The Petraeus case

The resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus when his affair became public is a major loss, although his ouster from that position was inevitable.

The rigid military code doesn’t forgive extramarital affairs. At the same time, these types of relationships are seen as dangerous in the intelligence sector, since they expose CIA personnel to the possibility of getting extorted.

There is no right time for sex scandals, but this one couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Obama administration is under strong pressure from Congress to explain in detail what happened during the terrorist attack in Benghazi where four people were murdered, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The CIA’s role in this incident isn’t clear either.

It is logical for Petraeus to tell Congress what he knows about the incident–although his stellar image was damaged the moment there were suspicions that the retired general might have revealed classified information to his former lover and biographer Paula Broadwell, a reservist.

On the other hand, extramarital affairs like this one also lend themselves to gossip and this one is no exception. The affair was discovered apparently because Broadwell was jealous of Jill Kelley, who along with her husband is friends with the Petraeus. Kelley reported Broadwell’s aggressive e-mails. During the investigation, thousands of e-mails sent to Kelley by Gen. John Allen, who is also married and has been nominated to become the chief U.S. military commander in Europe, were discovered and are also being investigated. Now his congressional confirmation hearing has been suspended.

This story seems closer to the stormy passions of “Peyton Place” than to a military espionage story. It is unfortunate that it happened in real life, forcing the contributions of one of the men who is most recognized for his achievements, someone like Petraeus, to end this way because of his personal decisions.

To make matters worse, the scandal has widened in such a way that it hinders the actions of the administration, like in Allen’s case. What a shame.