General Petraeus resigns amid affair scandal

[Guest]

Like it or not, a person elevated to that level of trust should be trustworthy and they can't expect to be surprised by the fallout otherwise.

And, like him or not, he damn well knows that and did the right thing.

This isn't about sex. It's about lying.

[Danger41]

Worth posting...

Hey Sweet I'm SOF...THAT is how you troll people.

[nsplayr]

This is has a more interesting plot than my wife's TV shows.

Damn straight. FBI agent sexting pics, two semi-hot chicks fighting over one man, two 4-star generals, I see a telenovela in the making. We just need an alien impregnation or some psychic visions...

Anyone else think the timing of this is all a bit strange with the Benghazzi testimony this week...

Gee, that is some insightful sh*t right there...you must be the FIRST person who has thought of this! Try to keep up...that's pretty much the first thing anyone thought of but it seems unlikely given the circumstances that have come to light since the initial announcement.

In related news, Feinstein says she wants to talk to Petraeus about Benghazi regardless of whether he's now stepped down or not.

Edit to add: appropriate graphic

Edited November 14, 2012 by nsplayr

[Guest one]

At this point I think Petraeus would welcome some Benghazi questioning...At least it would take some of the pressure of his personal problems. I think that people are crazy to think this was some ploy to avoid Benghazi. His career could have rebounded from a mistake in Benghazi but a blown up scandal like this is not survivable. When I say mistake, I am assuming that the CIA only played a small role in the errors which happened in Libya.

Edited November 14, 2012 by one

[brickhistory]

Looks like the hotter chick has her brains in her bra:

Called 911 due to a trespasser, said she was a "honorary consul" and the cops might want to think about "diplomatic protection."

UFB. Hope she was good in the sack...

[Gov]

Looks like the hotter chick has her brains in her bra:

Called 911 due to a trespasser, said she was a "honorary consul concubine" and the cops might want to think about "diplomatic protection."

UFB. Hope she was good in the sack...

FIFY her

[PolyestherDuck]

Never, ever stick your dick in the crazy. If you're female, never, ever ride the crazy stick.

[17D_guy]

2 4-stars going down for this. I particularly like how they both wrote LOR's for the hotter one's twin sister. After a judge said this about her -

The father, Grayson Wolfe, was unable to see the child for more than a year, according to court documents. The judge overseeing the case cited Khawam with “outrageous conduct,” “bad faith litigation tactics,” and “illogical thinking,” awarding full custody to the father and socking the mom with $350,000 in legal fees in 2011.

The judge gave Wolfe sole custody of the couple’s son after finding that Khawam, a lawyer, repeatedly lied under oath and filed bogus domestic-violence and child-abuse claims against her husband after their one-year marriage began crumbling in 2009.

That judge also found that Khawam routinely defied court orders to let the child see his dad and sent harassing e-mails to Wolfe’s friends and business partners that “excoriated Mr. Wolfe for being a horrible father and husband.”

The judge blasted Khawam for giving false evidence, and noted that a court-ordered shrink had found her domestic-violence allegations to be “part of an ever-expanding set of sensational accusations . . . that are so numerous, so extraordinary and [so] distorted that they defy any common-sense view of reality.”

The judge also noted that she “is a psychologically unstable person.”

linky - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/battle_john_allen_also_helped_jill_YjkEYUNY2INC4smBMEYqUI/1

[jcj]

Anyone else think the timing of this is all a bit strange with the Benghazzi testimony this week and the "Fiscal Cliff" meetings with congress. The media will jump on a sex case and report it to death, meanwhile our taxes all will go up and what really happened in Libya will be revealed.

Doubt the timing is strange, other than a coincidence - also doubt this has to do with Benghazi or anything else important. Seems to me it just broke when it broke.

Relative media attention doesn't surprise me. I hate that I'm writing ths but I'm sure I'm right on this one:

- Attack on embassy, murder of ambassador (a real one not an honorary one on a CONUS base) and three other DOS staff members, important to people like us but for most of the nation it's 'yawn" after one news cycle.

- 4 star generals having sex with hot, younger married women, who then have a e-fight over one of the generals - and throw in a shirtless FBI agent too for good measure - intense public interest. Pardon the pun, but no surprise to me that the media's "all in" on this.

Edited November 14, 2012 by jcj

[Techsan]

Just have to say it...the American public is STUPID!

