Petraeus, who was once hailed as the man who turned America's war in Iraq around, wrote in a statement to his staff: “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.”
The CIA chief added that “such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organisation such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.”
A statement from President Obama read: "Today, I accepted his resignation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 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. 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. I wish them the very best at this difficult time."
A new CIA director will have to be confirmed by the Senate.
"Dave's decision to step down represents the loss of one of our nation's most respected public servants," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement.
Profile:
General Petraeus was appointed as Director CIA in 2011, following his predecessor Leon Panetta's appointment as Secretary of Defense.
He has also served as head of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
Clappers' full statement as reprinted by the Washington Post:
Today, CIA Director David Petraeus submitted his letter of resignation to the President. Dave’s decision to step down represents the loss of one of our nation’s most respected public servants. From his long, illustrious Army career to his leadership at the helm of CIA, Dave has redefined what it means to serve and sacrifice for one’s country.
Since he took over as Director in September of last year, he and I have worked together to tackle some of the most challenging issues faced by the Intelligence Community in more than a decade. Under his leadership, the CIA remained instrumental in providing our policy makers decision advantage through the best possible intelligence. I’m particularly thankful for Dave’s unwavering support and personal commitment to my efforts to lead the Intelligence Community and integrate our intelligence enterprise.
Whether he was in uniform leading our nation’s troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, or at CIA headquarters leading the effort to generate intelligence used to keep our nation safe, Dave inspired people who had the privilege of working with him.
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.
On behalf of the entire Intelligence Community, I thank Dave for his service, his support and his continued friendship.
COMMENTS (39)
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@gp65: Dear gp65, I am led to understand that the maiden name of Paula Broadwell was Paula Kranz, a good Jewish name, who had full access to the emails of General Patraeus. Can we suppose that perhaps she was a Mossad agent? Please let me know what you think.
@gp65: Dear gp65, Now that we are in basic agreement, I wonder what the real reason was for General Petraeus resigning? They do say that he is not very popular with a certain tiny country! However, we will have to wait and see.
@Sexton Blake: I don't always agree with you but in this instance you were clearly right . No questions about that.
@gp65: "There maybe more to the resignation". Dear gp65, I have noticed for some time that you are not exactly quick in understanding reality. However, better late than never. I think the moral of the story here is that we should all think rather than accept. If something does not sound quite right it probably is not. In the meantime, the truth will eventually come out so we should wait a little to see what happens. If in doubt do not trust a politician or senior public servant. If their lips are moving there is a very high probability that they are telling lies..
@Cynical: OF course both your comment and mine were made in light of the initial facts known. That is why I restricted my explanation to the facts known at the time we made our original posts.
Separately - though I had not stated it then, I did not think he deserved any credit for owning up to his mistake even then, since it was known that he was confronted with incontrovertible evidence of his affair by FBI. This is why my point was that his service and not his mea culpa should be the basis of his honour.
Also in principle, I do not agree that people's personal lives should impact their professional career - regardless of the facts of this case where there maybe more to the resignation/firing than simply the affair.
@gp65
I can see your point. I think I went by his parting statement, that probaly he has not set a good example as the head of such an organisation. However, after what is gradually unfolding, it looks more like he was told to leave. In that case obviously it wouldn't look that honourable as I initially thought. Thanks.
@Cynical: "@gp65 I can’t connect your post (the one @Cynical) with that of mine. Is it a case of mistaken identity? May be you had someone else’s post in mind. Regards"
Not at all. You said it was honourable to resign due to the affair. I think that his honour lies in his service not his resignation. He would have been honourable even if he continued since I do not believe that a personal affair should have any impact on his professional career - unless he had compromised state secrets in doing so and there is no evidence of that.
@gp65: Yes, that is why the President fired him, unless of course you really believe the General resigned voluntarily.
This happens only in countries like USA. While in Pakistan, a person condemned by California Court for failing to acknowledge his illegitimate daughter is running for Prime Minister!!!!
@gp65
I can't connect your post (the one @Cynical) with that of mine. Is it a case of mistaken identity? May be you had someone else's post in mind.
Regards.
@Sexton Blake: "Dear gp65, What is your definition of competence and honesty?"
I will quote the commander in chief of the country he served ""By any measure, he 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,"
TO me this spells competence and honesty.
First Hilary Clinton and now Petraeus who offered their resignations from their posts...... What does it mean????? Either incredibility on Obama or disliking of Obama??????
