Wow. We knew President Obama would be replacing plenty of key people, but not like this: CIA chief David Petraeus is resigning over an extramarital affair, reports NBC News. Details are still scarce, but Petraeus has submitted his letter of resignation, which begins:
CIA Director David Petraeus has given his resignation to President Obama today, citing having an extra-marital affair.
Petraeus vacated his rank of General in the U.S. Army to take command at the CIA in 2011 following Leon Panetta’s move to the Department of Defense. Petraeus, the architect of the U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, had previously been seen as unassailable politically by many on the right and left.
President Obama issued a statement on Petraeus’ resignation, saying, “By any measure, [Petraeus] was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end.”
“I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe,” the President’s statement continued.
Petraeus’ wife, Holly Petraeus, also serves in the administration at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The abrupt resignation comes days ahead of hearings before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee and House Select Intelligence Committee over the Obama administration’s handling of Benghazi.
- "Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the President to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA. After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. 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."
More:
Petraeus vacated his rank of General in the U.S. Army to take command at the CIA in 2011 following Leon Panetta’s move to the Department of Defense. Petraeus, the architect of the U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, had previously been seen as unassailable politically by many on the right and left.
President Obama issued a statement on Petraeus’ resignation, saying, “By any measure, [Petraeus] was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end.”
“I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe,” the President’s statement continued.
Petraeus’ wife, Holly Petraeus, also serves in the administration at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The abrupt resignation comes days ahead of hearings before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee and House Select Intelligence Committee over the Obama administration’s handling of Benghazi.
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