[Bishop]

If the Generals political careers are indeed (likely) over I think they at least have the opportunity for a lucrative career as a spokesman for Cialis.

[Guest]

Extenze, like Jimmy Johnson.

[OverTQ]

There was a wounded warrior fund raiser across the bridge at KPIE. We were asked to bring over an aircraft for a display. Jill Kelly (along with other clones) was there introducing herself as a friend of GEN P’s (found that odd). The whole affair was something right off Real Housewife’s. I even went home and told my wife I thought I was on an episode of The Real Housewife’s of Tampa. One of the high heeled Barbie’s even told our FRG that we had to give them half of the money we made selling unit gear. That didn’t happen. The weirdest thing was, they were raising money for “new age meditation” for wounded warriors. Communicating with your inner peace kind of stuff. Well, there was a very very low turn out (go figure) and the ladies all started getting upset snipping each other. It was definitely worth the price of admission. As for the current drama, I think there is definitely more to the story.

Edited November 14, 2012 by OverTQ

[TreeA10]

Add a pregnancy, get them all on the same stage, and we would have a program that would make Jerry Springer jealous.

[BB Stacker]

Regarding the "happened so he wouldn't testify about Benghazi" conspiracy theory, I'd say that's pretty much been put to rest:

This evening, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said Petraeus will appear behind closed doors to testify to the committee at 7:30 a.m. Friday.

Petraeus has been reluctant to testify following his resignation as CIA chief, but pressure has been growing in Congress for him to appear.

Petraeus was also being asked to appear before a Senate committee.

"Gen. Petraeus is willing to come before the committee and the details are being worked out," Sen. Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said today. No date for his testimony has been set.

Also apparently Broadwell's security clearance has been pulled after they found some classified documents on her personal computer at her home.

[Clayton Bigsby]

Also apparently Broadwell's security clearance has been pulled after they found some classified documents on her personal computer at her home.

That'll make it hard to continue to do work as an intel officer in her Reserve career...guess that's over.

As for the theory on Benghazi, that theory has always been a stupid one anyway.

[Danger41]

That'll make it hard to continue to do work as an intel officer in her Reserve career...guess that's over.

I'm sure she'll land on her feet like this upstanding citizen.

**NSFW....AND GROSS!**

http://www.huffingto..._n_1597062.html

Edited November 16, 2012 by Flare
NSFW

[Spoo]

Talk about beef curtains...that's nasty.

Back to the topic in at hand. This Kelley chick is a real winner and this whole GOFO groupies and Friends of Base X thing is mildly annoying.

Long article, I bolded some of the real gems. Put out by the AP via USA Today. Incidentally, this is probably the first time I've read anything from USA Today when I wasn't drinking coffee in the lobby of a <insert hotel name> while waiting for a ride to the jet.

http://www.usatoday....-tampa/1703995/

Socialite Jill Kelley skydived with commandos

The Tampa socialite who triggered the David Petraeus investigation appears wary of media firestorm.

1:23AM EST November 16. 2012 - TAMPA — Among the perks socialite Jill Kelley received as a "friend" of MacDill Air Force Base was a parachute jump with an elite Special Operations Command team. Kelley went skydiving with the Para Commandos ["Para Commandos"...nice] on Oct. 29, 2010, said Col. Tim Nye, a spokesman for the Special Operations Command, which directs the Navy SEALS and other units. The jump — done in tandem with an experienced skydiver — was part of a community outreach program to local celebrities, athletes and the media. More women participate, because there's a weight limit of 200 pounds, Nye said.

On Tuesday, Kelley's special pass to go on MacDill, also home to Central Command (CENTCOM), was revoked because of the investigations into her relationships with retired general David Petraeus and Gen. John Allen, commander of allied forces in Afghanistan. Petraeus resigned as CIA director last week after Kelley's complaint to the FBI about anonymous harassing e-mails revealed he was having an extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell, an Army reservists and Petraeus biographer. The Pentagon is also reviewing "potentially inappropriate" communications between Kelley and Allen, whose wife is one of her friends.

After clearing a background check, Kelley received her first "Friends of MacDill" pass — which allows easier access to the base — in November 2010, four months after Petraeus left Tampa. Only about 800 civilians have them, WTSP-TV reports. One of them is Teresa Foss, chairwoman of the military affairs committee of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce. "Everybody does go through a security check, obviously, before you're given any kind of access," she said. She said she sees the pass as a convenience that helps base supporters work on programs to bring food and supplies to new arrivals and enlisted personnel.

