really follow it. I'm lost.

Who do you believe?

I think there may be some truth to this element of the story......but who knows.

It begs credulity.

Since the CIA has had a history of doing this up until VERY recently, with Petraeus being on the ground personally witnessing the CIA doing this in both Iraq and Afghanistan, I just find it hard to believe it wasn't happening with covert approval by the top brass (aka Petraeus).

Occam's Razor and all that...

... says they had people there that the Libyans were trying to break out.

at a consulate or an embassy, or anything related to that, would put our presence in jeopardy all over the world

So yes, I have absolutely no trouble believing that the CIA would continue to operate as they usually would/do regardless of the status change of the villa they were renting.

.... Broadwell was at an event in late Oct and said that they did.... a week later, they outed the affair to shut her up

This already sounds like a major motion picture... so many layers of intrigue.

The rest is hype the Republicans want to exploit.

--imm

Cantor knew and we would have heard something sooner... I think this one is going to ultimately look very bad for the republicans

This whole thing is nuts and makes zero sense.

about 5 minutes...

it will take somebody with much more mental fortitude and a stash of amphetamines to get through this... I only have weak coffee and half a brain

The case...sent her shirtless pics of himself...and is not on the case anymore..


FBI Agent in Petraeus Case Under Scrutiny


FBI Agent in Petraeus Case Under Scrutiny?
39 minutes ago
A federal agent who launched the investigation that ultimately led to the resignation of CIA chief David Petraeus was barred from taking part in ...
Wall Street Journal9991 related articles


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578115410189757452.html

I've heard on more than one network and radio show today that this is only a "sex scandal" and there's nothing else going on. How come they're not asking all the questions we're asking here on DU? Why aren't they connecting the dots.

You are right - this smells. Something isn't computing. It is not making any sense.

The MSM is throwing out a lot of shiney objects. They also had us believing it was a toss up a couple of weeks ago.

I guess everyone is just bored now that we have finished the campaign

Somehow, this is pointing the stink finger back at Obama the racial epithet. (According to my father, the talk radio listener.) And for some reason Obongo the Anointed One (his terms) is selling the country out to (unspecified) and orchestrating an attack in Benghazi because it is key to screwing the whole country over and delivering us to the godless communists. Or something. I can't even figure out what the alleged fucking conspiracy is supposed to be in the first fucking place. The whole thing about him getting Americans in harm's way and dickishly preventing any rescue is straight out of Rambo. I guess they're cribbing their conspiracies from 80's action movies.

At least with the 9/11 conspiracy, the proponents of the conspiracy can claim a motive (The Patriot Act, and the wars).

I still have not heard a coherent explanation of the motive for the Benghazi conspiracy.

The old Iran hostage brought back again. Worked the first time.

this is pointing right at the righties

I was thinking of asking if anyone could post a Petraeus affair for dummies thread, with bullet points, circles and arrows and things like that. Because it seems to me that the more I read about it, the less I know.

She said that the more she learns, the more confusing it gets.

Because they don't want us to know the truth...which I think is that FBI, CIA, and others acting like junior high school kids with the security of our nation at stake!

You might just have something there.

You know it is coming the Republicans will be mad that the only person who lost their job during this was the General who was Bush Golden Boy.

Did Paula Broadwell talk about the CIA annex in her late Oct speech before Issa's committee revealed it was a CIA base?

I just returned from cookoo land where the CIA Annex has been spun as a CIA detention centre.

Those Right Wing creeps are really creepy. ...

Both left and right will have many conspiracy theories that conform their worst suspicions.

"National Security" will cloud everything.

There will be hearings in which obvious witnesses will not be called and none of the right questions will be asked.

"National Security" will cloud everything.

In the end, none of the official explanations will be persuasive to anyone with a pulse.

"National Security" will cloud everything.

All the facts aren't out yet, but here's the gist of what I've heard/read:

During the summer, Jill Kelly (Kelly & her hubby are friends of Petraeus and his wife), complained to a friend in the FBI that she was getting anonymous threatening e-mails telling her to stay away from "my guy." (Note: Kelly was not having an affair with Petraeus.)

FBI started an investigation to track down the anonymous sender. It took some time and some doing, tracking through a fake account, etc.

FBI discovered the anonymous sender was Broadwell.

This FBI investigation was a CRIMINAL investigation into Broadwell's actions. Not a national security investigation.

In the course of investigating Broadwell's e-mails, the FBI discovers intimate e-mails from someone who is supposedly Petraeus. FBI doesn't know if it is really him, or someone who is posing as him. FBI investigates this. It also investigates the possibility that Petraeus' email account had been hacked. It also looks into whether Broadwell got access to his e-mails, and that's how she knew about Jill Kelly.

FBI discovers the email supposedly by Petraeus ARE in fact by Petraeus, and that Petraeus is having an affair with Broadwell. This is still a criminal investigation. Nothing involving Nat'l Security.

FBI informed the DOJ, since a criminal investigation now involves Petraeus. The investigation does NOT involve any criminal acts by Petraeus.

How Cantor finds out. This is still murky to me. But apparently, Cantor has an FBI friend. The FBI friend calls Cantor in October and tells him about the FBI investigation (the FBI is NOT investigating Petraeus, remember; they're investigating Broadwell, who is apparently having an affair with Petraeus, and whose alleged criminal acts - the threatening e-mails - are related to that affair).

I'm not clear on what Cantor tells the FBI friend at this point. A spokesman for Cantor says that Cantor told no one about the substance of that call.

I've heard it reported that at some point, Cantor states that Petraeus needs to resign. It was not reported, or I didn't catch, WHEN Cantor said that, or to whom. Or why he was allowed to have an opinion at all.

