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extra marital affair
The head of the House Intelligence Committee suggested on Sunday that President Barack Obama might have known about former CIA Director David Petraeus’ extra-marital affair before the November election, and said Attorney General Eric Holder should address this question soon before Congress.
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican, said Eric Holder’s statement that the Justice Department had not informed the president before the election implied that Holder might have told Barack Obama privately.
Mike Rogers noted that the FBI investigation of the communications between David Petraeus and his biographer Paula Broadwell arose due to concern over a counter-intelligence threat. Both David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell have said they did not share any security secrets, and investigators have said they have found no security breach.
“It probably should have been brought forward earlier as a national security threat,” Mike Rogers said.
“I’m not sure that the president was not told before Election Day. The attorney general said that the Department of Justice did not notify the president, but we don’t know if the attorney general…[notified him],” he said.
Mike Rogers said Eric Holder should come before the intelligence committees to discuss it.
“We could resolve this very quickly with a conversation in the intelligence spaces if he did have that conversation with the president.”
Barack Obama may have known about David Petraeus affair with Paula Broadwell before election
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein disagreed, saying Holder had explained to the intelligence committees there was no notification while the investigation was under way. Justice and the FBI took this approach, she said, “so there is an ability to move ahead without any political weighing-in on any side”.
David Petraeus admitted to the affair and resigned his post at the CIA three days after Barack Obama was elected to a second term on November 6.
Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called the FBI investigation of the affair “the oddest story in the world” and doubted Barack Obama knew before the election.
“I could see how he would not know,” he said.
Paula Broadwell is devastated by the fallout from her affair with David Petraeus, a close friend of hers revealed on Sunday night as she returned to family home after several days in hiding.
The friend said that Paula Broadwell deeply regrets the damage that has been done to her family and others, and insisted she was trying to repair that and move forward.
Paula Broadwell, who was writing a biography of David Petraeus when they started an extra-marital affair, has been staying with her brother in Washington DC ever since news of the relationship broke more than a week ago.
But she moved back in to her home in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, accompanied by her husband and their two children.
The family was welcomed by a group of friends and neighbors on her return, and a friend – who did not want to be named – said that Paula Broadwell was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.
Paula Broadwell maintained her stony silence after being confronted by a number of reporters when she pulled up in an SUV, according to WSOC-TV.
Paula Broadwell moved back in to her home in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, accompanied by her husband and their two children
Her husband, Dr. Scott Broadwell refused to comment, but appeared happy to joke about the media circus which has surrounded his family since last Friday, when the scandal became public following David Petraeus’ resignation as director of the CIA.
Paula broadwell was wearing large sunglasses and showed no emotion as she tried to hide her face from waiting photographers.
Scott Broadwell was asked: “Is there anything at all you’d like to say, Scott? Now’s your chance, this is it.”
But after pausing for a moment, he simply replied: “No comment at this time.”
Scott Broadwell later returned to the driveway to take groceries out of the car and joked with reporters, saying: “I’ll be out here Tuesday taking out trash, if you want to shoot that.”
The doctor revealed that the family would be releasing a statement soon, but did not elaborate on when it would be.
Paula and Scott Broadwell were seen in public for the first time on Saturday night returning to her brother’s $2.3 million home after apparently going out for dinner in the Washington area.
Looking stern and taking the lead from her husband, Paula Broadwell did not speak to the gathered news reporters as she marched into her sibling’s home.
It was the first time that Paula Broadwell had been seen since Tuesday evening, when she was photographed wearing a hot pink top in the kitchen of her brother’s home.
Friends and family of the pair told reporters in the wake of the affair revelations that the Broadwells had built a happy home in Charlotte, where they live with their two sons, Lucien 6, and Landon, 4.
The Taliban are not usually known for their sense of humor, but when it comes to the troubles of their enemies it seems they can see the lighter side.
A spokesman for the Islamic fundamentalist group this week mocked David Petraeus’ extra-marital affair which led to his resignation as director of the CIA, describing him as a “bastard”.
He added that David Petraeus would have been executed for his adultery under a Taliban regime, and blamed America’s “free sex society” for his infidelity.
David Petraeus was commander of the Western forces in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011, leading the effort to prevent the Taliban returning to power.