Foss says she's bothered that the "partying with brass" impression created this week by reports of Kelley's big parties might undermine volunteer efforts. "People seeking notoriety and rubbing shoulders with the top brass on MacDill ... I would say 99% of the people involved in the Friends of MacDill program are not looking for that," Foss told WTSP, which is owned by Gannett, USA TODAY's parent company. Occasionally the "friends" host dinners for high-ranking officials — but she said it's about forging relationships, not personal gain. [Maybe I'm a cynic, but does anybody else feeling like waiving the brown flag here?]

Kelley and her husband, Scott, a surgeon, were known for throwing lavish parties for members of the military in Tampa. Unless a person held the rank of general or admiral, they weren't likely on the guest list, according to one retired senior officer who didn't want his name published. "A colonel is about as low as (Kelley would) go," said the officer, who served at CENTCOM in Tampa and knows the players in the Petraeus scandal.

At one party, held on the front lawn adjacent to bustling Bayshore Boulevard, foreign officers outnumbered U.S. military about 10 to 1 as they mingled with the mayor and other local dignitaries, he said. There was a band, speakers and cocktails. The French and Italian officers seemed to enjoy themselves, he said. "The opportunity to rub shoulders just doesn't happen on the base," he said.

On Sunday night, the Kelleys released a statement saying that they have been friends with Petraeus and his family for more than five years. "We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children," the statement said. Kelley has not spoken with reporters camped out around her six-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom brick house in one of the city's most fashionable neighborhoods. She leaves the house occasionally.

Over the past few days, Kelley has called police several times, trying to invoke purported "diplomatic protection" to keep the media and public away — even though she has no official title or standing. Foreign Policy reports that the 37-year-old Kelley is an "honorary consul" to South Korea — a title described as symbolic, with no official responsibilities.

"You know, I don't know if by any chance, because I'm an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property. I don't know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well," ["Inviolability"? Awesome...totally awesome] Kelley told a 911 dispatcher, who agreed to pass the information along to police. In three other calls to police on Monday, a caller identified herself as Jill Kelley and reported trespassers on her property.

"They're trying to push the door open; they won't leave," she says in one call.

"Are you sure you don't know who these people are?" the dispatcher asks.

"I do not know who they are, no," she responds.

On Wednesday, gauzy cream-colored curtains covered the windows at the stately Georgian waterfront mansion. Jill Kelley's Mercedes S500 with its honorary consul license plate remained parked in the three-car carriage house beside a Volvo sedan while members of the media camped in the alley behind the house. Peeling paint and well-worn wooden rocking chairs on the porch in the posh North Hyde Park neighborhood gave an air of neglect in an area where most of the homes are meticulously landscaped. The Kelleys purchased the 1923 brick house in 2004 for $1.5 million.

"They are a lovely couple," said Aaron Fodiman, publisher of the glossy Tampa Bay Magazine, who has socialized with the Kelleys and attended parties at their home. "We are in shock over this. It's insane. Bizarre." He says the city's social and charitable doors are open to anyone who comes "with a sincere desire to help."

"If you're famous enough, rich enough or charming enough, everybody wants you," he said. "The Kelleys are charming. They are nice. They live in a $1.5 million house on the most prestigious street. They go to the events. They donate. Why wouldn't people want to have them at a party?" About six months ago, Jill Kelley became a volunteer for the International Council of the Tampa Bay Region, President Gary Springer said. She was introduced to the group by another volunteer, he said. The council, one of 92 around the United States, partners with the State Department to coordinate professional exchanges with visitors from other countries as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, Springer said.

Young and mid-career professionals and leaders spend three weeks in the United States "to basically have encounters with Americans to see how we live, work, learn and play," Springer said. "Many have never had any contact with Americans at all. It's part of the public diplomacy program of the United States." The council in the Tampa Bay region manages hundreds of volunteers in nine counties, he said. The volunteers help host professional programming, cultural activities, social outings and home hospitality, he said.

Kelley has hosted "a couple of groups," Springer said.

"She's a delightful host," he said. "She's been a wonderful volunteer for the organization."