I've heard it reported that Cantor was made aware on the day of the election, or the day before, that Gen. Petraeus would be resigning. It could be at this point that Cantor made the statement that Petraeus should resign, but I don't know for sure.

The White House is told on the day after the election about Petraeus; Petraeus sends his resignation.

Obama waits 24 hours (tells Petraeus to reconsider maybe? Or Obama wants 24 hours to think about whether to accept it?). Then Obama accepts the resignation.

Diane Feinstein, CHAIRMAN of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, learns about all this on the news. She had not been told anything before the general public was.

NOTE: I heard someone familiar with FBI matters state on TV this morning that it is NOT the norm for FBI to notify the White House or Congress of criminal investigations. That prevents attempted interference in criminal investigations. Remember that the FBI DID notify the DOJ. Still no explanation as to why Eric Cantor was told.

This is quite the helpful guide. I'm not sure if any of it means anything to anyone other than the principals, but it helps a lot to have the thng laid out like this.

the benghazi connection is with Broadwell talking about it at the end of oct and bringing up the militant captive idea... she seems to be mostly alone in that idea and now she's not talking?

Jill Kelley has a friend who is low rank FBI, lets call him Agent X, she reports the emails to him. He then reports this to the FBI who officially investigates. Meanwhile, Agent X is frustrated with investigation and goes to Congressman Dave Reichert (R) of Washington and tells him about the Petraeus affair. Congressman Reichert then tells Eric Cantor (R) who goes higher up in FBI and tells them.
Agent X meanwhile, is sending nekkid pics to his "friend" Jill Kelley.

throw in the fact that Jill Kelley (born Khawam) is Lebanese/American (as is Darryl Issa) and Paula Broadwell studied Arabic in Jordan.
Broadwell and Reichert are friends of Rove, and Issa is an asshole.

by FBI friend, and Cantor told no one.

The shirtless pics, it's now being reported, we sent to Jill Kelley BEFORE she told him about the anonymous emails. Sounds like she was having a little affair of her own with Agent X.

Now reported that Agent X is Republican and was involved in the investigation at the beginning. Then was removed because he was too involved. Agent X thinks the investigation isn't being pursued appropriately, so that's why he calls Cantor, who is a friend.

Telling Cantor was clearly NOT FBI protocol, I'm sure. To use my niece's phrase, Agent X, I think, "is in gobbles." (trouble)

So in September this became a national security issue imho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/classified-documents-paula-broadwell-2012-11

"Well, it turns out that during the FBI's investigation, the bureau did find classified documents on Broadwell's computer, reports the Wall Street Journal.

In September, the FBI began to do a legal analysis to see if there were any charges that could be brought. They decided to interview Broadwell.

During her first interview, she admitted that she was having an affair with Petraeus and gave up her computer to the investigators. On it, they found classified documents.

Petraeus was interviewed too, and he admitted to the affair as well. However, he said that he did not provide Broadwell with those classified documents. Broadwell echoed Petraeus' claims in her next interview with investigators in early November."

Kelley's FBI friend was barred from participating in the investigation of the threatening emails. And as a result he concluded that the FBI was sweeping the matter under the rug to prevent disclosure of security lapses. This FBI agent reached out to a WA Republican Congressman friend. The Conressman reached out to the FBI and subsequently told Cantor about an FBI agent who had some information about a coverup of a national security lapse. Cantor spoke to the FBI agent and later contacted FBI director Mueller. Cantor described the FBI agent as a whistleblower. Why because that is the only way he could talk to Cantor and WA Rep about an ongoing criminal investigation - legally. As it turns out - Broadwell has retained criminal defense counsel. WA rep has retained counsel. And FBI agent is being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for allegedly sending Jill Kelley, the original complainant shirtless pics of himself.

Yes. The story sounds bizarre but the real issue is how does all of this relate to the Benghazi attack? How does it relate to the ME protestors who told the Egyptian government they were paid to protest? How does it relate to Netanyahu's rightwing US tour? How does it relate to the right-wing anti-muslin hate film? How does it relate to Adelson's pledge of $100 million to elect Romney? How does it relate to McChrystal's downfall following publication of an article in Rolling Stones in which he dissed PBO, his commanding officer and other members of the Obama leadership team? At the time, Petraeus was McChrystal's boss. How does this relate to an article about a month ago regarding the military's problem with white supremacists in among their ranks?

It is clear Broadwell had possession of classified information. Did this information have anything to do with the CIA operations in Benghazi? How did the militants discover the location of the CIA's Benghazi safe house? Yep there are lots of questions.

And the apparent FBI raid of Broadwell's home tonight.

And Petreaus setting up the right wing think tank in Afghanistan.

It is all still very messing and going to get worse.

Gotta give the freepers credit for this,
they found it almost thirty minutes ago.

http://twitchy.com/2012/11/12/breaking-fbi-agents-raid-paul-broadwells-home/

if Rove is involved I hope Paula sings like a canary.

earmarks of a major scandal

Broadwell's home now? What else are they looking for? Why did they wait this long to do this raid when they found the classified info on her computer way back in September?

Something is not adding up here and it seems like there is something ruminating behind the scenes.

Unless there are forces acting behind the scenes with insider knowledge...


From here on out, I presume that's all we've got. Something shitty this way comes... and all that. We're going to be left trying to piece this together from whatever scraps we can dredge up.

This Affair-Petraeus has a major reek all over it but damned if we peons get any more information.

think MI5.

Oh my god, I can't believe you managed to drag James Bond into the conspiracy.

That's awesome.

Daniel Craig as her "M15" contact in the movie?