Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan dragged into Petraeus sex scandal

The Americans wonder why they have discipline troubles with their troops.

@YuriOtani because they're human?

So Honest that gives them a pass? Gives them the right to prosecute the lower level troops with an iron fist? Yes they are harsh on those that break adultery regulations. There are 38 4 star officers, 2 in the Marine Corps and 11 in the Army. What does this say about the US Forces? They claw their way to the top only to trip over carnal lust. Anyhow their names are on a lot of discipline paperwork. They need to be put down hard! My guy agrees with me and his says it is the systemic hypocrisy of the US military.

What is it with american soldiers and politicos sending shirtless pictures of themselves to women?

"20,000 to 30,000 pages" over two years? Sheeze, that exceeds the number of words I'd exchanged with my wife over the same period.

YuriOtani... there is a lower house DIET guvt quarter building (bar/rooms) alone in Akasaka that caters you name it to the politicians... Mistresses, hostesses, private parties, security with no CCTV... Do your homework before you bash.

Caught In the Act!

I don't think these kind of infractions should be called "sex scandals". They should just be called "extra-marital affairs".

In my opinion, as long as no military information was compromised nor crimes committed then these kinds of issues shouldn't have to lead to resigning from one's job. Especially if they're good at what they do.

This is a personal matter between the married couples involved and the person who filed the complaint about harassing emails. This has nothing to do with Patraeus' ability as commander of the forces.

Also, if this Allen guy sent lots of emails to this other woman Kelly without written evidence of promiscuity then leave it alone. BTW, 200-300 emails in what time frame? 10 years? 1 month?

These men and women are human and extra-marital affairs will continue regardless of rank or profession.

I don't think these kind of infractions should be called "sex scandals".

A former commander of US and NATO forces at war (and recently CIA head) and the current commander of forces at war (was soon to be named supreme allied commander, Europe) have been taken out because of these events. That pretty much crosses the threshold from "affair" to "scandal." Of course, it sounds better to call it an affair if you are absolutely bound to protect the reputation of the US military. Check out the sex scandals at the US military academies. It all makes sense now. The fish rots from the head.

It is amazing how men make excuses for this behavior. Yes taro the fish rots from the head. How can these leaders exercise any moral or legal authority?

How can these leaders exercise any moral or legal authority?

Or command the respect of their allies?

I seriously can't believe that in these modern times that people are still obsessing over men in powerful positions having affairs with younger women. Clinton fooled around with scores of women and Hillary "stood by her man". Come one people, it's the 21st century already. Hillary has set the example that all modern women must follow. Use your husbands power to your own benefit and overlook his character flaws. It's the Democrat party way {any sarcasm in the preceding is purely coincidental}

It should be noted that adultery within the U.S. military is a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, so any soldier caught doing it while still in the military can be prosecuted. However, that's rarely done unless it's egregious or taking advantage of one's position over a subordinate or directly harms the discipline and reputation of the military.

lostrune2 actually if it happened on active duty he can be bought on active duty and punished. Lets say reduced in rank to Colonel and get retired at such grade. He is retired and not out, my guy says he is retired reserve and it would be easy to make him an object lesson.

Shirtless, now that is funny from an old dude.

I have seen plenty of people like this Kelly woman, who hang around places like military bases, and think that they are really important and try to use their friendship and influence for personal gain. Reading more on this story from other sources, she supposedly used a friend in the FBI to start this investigation. When initially there was nothing she kept pressing him, and now look what we get.

Also see where Gen. Allen and Pretraus were stepping in on her twin sisters child custody case. I have a feeling that this lady will not be welcome at any official functions around MacDill AFB anymore, and that those who know her and her sister (who also has a slew of issues popping up that tie her with other political figures) will start to distance themselves from them.

The real tragedy to come out of all of this, will not be the damage caused to Gen Pretraus and possibly Gen Allen's marraiges, but that the US will have forced on them two new TV Reality stars, the Lebanese twins (this lady Kelly) and her twin sister. They will replace the Kardashians, and at least that may be the only bright spot to this mess.

if it happened on active duty he can be bought on active duty and punished.

For those who don't understand, just because you are retired from the military, doesn't mean that you are not subject to some type of recall. If the events happend while he was on Active Duty, he could get called back and if found guilty, reduced in rank to 2 stars vice his current 4 stars. It would mean a tremendous drop in his retirement pay. For example, an O9 with his amount of time in will get around $14,000 a month. If he was reduced in rank, he would get about $10,000 a month in retirement pay.

That's still a good amount of money, but it would hit him more with his pride.

Quite the sideshow to distract from the Benghazi investigation. Next, these women will be accepting offers for pictorials and seedy interviews, or a reality show.

Jforce

Yes, you are right. their actual spouses are pretty rank. nevertheless, they married them (probabaly because they were connected or somehow helped these dudes ambitions). If they want to get it on with younger, fitter women they should either leave their current fuglies or get them to come out and say they don't care that their red-blooded, bare-chested, alpha male husbands are porking nother woman.

Other point is that this conduct displays a degree of hypocrisy and poor judgement that may indicate their ability to dio the job.

finally USA is in large part a very religious nation and so adultery is still viewede as a sin or at least wrong.

AKBFAN has hit the nail on the head exactly! Petraeus married the daughter of the General running West Point while he was there. Marrying the Generals daughter had nothing to do with this no load being pushed up the ranks his whole career, did it? He actually made it all the way up to Brigadier General before he was ever in a combat zone in 2003. Is anybody stupid enought to believe that a General is going to be anywhere NEAR combat?

