and the exploitation of religious civil war to carry out strategic objectives are at the core of the policies he carried out with ruthless efficiency and even the outward appearance of personal integrity. That's what made him so valuable as a political General to both Administrations, and why he was continually promoted in position and in the public eye until he stepped over a line.

As Director of CIA, he was a principal architect of the regime change operations against Libya, Syria and Iran, and had even figured out how to leverage one to carry out the next, as the CIA used Sunni terrorists and looted heavy weapons exported from one country to attack the next regime. Even if not a single CIA officer ever touched a MANPAD or a car bomb, the regional civil wars they set up assured that process of terrorism, overthrow, and the regional weakening of Shi'ia Muslims would proceed. That model was first proven in Iraq with the arming of Sunni terrorist groups and implementation of the Salvador Plan. Petraeus understood all too well that the road to Tehran proceeds through Baghdad, Benghazi and Damascus.

Every Republican rises to their level of incompetence? And during Republican eras, multiply times a million?

Ever since the UN announced an investgation into war crimes a month ago, it seemed that things might start to shake up on the drone issue.

I give Obama the benefit of the doubt when he talks about moving forward, and how he is not seeking to punish war criminals from the previous administration.

It has become clear that war crimes have now been committed on his watch, by folks pretty high up (the policy-making level) in his chain of command. The specific incidents are the "double tap" drone strikes which targeted wounded and first responder non-combatants in direct violation of US and international law. These are some of the crimes that will be investigated by the UN.

I agree with the notion that the president has always been at odds with this general, and this understanding makes it more plausible that the president was not involved in the decision to launch the "double tap" strikes. Their purpose could only be to foment hate and anger and is antithetical to winning hearts and minds, which truly appears to be the president's strategy.

I think he asked for his resignation because he believes him to be a war criminal.