement by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/09/petraeus-resigns-as-cia-director

Apparently an extra-marital affair.

[Centurion40]

Personally, I don't equate an extra-marital affair with job incompetence.  Unless the Director of the CIA had been caught in a Honey Trap, I don't think that it rates resignation.  Unless it is a convenient excuse.

[Jarhead0331]

Extra-marital affair my a$$.

[bayonetbrant]

I'm sure someone's going to try to tie this to the delusional fantasy that everyone wanted to go into Benghazi with guns blazing, but was told to sit down and shut up by the Prez.  There are no legs to that story, but it'll keep circulating...

[LongBlade]

Personally, I don't equate an extra-marital affair with job incompetence. 

It's not equivalent to incompetence.

However, it opens up a problem with OPSEC. Having an affair is a substantial secret - one that opens you potentially to blackmail. It's my understanding that no one serving in the military is allowed to have an affair and I would expect a similar restriction in the intel agencies. It is certainly not acceptable for the man leading the CIA to have such an affair if indeed it is prohibited, and it's a poor example even if it is tolerated.

[LongBlade]

I'm sure someone's going to try to tie this to the delusional fantasy that everyone wanted to go into Benghazi with guns blazing, but was told to sit down and shut up by the Prez.  There are no legs to that story, but it'll keep circulating...

Put me under that delusional fantasy crowd. It's the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline. Clearly I was wrong.

[steve58]

Well, it is interesting that he was slated to testify next week, but now with his resignation "effective immediately", he won't be?

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/11/09/CIA-Director-Petraeus-Resigns

I imagine the Republicans won't just let him fall on his sword and fade away...

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Personally, I don't equate an extra-marital affair with job incompetence. 

It's not equivalent to incompetence.

However, it opens up a problem with OPSEC. Having an affair is a substantial secret - one that opens you potentially to blackmail. It's my understanding that no one serving in the military is allowed to have an affair and I would expect a similar restriction in the intel agencies. It is certainly not acceptable for the man leading the CIA to have such an affair if indeed it is prohibited, and it's a poor example even if it is tolerated.

Never thought of that before. Makes sense.


Its sad someone so capable would put themselves out of service.

[LongBlade]

Never thought of that before. Makes sense.

In fairness, I wouldn't have thought of it either. A buddy of mine in the military made that case to me when the Lewinsky scandal broke. At the time I was a big Clinton fan. We can argue whether a president should be held to the same standard as the military - or not. But the reasoning behind the policy seems sound.

"Seems" being the operative word. Some days I wonder if, in our quest for zero mistakes, we don't sacrifice a great many highly competent people in the process. As they say, no risk no reward.

[besilarius]

A lot of recent removals of ship captains in the USN has not been for incompetency, but for zipper control.
Part of this is due to the pressure a captain can use to get a young, inexperienced person to share sexual favors.
It is also long standing rules, from the days of Sail.  Sailors on long voyages have always been randy, a girl in every port.  But officers were held to a higher standard.
They were considered ambassadors of their country, and held accountable for all lapses.

[LongBlade]

Gotta love the Daily Caller's headline about this: "Double Agent."

They sure have a way with words :)

[LongBlade]

In a strange coincidence I ran across an article a couple of days ago that mentioned a general who was fired for sexual harassment. At the time the article didn't mention a name. When the Petraeus story broke I thought it might be him, but looking back I found an article which clarifies it definitely was not.

Weird. Two similar stories (sorta) break withing a couple of days of each other.

U.S. Army prosecutors unveiled a laundry list of charges Monday against a one-star general they say sexually abused women who worked under him.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Allen Sinclair, 50, was accused of brazen harassment of four women since 2008, including forcing them to send sexually explicit photos of themselves to him and in one case using his Army rank to compel a sexual relationship be continued, prosecutors said.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/11/05/Army-general-charged-with-sex-abuse/UPI-42421352142792/

I'm afraid it's another case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should."

And also probably someone who thinks the rules seem to apply to everyone but them.

[GDS_Starfury]

maybe hes using the one story as cover so he can 'retire', fade away and take command of GI Joe.

[LongBlade]

I'm trying to figure out what the headline would be if he had had two girlfriends.

Would it be a "triple agent" or would he be a "double, double agent"?  8)

[Staggerwing]

I'm trying to figure out what the headline would be if he had had two girlfriends.

Would it be a "triple agent" or would he be a "double, double agent"?  8)

Not sure. However, now he is a Free Agent.