Now the Kelleys are not socializing. A knock at the door goes unanswered. They are not answering questions about their finances. They have been sued at least nine times for millions in debt. The $2.1 million purchase of a three-story office building downtown ended in foreclosure. The couple defaulted on a $250,000 line of credit and owe thousands on credit cards. Chase Bank sued for $25,880 in 2010. FIA Card Services sued in February for $79,876, including more than $75,000 in cash advances on a Visa Signature card. Regions Bank sued in August 2010 after the Kelleys failed to make payments on $250,000 borrowed July 19, 2005. The bank ultimately settled for $85,000 and required the Kelleys to pay $850 a month toward the debt. [Top notch. At what point did somebody finally say, "Hey, maybe we shouldn't give them a line of credit..."?]

There are other legal matters. Jill Kelley's twin sister, Natalie Khawam, moved in when her marriage broke up. She has contacted police at least five times since mid-2009, including once in 2010 over a possible stalker she said might have been related to her divorce. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Kelley tried in the summer to get the FBI to drop the investigation she triggered after it began churning up personal information. The newspaper, quoting unidentified people familiar with the case, said Kelley, a fixture in Tampa's social and military community, developed "misgivings" after friends urged her to drop the matter, saying it would only cause bigger problems.

In the end, the probe led to Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer and the source of the original threatening e-mails. That, in turn, uncovered Broadwell's extramarital affair with Petraeus, who was forced to resign last week as CIA director. Broadwell, who was kept largely out of sight since the scandal broke, was spotted — and photographed — at her brother's home in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Allen's nomination to become the next commander of U.S. European Command as well as the NATO supreme allied commander in Europe was put on hold this week at the request of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. A senior U.S. official told the Associated Press that other senior U.S. officials who read the e-mails determined that the exchanges between Allen and Kelley were not sexually explicit or seductive but included pet names such as "sweetheart" or "dear."

The official said that while much of the communication — including some from Allen to Kelley — is relatively innocuous, some could be construed as unprofessional and would cause a reasonable person to take notice. Allen, 58, has been allowed to stay in his job as commander of the Afghanistan War and provide a leading voice in White House discussions on how many troops will remain in Afghanistan — and for what purposes — after the U.S.-led combat operation ends in 2014.

The FBI decided to turn over the Allen information to the military once the bureau recognized it contained no evidence of a federal crime, according to a federal law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record and demanded anonymity. Adultery, however, is a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Allen worked to save his imperiled career. He told Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that he is innocent of misconduct, according to Col. David Lapan, Dempsey's spokesman.

At a news conference Wednesday in Perth, Australia, Panetta said, "No one should leap to any conclusions," and said he is fully confident in Allen's ability to continue to lead in Afghanistan. He added that putting a hold on Allen's European Command nomination was the "prudent" thing to do.

Contributing: Doug Stanglin, Carolyn Pesce, William M. Welch in Los Angeles; Kevin Johnson in Washington; the Associated Press

[Bishop]

This is getting crazier by the day

Kelley-visited-the-White-House-3-times-this-year

http://www.wtsp.com/...times-this-year

Edited November 16, 2012 by Bishop

[Danger41]

I'm sure she'll land on her feet like this upstanding citizen.

**NSFW....AND GROSS!**

http://www.huffingto..._n_1597062.html

Yeah, I liked my own post. Great edit Flare.

[Fud]

For those who don't want to read through six previous pages...here is a great synopsis of what has happened thus far.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GGVjL-PkWY

[Guest]

Levin is throwing Patraeus under the bus on the Rice talking points vs the truth issue.

He is lucky he is still alive and that his tenure was short or he would be looking at a William Casey blaming of all problems dismount.

[chuckschwartz]

Interesting sidenote: the woman who kicked off the investigation is named "Jill Kelley," not "Jill Kelly"... if you search for "Jill Kelly," you will get something different, and I'm sure her videos have quadrupled views in the past week

[Fuzz]

Thread derail (I blame Chuck):

http://www.tmz.com/2...ivid-job-offer/

Retired porn star Jill Kelly should thank her lucky stars General Petraeus couldn't keep it in his pants ... because his sex scandal scored Kelly a major job offer from porn giant Vivid Entertainment!!!

Edited November 19, 2012 by Scaredfuzz21

[disgruntledemployee]

....

Retired porn star Jill Kelly should thank her lucky stars General Petraeus couldn't keep it in his pants ... because his sex scandal scored Kelly a major job offer from porn giant Vivid Entertainment!!!

Let me guess, a dramatization of a general and his biographer. SNL already did that, to include the 3-way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdAEKo2gz0

Out