Petraeus affair may balloon into scary scandal involving U.S. security, and Obama secrets

By Verne Strickland   November 10, 2012

I’m not any closer to the centers of power than you are. I can only say I read a lot, write everyday – mostly about politics, government, wars and rumors of wars – and I have a nagging curiosity about why good people go bad. How the lure of power, adulation, hero worship, sex, money, possessions, or raw adventure lead leaders to do things totally contrary to their nature. 

It is not unknown in the annals of spies and espionage for a high-ranking military or intelligence official to be “targeted” by a facilitator who lures the individual into a compromising situation, then threatens blackmail unless certain classified information is presented. In this case, former CIA Director Petraeus would certainly qualify as the mother lode of top-secret U.S. information, plans, capabilities, agents and double agents. 

Those close to him say it would be hard to find anyone in Washington more ardently admired than CIA Director David Petraeus – West Point graduate, story-book career, former four-star general of the war in Iraq  and Afghanistan, friend and adviser to presidents, highly-decorated, twice-wounded combat veteran, known for his calm, steady bearing and sense of honor. Add to that his reputation as a family man, married for 37 years to his wife, two grown children. An outstanding American in every sense of the word.

But David Petraeus, it turns out, is a totally unknown quantity.  And possibly a dangerous one.

 I am certain this will be revealed soon, unless President Obama has so much to hide that he will stop any investigation by whatever means he deems necessary. Of course, this follows on the heels of the convoluted Binghazi affair, which for weeks has languished in mystery as Obama remains silent about what he knew, what he didn’t know, and when.

CIA Director David Petraeus resigned Friday after admitting to an extramarital affair -- an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, that was revealed over the course of an FBI investigation, The FBI had been investigating an unrelated and much broader case before stumbling on the affair.

Fox News has learned that during the course of this investigation, the name of biographer Paula Broadwell came up. The FBI followed that lead and in doing so, uncovered his affair with her. The FBI for some time was concerned that perhaps Petraeus was some sort of victim, but there has been no evidence discovered to back up such concerns. Broadwell co-wrote Petraeus' biography, "All In."

Broadwell could easily be just a convenient “cooperator” – a distraction cooked up by the Administration to avoid having to explain a more troublesome plot.

Petraeus met with President Obama on Thursday before submitting his letter of resignation, which the president accepted.  In a message to staff, Petraeus said he asked "to be allowed" to step down.

The Petraeus adventure, it should be clear, is very suspicious, and worth not only a closer look but a full-blown investigation.

As for how the affair came to light, the Congressional official said that “it was portrayed to us that the F.B.I. was investigating something else and came upon him. My impression is that the F.B.I. stumbled across this.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation did not inform the Senate and House Intelligence Committees about the inquiry until this week, according to Congressional officials, who noted that by law the panels — and especially their chairmen and ranking members — are supposed to be told about significant developments in the intelligence arena. The Senate committee plans to pursue the question of why it was not told, one official said.

The revelation of a secret inquiry into the head of the nation’s premier spy agency raised urgent questions about Mr. Petraeus’s 14-month tenure at the C.I.A. and the decision by Mr. Obama to elevate him to head the agency after leading the country’s war effort in Afghanistan. White House officials said they did not know about the affair until this week, when Mr. Petraeus informed them.

Mr. Petraeus’s admission and resignation represent a remarkable fall from grace for one of the most prominent figures in America’s modern military and intelligence community, a commander who helped lead the nation’s wartime activities in the decade after the Sept. 11 attacks and was credited with turning around the failing war effort in Iraq.

Many wonder if the Petraeus "resignation" is really about Paula Broadwell, the biographer conveniently attached to the CIA director, or something more incriminating to himself... or President Obama.

“I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.  Such behavior is unacceptable," said Petraeus, who has "resigned" mere days after the presidential election.

Adultery in Washington, DC is hardly a titillating subject today, so to use it as an excuse for quitting an illustrious military career is seen as a lame attempt at a slighly-distracting sex scandal. 

If Petraeus were a CIA agent in the field, however, a sexual affair with a lover such as Paula Broadwell could have been compromising to the agency.

A mystery wrapped in an enigma. This is what our re-elected leader presents to us mere hours beyond his acknowledgement of “the will of the people”.

The cobweb that obscures the President and his intentions, and possibly nefarious activities, is just beginning to unravel, and Obama’s crown, once shiny and new, is becoming tarnished and ugly. Even one with a genius for deploying smokescreens, which Obama has proven that he has, can masquerade only so long. 

At any rate, it has to make us all extremely uncomfortable to see one nasty surprise after another emerge into public view regarding Mr. Obama. I am not only surprised, but fearful of what the next revelations may bring.

The truth, I think, will very soon introduce to us the man some of us have entrusted with a second chance. I am not one of the guilty!