He joined the CIA last year, but suddenly resigned last week after an FBI investigation revealed he had been cheating on his wife with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.
A Taliban official showed unusual levity when asked about the affair Agence France-Presse, bursting out laughing during an interview in Pakistan.
“What a bastard!”, the official said.
“But all Americans are the same, it’s nothing new.”
A spokesman for Taliban group mocked David Petraeus’ extra-marital affair which led to his resignation as director of the CIA, describing him as a bastard
While David Petraeus lost his job over the ongoing scandal, which has also roped in his successor in Afghanistan, General John Allen, the consequences could have been much worse if he lived under a regime controlled by the Taliban.
The anonymous official pointed out that adultery is a capital offence under the laws of the Pashtun people as well as under Islamic sharia law.
“From a Pashtun point of view, Petraeus should be shot by relatives from his mistress’ family,” he said.
“From a sharia point of view, he should be stoned to death.”
David Petraeus may have sacrificed his career and his reputation, but under U.S. law he is not expected to face any criminal charges.
The Taliban official said the former general’s indiscretion was unsurprising, given the permissiveness of Western societies.
“It’s quite normal for Americans and Western people to behave like this,” he told AFP.
“They live in free sex societies where nobody cares about this sort of thing, so what do you expect?”
While radical Islamists may believe that “nobody cares” about sex scandals in the U.S., those who have been dragged in to the Petraeus affair may not feel the same way.
As well as David Petraeus and John Allen, Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who uncovered the cheating after being sent threatening emails by Broadwell, have found themselves at the centre of a media storm since the scandal first hit last Friday.
Paula Broadwell sent an anonymous email to General John Allen about Florida socialite Jill Kelley, as she suspected Kelley of having a romantic relationship with David Petraeus as well.
The cyber love triangle expanded as it was revealed today that John Allen was electronically connected with Paula Broadwell after he received an email from one of her dummy accounts. He then went on to tell Jill Kelley, a married mom that he denies having an affair with, who in turn reported the emails to the FBI.
Because of their respective involvement in the unfolding case, the Pentagon has requested access to the 20,000-30,000 pages of communications between John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and Jill Kelley.
In light of the extra marital affair between Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus, Pentagon spokesmen have been quick to dismiss ideas of a similar affair between John Allen and Jill Kelley though their confirmation of some “inappropriate communication” among those thousands of pages of emails has sparked further curiosity about the nature of their relationship.
One divulged example reported in The Washington Post was John Allen’s use of the word “sweetheart” in referring to married Jill Kelley, but a senior Pentagon official said that proves nothing as the 58-year-old general is from Virginia and the word is used in the south as a platonic phrase and not one demonstrating a romantic relationship.
Paula Broadwell sent an anonymous email to General John Allen about Florida socialite Jill Kelley, as she suspected Kelley of having a romantic relationship with David Petraeus as well
Jill Kelley runs in the same social circle as both David Petraeus and John Allen as she serves as an unpaid social liaison for the military and often hosts events at her million-dollar home located only a couple of miles from MacDill Air Force base. John Allen served there from July 2008 to June 2011.
John Allen, a four-star Marine general, succeeded David Petraeus as the top American commander in Afghanistan in July 2011.
Paula Broadwell reportedly sent the emails from dummy accounts she had set up to Jill Kelley, FoxNews.com reported.
Spooked by the bullying in her inbox, Jill Kelley notified the FBI.
A government official told the New York Post that the emails contained such language as: “I know what you did”, “back off” and “stay away from my guy”.
What followed was an intense FBI probe in which Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus – both married with two children – admitted to investigators that they had engaged in on-the-side sexual trysts.
The emails were not the first time Paula Broadwell had raised red flags while behind a computer.
Advisers to David Petraeus had become suspicious Paula Broadwell due to her playful Facebook status updates they claim disclosed sensitive details about military operations in Afghanistan.
General John R. Allen is the second top military official dragged into the David Petraeus sex scandal after being accused of sending thousands of “inappropriate” emails to socialite Jill Kelley, the woman responsible for exposing the former CIA director’s extra-marital affair.