He is the one who dragged US in Iraq War. Now he is becoming a innocent and running away from the war thing.
@1984:
Woman cannot have four husbands because there will be a conflict over kids, everyone will claime to be a father.In case man has wives, there isno issue of identification. There is logic behind Islamic Philosophy.That is for them those want to do that, there is no cmpulsion, this to stop aludtary and the more importnat thing is to give respect and honor to a woman, she should nt be taken as a source of comfort and servant only,after all Allah makes her honorable and more sensitive than men. Islam is universal, if someone embraces it he can enjoy it.
Question on morality ? CIA has broken all the records in the last few decades by attacking and conspiring wars against other nations so what if their head is doing same in his own home. Interesting set of ethics in that office.
@gp65: Dear gp65, What is your definition of competence and honesty?
@NAkhtar: If thats the case,then how come there is equal percent of men and women in the world??Shouldnt there be very few males compared to males like in the case of bees and ants??
Ok,hypothetically,everyone in the world is a muslim....Then if every man married 4 woman,then for 3/4th of the men in the world will not have a wife......
Do you think they will just control their desires without doing anything anti-social???
Then u talk about desires,what if a woman desires to have more than one partner?? What will u do then???
You,sir,are very funny
WSJ reporting: CIA Director David Petraeus resigned after a probe into whether someone else was using his email led to the discovery that he was having an extramarital affair.
Why in open society like west, govt officials resign over such affairs. Its not routine issue for them? If at all ethical values matter in this land of pure, then NS and others who got money from ISI should quit politicis and not only return at gold rate of today but also pay some penalty
Was she Afghani? Man cannot avide LAW OF NATURE. Islam allows four marriages just to prevent extramarital and then to safe from embarrassment.Islam is a balanced religion, Muslim those criticise it they should understand the human requirmnets and desire.
@Pir Bulleh Shah: are your politicians non-Muslim then? are Pakistanis non-Muslim? then why so much corruption? now who is wiser? Humanity, too, counts. Islam teaches all the right things and we as Muslims should follow it but don't say somebody is wrong/inferior if they don't happen to follow your faith.
@Truth Detector: your typical Pakistan like conspiracy theories won't work with US. No one resigns in Pakistan no matter what happens but they are different my friend. Morality does matter.
Did Bill clinton didnt resign after Monica Lewinsky affair?
This is where Islam's advantage becomes clear. Our Maker knew of these things and made provisions for them so no good men are lost. Now who is wiser?
@Truth Detector: When you're the chief of the most prominent institution in the world, you resign.
@Cynical: Patriotism, competence and honesty should be qualification enough for any public position. HE chose to resign and his wish was respected. Personally though his affair should be of concern only to his family - not to his job. He is not even in an elected position where he could supposedly be considered a role model and this would affect him that way. He was not accused of corruption or some other form of disloyalty to his role. I would have been fine if he had continued and would not have considered it dishonorable in any shape way or form.
Was "She" a spy?
I could write many words about the departure of Petraeus. For example, he has killed more people than anyone else in recent history, but I will just settle for: "Good Riddance"!
@Lahore and @Truth Detector
Spare America your conspiracy crap. Firstly the second term does not start for two more months and Clinton is still the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Her husbands all out support to campaign for Obama should allay all doubts about any bad blood between the two. Hillary Clinton has served US well but one glance at her shows that it has taken its toll, if she does not continue during the second tenure it will be for personal reasons not political.
Secondly, in US, people do resign all the time on such issues most recently Anthony Weiner married to a Pakistani origin American Huma Abedin resigned from the House of Representatives due to an affair. He was extremely popular in his constituency always getting staggering 60% of votes polled and represented New York for 13 years until 2011.
Gen Petros is a cancer patient like Colin Powel and now extra marrital affair? This is a contridiction.
Rex Minor
@Truth Detector: Well the Governor of New York did. Usually Democrats do resign over issues like this while the Republicans try to brazen it out though they try to represent themselves a sthe party of family values. (Clinton was an exception).
@Lahore: Usually there are cabinet reshuffles at the beginning of the second-term. It's a natural process.
So he betraeus his wife!
No one resigns on such issues in US, either he is BHOLAY BADSHAH or there is something else.
umm...no details about his extramarital affair ..good decision though. impressed!
Really? An affair? Seems weird that the Obama administration lost two strong tacticians right in the start of his second tenure the other being mrs. Clinton. These next four years will probably be the span of the start of the Iran war & new game changers will be needed because after all America needs a presence against growing superpowers China and russia.