I think part of the problem is that most civillians will never understand just how much power a flag officer (or even just a unit CO) actually holds over his/her command. Hell, a straight from bootcamp E-1 is held to a higher standard that civillians, try to imagine the standard a General is supposed to uphold and enforce. Unfortunately, no load, yes men (or women!) get promoted up the ranks until they mess up big enough that it can't be covered up anymore. You want examples? Try looking up how many COs have been relieved of command in the last couple of years. Discraceful.

If you cannot express your thoughts in an e-mail, then these inevitable liaisons will now get driven further underground.

Even so, to think that other people are reading your e-mails is disturbing.

It is amazing how men make excuses for this behavior.

Yuri...its human nature, both men and women are equally involved. In olden times we had polygamy for that reason. But in civilized world people think and applaud one on one relation. If you have more than one partner then it becomes sex scandal or extra marital affair!! Will that be such a big news if a low rank officer would have done the same? There are much bigger problems in this world which need immediate attention rather than hot love affair of a high ranked military officer.

It is amazing how men make excuses for this behavior.

@ Yuri: I think that this should be equally applied to the women in this case also. Broadwell knew that Pretraus was married, and she was even married herself. So what's her excuse? Not happy with her home life? Her husband is some sort of successful Radiologist, and she has two kids. What about him? It seems that Pretraus didn't force himself on her it was more of a mutal thing.

It takes two to tango.

@ Yuri: I think that this should be equally applied to the women in this case also. Broadwell knew that Pretraus was married, and she was even married herself. So what's her excuse? Not happy with her home life? Her husband is some sort of successful Radiologist, and she has two kids. What about him? It seems that Pretraus didn't force himself on her it was more of a mutal thing.

It takes two to tango.

Yes, but her husband didn't look that good without a shirt on.

Yes, but her husband didn't look that good without a shirt on.

Nor did Petraus' wife either. Also i wonder what Gen Allen's wife looks like? I read that this Kelly woman and her twin sister had competed before on some cooking show. I imagine that this little incident will get her back in the spotlight as a "celebrity." Good thing I don't watch Reality TV, because it will be just a few more days before we get these two sisters along with the Kardashians in a reality show.

Funny reading about this Kelly lady and her sister. These two just show you that "all that glitters is not gold." Kelly was married to a doctor, is good looking, and lives in a million dollar house. Pretty on the outside, but now you see that she and her husband have been sued at least 9 times for non payment of bills, and the house is supposedly in foreclosure. Yet on the outside they traveled in the right circles with the Hoi Polloi while the rest of us unwashed masses could only stare in amazement. Probably the type of person that will raise holy hell with someone whom she thinks is below her station, but yet will fawn over anyone in a supposedly high social position.

This makes the Secret Service guys in Columbia look like the junior varsity team. I at least have more respect for them. Unlike the generals, they didn't just play games with the women, they just paid and went on their way. These generals tried to have it all, and at the same time blasting their troops from fraternizing with each others and locals when overseas.

Embarrassment City!

Alphaape: "they traveled in the right circles with the Hoi Polloi (sic) while the rest of us unwashed..." the Kelly gals maybe came from the hoi polloi, but aspired to high society?

What with this incident and the recent rapes in Okinawa, it just shows that they aren’t too fussy about who joins up in the US forces.

This is merely a sideshow. Don't get distracted.

A loose cannon.

White House spokesman Jay Carney: "I can tell you that the president thinks very highly of General Allen"

So Obama is a poor judge of character?

nandakandamanda: Even so, to think that other people are reading your e-mails is disturbing.

You're joking, right? The head of the CIA - the top spy in the US - signed away email privacy when he took the job. The most dangerous person involved with any organization is a malicious insider, and intel agencies have to watch email as one way to find such people.

Serrano: So Obama is a poor judge of character?

No, he's doing what he should be doing - withholding judgement until all the facts are in. Try it. You might just feel a little better about yourself.

Hear what a lot of the gentle readers are writing. However at a point you have to push aside your own carnal desires for the benefit of the whole. If you are a common office worker/salary man/woman it is not a problem. When you take such a position of high responsibility you have to give up things.

My point is now 2 generals out of 13 are in trouble. If they can not resist this temptation what else did they do? If is such a position of TRUST and they have not lived up to it.

The legacy of George W. Bush. It's not over.

NONE of this could happen without Bush Wars. Mission Accomplished.

Hyper Nationalism breeds the worst behavior. Funny how all these creeps are Republicans.

Note: 20,000 to 30,000 pages of communications? Did Allen have time for anything else?

@Yuriotani doesn't give them a pass for such crimes as rape, murder, assault etc. But once again the line of personal life and privacy should be considered in the case of gasp adultury and marital infidelity. How sinful! We must call them to task on such scandalous activities instead of leaving that between the husband, wife, and family of the offending parties.

Honest it is still against the law for him. How can they maintain discipline when they do not? Another 4 star is in trouble out of such a small group makes 4 now. I would agree with you on most people but as my guy says "you agree to live by a set of rules in the military. What he did makes others rationalize breaking the law". Perhaps he did other things against the law like perhaps a little extra money?

Why we are losing the war in Afghanistan? Generals have been taking orders from their “privates”

Pride and prejudice, nope! it is Power, sex , and greed. Welcome to the first drama courtesy of Obama part II, and more exciting drama series will follow. Observation: Petraeus has different script than Bill Clinton. Enjoy the first installment.