General John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is under investigation by the FBI after the agency discovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication between him and 37-year-old housewife Jill Kelley.
Jill Kelley entered the public eye when she was the target of threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, which the FBI used to uncover the affair between Broadwell and david Petraeus, leading to the former general’s resignation from the CIA.
John Allen, 58, who is married with two daughters, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander – his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
John Allen, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1976, was Deputy Commander of Central Command, based in Tampa, prior to taking over in Afghanistan. He also is a veteran of the Iraq war.
He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Kathy, with whom he has two daughters, Bobbie and Betty. Betty is a teacher, while Bobbie, a 27-year-old graduate of Virginia Tech, is a singer and released her debut album last year.
John Allen, who is married with two daughters, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander
After growing up in Oakton, Virginia, John Allen graduated with military honors from the Naval Academy with the class of 1976. He is a 1998 distinguished graduate of the National War College.
John Allen holds a master of arts degree in national security studies from Georgetown University, a master of science degree in strategic intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, and a master of science degree in national security strategy from the National War College.
General John R. Allen assumed his duties as the Commander, International Security Assistance Force – Afghanistan and United States Forces – Afghanistan on July 18, 2011.
John Allen played a key role in countering the Iraq insurgency between 2006 and 2008. He then oversaw a surge in US troops in Afghanistan in battling the Taliban.
In Afghanistan, General John R. Allen commanded coalition troops from 50 different countries.
He was nominated in October by President Barack Obama to be Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command – that is now on hold.
But if John Allen is found to have engaged in an extramarital affair – a crime in the military – he faces being court martialed, bringing a spectacular fall from grace and the end to a glittering army career that has spanned nearly 40 years.
President Barack Obama had nominated John Allen to take over as chief of the military’s European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but that nomination is now on hold as the Pentagon investigates Allen’s relationship with Kelley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters.
John Allen had been expected to take that new post in early 2013 if confirmed by the Senate, as had been widely expected.
The FBI notified the Pentagon of its investigation into John Allen’s communications with Jill Kelley on Sunday evening, an unnamed senior defence official said.
Leon Panetta said he immediately notified the White House and top leaders in Congress of the investigation.
Leon Panetta said John Allen would remain as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for now, “while the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined”.
Pentagon officials have declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between Jill Kelley and John Allen except to say that it was “potentially inappropriate”.
Officials have not said whether any national security secrets were breached.
General John R. Allen, a second top military official, was dragged in to the David Petraeus sex scandal early this morning after being accused of sending thousands of “inappropriate” emails to socialite Jill Kelley, who was responsible for exposing the former CIA director’s extra-marital affair.
General John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is under investigation by the FBI after the agency discovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication between him and 37-year-old housewife Jill Kelley.
Jill Kelley entered the public eye when she was the target of threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, which the FBI used to uncover the affair between Broadwell and David Petraeus, leading to the former general’s resignation from the CIA.
John Allen, who succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan, was due to take over as NATO’s top commander, but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
Barack Obama had nominated John Allen to take over as chief of the military’s European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but that nomination is now on hold as the Pentagon investigates Allen’s relationship with Kelley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters.
He had been expected to take that new post in early 2013 if confirmed by the Senate, as had been widely expected.
The FBI notified the Pentagon of its investigation into John Allen’s communications with Jill Kelley on Sunday evening, an unnamed senior defence official said. Leon Panetta said he immediately notified the White House and top leaders in Congress of the investigation.
Leon Panetta said John Allen would remain as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for now, “while the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined”.
Pentagon officials have declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between Jill Kelley and John Allen, who is married, except to say that it was “potentially inappropriate”. Officials have not said whether any national security secrets were breached.
Adultery is classified as a crime in the military.
Jill Kelley has been in the news this week after it emerged that she was the target of harassing emails from Paula Broadwell, a 40-year-old mother of two from Charlotte, North Carolina who was engaged in an affair with David Petraeus.
Paula Broadwell sent Jill Kelley a half dozen emails from anonymous accounts earlier this year warning her to stay away from Petraeus. Paula Broadwell perceived Jill Kelley as a threat to her relationship with David Petraeus, which began in the summer of 2011 and ended the following summer.
Jill Kelley notified a friend of hers who worked for the FBI of the emails, and he referred the case to a cyber crimes unit.
That agent was later banned from the FBI’s investigation into the source of the emails when officials discovered that he was sending shirtless photographs to Jill Kelley and seemed to become “obsessed” with the case, the Wall Street Journal reported.
General John R. Allen was dragged into the David Petraeus sex scandal early this morning after being accused of sending thousands of inappropriate emails to Jill Kelley
Jill Kelley is a volunteer who organizes social events for military families in the Tampa area. She often hosts the events at her million-dollar Bayshore Boulevard home, which is located only a couple miles from MacDill Air Force base, where Allen served from July 2008 to June 2011.
John R. Allen, a four-star Marine general, succeeded David Petraeus as the top American commander in Afghanistan in July 2011.
A senior official told the Associated Press that 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails and other documents from Allen’s communications with Jill Kelley between 2010 and 2012 are under review.
He would not say whether they involved sexual matters or whether they are thought to include unauthorized disclosures of classified information. He said he did not know whether David Petraeus is mentioned in the emails.
“General Allen disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter,” the official said. He said John Allen currently is in Washington.
The FBI’s decision to refer the Allen matter to the Pentagon rather than keep it itself, combined with Leon Panetta’s decision to allow John Allen to continue as Afghanistan commander without a suspension, suggested strongly that officials viewed whatever happened as a possible infraction of military rules rather than a violation of federal criminal law.
John Allen was Deputy Commander of Central Command, based in Tampa, prior to taking over in Afghanistan. He also is a veteran of the Iraq war.
Leon Panetta said Barack Obama was consulted and agreed that John Allen’s nomination to the NATO post should be put on hold.
John Allen was to testify at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. Leon Panetta said he asked committee leaders to delay that hearing.
Leon Panetta also said he wants the Senate Armed Services Committee to act promptly on Barack Obama’s nomination of General Joseph Dunford to succeed John Allen as commander in Afghanistan. That nomination was made several weeks ago. Joseph Dunford’s hearing is also scheduled for Thursday.
The email account that appears to belong to David Petraeus’ alleged mistress Paula Broadwell may have been broken into by hacking group Anonymous.
The email address that allegedly belongs to Paula Broadwell, the biographer who is at the center of the cheating scandal that forced the acclaimed former CIA director’s resignation, is listed as one of the accounts that was broken into by the “hacktivist” group.
Buzzfeed reports that the email is one of those obtained when the hackers targeted commercial intelligence company STRATFOR.
Anonymous claimed responsibility for the December 24, 2011 hack and they used the email and credit card information that they obtained from the site to make more than $1 million to a variety of charities.
Buzzfeed points out that it is unclear what information- if any- was stolen by the group.
The email account that appears to belong to David Petraeus’ alleged mistress Paula Broadwell may have been broken into by hacking group Anonymous
Paula Broadwell’s email is a major point of contention in the ongoing federal investigation into David Petraeus’ extra marital affair that led to his resignation.
Her email that was hacked by the group was a derivation of her name, and it is not one that she has kept quiet since she posted the address on Twitter, inviting fans to email her for tickets to The Daily Show when she was doing a publicity visit to promote her David Petraeus biography.
Paula Broadwell is at the center of the storm surrounding David Petraeus’ downfall as she allegedly sent harassing emails to a woman that Petraeus worked with.
That woman, who has since been identified as Jill Kelley, contacted the FBI because she felt threatened and feared for her safety.
CIA director David Petraeus has resigned from his post after admitting an extramarital affair.
In a statement, David Petraeus said he had submitted his resignation to President Barack Obama, and that he had shown “extremely poor judgement”.
He described his behavior as “unacceptable” for the leader of the nation’s main intelligence agency.
David Petraeus became CIA boss in 2011 after heading international forces in Iraq, then in Afghanistan.
He was the highest-profile military officer of the post-9/11 years, winning plaudits for his role running the “surge” in Iraq and implementing a counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan.
David Petraeus’ resignation came just three days after President Barack Obama’s re-election, and prompted a flurry of statements from the White House, intelligence community and General Petraeus himself.
Announcing his decision to stand down, the former general was full of contrition.
“After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extra-marital affair,” David Petraeus said in a statement.
“Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation.”
Barack Obama’s statement said Mr Petraeus had “provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades”, citing both his time as CIA director and service to the military.
“By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.”
“Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work.”
CIA deputy director Michael Morell will serve as acting director of the agency, the White House confirmed.
James Clapper, director of national intelligence, thanked David Petraeus for his decades of service: “Dave’s decision to step down represents the loss of one of our nation’s most respected public servants.
“I have spent more than five decades serving our country-in uniform and out-and of all the exceptional men and women I have worked with over the years, I can honestly say that Dave Petraeus stands out as one of our nation’s great patriots.”
CIA director David Petraeus has been married to Holly since 1975
David Petraeus is believed to have feared that his infidelity would eventually become public, and therefore took the decision to quit before he was forced out.
Extra-marital affairs are considered particularly damaging for intelligence officials due to the confidential nature of their work and the risk they could leak national security secrets.
David Petraeus, 60, has been married to Holly, née Knowlton, since 1975, after they meet when he was a military cadet at West Point and she was the daughter of the academy’s superintendent.
When he was sworn in as director of the CIA by Vice President Joe Biden, Holly held the Bible on which he swore his oath of office.
David Howell Petraeus is a retired U.S. Army four-star general and the most celebrated American soldier of his time.
Known as a scholar and a warrior, the West Point graduate is admired as much for his intellect as his tactical ability and charisma on the battlefield.
He oversaw the crafting of the successful 2006 U.S. counterinsurgency measures in Iraq and accepted without hesitation Barack Obama’s request to leave Central Command in 2010 and lend his expertise to the failing international effort in Afghanistan.
Spending 37 years in the military, David Petraeus retired from service and took up his post as director of the CIA on September 6, 2011.
Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson in New York in 1952, David Petraeus is the son of small town librarian Miriam and Sixtus, a sea captain who had emigrated from the Netherlands.
Immediately upon his graduation from high school in 1970 he enrolled as a cadet at West Point Military Academy where he served with distinction – graduating in the top five of his class in 1974.
Just after his graduation he married Holly Knowlton, daughter of West Point superintendent General William A. Knowlton.
Despite his close working relationship with Barack Obama and other Democratic officials, David Petraeus was spoken of as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney this year.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed he regrets having an affair with his maid Mildred Beana, declaring it as “the stupidest thing” and admitting he “inflicted tremendous pain” onto his wife and children.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 65, opened up in a pre-recorded chat with 60 Minutes – his first televised interview since the scandal broke in May 2011 – to broadcast on Sunday.
The actor married television journalist Maria Shriver in April 1986, going on to have four children together – Katherine, 22, Christina, 21, Patrick, 19, and 15-year-old Christopher.
However, in May of last year, the couple separated after 25 years due to his infidelities.
Had it simply been an extra-marital affair, there may have been a chance to save the marriage, but Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with maid Mildred Beana, who gave birth to their son Joseph 14 years ago.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed he regrets having an affair with his maid Mildred Beana
During the interview, Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “I think it was the stupidest thing I’ve done in the whole relationship. It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids.”
The Terminator icon is currently promoting his autobiography, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, and though he says Maria Shriver hasn’t read the tell-all tale, she does wish him the best.
The former Governor of California added: “I think that Maria is wishing me well in everything I do.”
Interestingly, despite his acknowledgment of the affair, Arnold Schwarzenegger fails to actually say sorry.
When interviewer Lesley Stahl probes him, asking: “She gave up her television career for you. I mean, wow, was this the most unbelievable act of betrayal to Maria?”
Arnold Schwarzenegger deflects the answer, simply elaborating about it being the “stupidest” thing he did.
Despite the scandal that threatened to topple him from his He-Man cave, Arnie continues to work.
He went on to reprise his role as Trench in The Expendables 2, and signed up to a further five titles.
Action film The Last Stand and thriller The Tomb are currently in post-production, while he is about to embark on fantasy Unknown Soldier and DEA drama Breacher.
It has also recently been announced he will reunite with Danny DeVito to star in Triplets – a sequel to Twins, where the unlikely brothers discover they have a third sibling.
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