CIA Director Petraeus resigns, admits extra-marital affair

CIA Director Petraeus resigns, admits extra-marital affair Fri, Nov 09 19:51 PM EST 1 of 5 By Mark Hosenball and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA Director David Petraeus resigned as head of the leading U.S. spy agency on Friday, saying he had engaged in an extramarital affair and acknowledging he "showed extremely poor judgment." In a letter to the CIA workforce, Petraeus, 60, said he met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday and asked "to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position." "After being married for 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," he wrote. "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours." Obama, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, said in a statement he had accepted Petraeus' resignation, praising him for his work at the CIA and for leading U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Much about the sudden and dramatic turn of events remained unknown Friday evening, including how long the affair had gone on and what prompted Petraeus to resign now, just days after the 2012 presidential election. There were indications, however, that the affair was first uncovered a few months ago during an investigation by the FBI. A U.S. national security source said the FBI had stumbled across evidence of Petraeus' affair during an apparently unrelated investigation of news leaks. Petraeus' revelation of the affair appeared to end the public career of a widely admired warrior-scholar who played a key role in the Iraq war, led the U.S. Central Command and commanded U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Petraeus' name had circulated speculatively as a possible Republican presidential nominee before Obama tapped him as CIA chief. Before taking the CIA post, he retired as an Army general after nearly four decades of military service. Petraeus led the CIA for only 14 months. His sudden departure threatened to usher in a period of instability at the spy agency, which is grappling with a leveling off in its budget after a decade of steady increases. The agency is also fending off questions about its performance before and after the attack that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. officials insisted the CIA's handling of the Benghazi incident had nothing to do with Petraeus' decision to resign. TESTIFY ON CAPITOL HILL Petraeus recently traveled to Libya and the Middle East, and had been scheduled to testify about the Benghazi events next week behind closed doors to the House and Senate intelligence committees. Now, he will not give that testimony. There is no indication Petraeus broke any agency rule in connection with his admitted affair, sources familiar with the matter said. The CIA has no broad rule banning officials from engaging in extramarital affairs though, if discovered, liaisons by CIA personnel with suspected foreign agents would pose security problems for a U.S. agent. In his statement, Obama said "I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission." Obama, who accepted Petraeus' resignation in a phone call with him on Friday afternoon, said Michael Morell, the agency's long-time deputy director, would serve as acting CIA chief. Morell is a leading candidate to be Petraeus' permanent successor, sources said. He earned Obama's trust when he frequently briefed the president during planning for the operation to take down Osama bin Laden, a senior administration official said. "He's respected, a straight shooter, and has great relationships with the White House and Capitol Hill. Not to mention over 30 years of agency experience," said a former CIA official, who called Morell "the odds-on favorite." Other possible candidates being discussed on Capitol Hill include John Brennan, Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser; Obama's national security adviser Thomas Donilon; and former congresswoman Jane Harman, who chaired the House intelligence committee. Petraeus' resignation also adds a new vacancy on Obama's national security team. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she will leave after Obama's first term, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is widely expected to leave as well. Petraeus' wife, Holly, has been an advocate for U.S. veterans and head of the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Last month, Petraeus and his wife appeared together at a reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington to celebrate the premiere of the Ben Affleck film "Argo," which chronicles a successful operation in which the CIA and Canadian diplomats smuggled a group of U.S. officials out of Tehran during the 1979-81 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. At the Pentagon, people who worked closely with Petraeus expressed shock at the revelations and at his resignation.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement: "I wish President Obama had not accepted this resignation, but I understand and respect the decision."

(Writing by Warren Strobel; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Phil Stewart; Editing by Jackie Frank, Jim Loney and Todd Eastham) ========== Incoming Lockheed CEO fired after admitting to affair Fri, Nov 09 20:03 PM EST 1 of 2 By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp on Friday fired its incoming Chief Executive Christopher Kubasik after he admitted to an improper relationship with a subordinate, and it appointed Marillyn Hewson to replace him. Kubasik, 51, who was the defense contractor's president and chief operating officer, had been slated to become CEO in January, replacing Bob Stevens. In a statement, Kubasik expressed remorse.

"I remain confident in the future of the company. I regret that my conduct in this matter did not meet the standards to which I have always held myself," Kubasik said.

During a special session on Friday, the company's board named Hewson, 58, to replace Kubasik as president and chief operating officer immediately. She was also elected to succeed Stevens as CEO effective January 1, 2013. In 2012, Hewson was ranked No. 19 on the annual Fortune magazine list of the most powerful women in U.S. business. Her new role at the top of the Pentagon's largest defense contractor should push her much higher. Stevens said he was "deeply disappointed and genuinely saddened" by what he called a "very unfortunate moment." But the situation should not undermine its standing with the Pentagon, other customers or its shareholders, he said. Lockheed has long prided itself on rigorous ethics rules, even as its rival Boeing Co was plagued with problems that led to the resignation of two chief executives and prison time for two former senior executives.

"I don't believe the company's in crisis," Stevens told reporters, citing the Lockheed's strong team of leaders and continued growth prospects. "We believe that strategically and operationally and financially we will not miss a beat." He stressed that Kubasik's actions "did not affect the company's operational or financial performance."

Stevens said he would become executive chairman and would work closely with Hewson on the leadership transition throughout the coming year. He said the Bethesda, Maryland, based company had no immediate plans to name a chief operating officer to serve alongside Hewson, whom he described as "an exceptional leader with impeccable credentials." Hewson said the company had proven resilient during previous management changes and that it would remain focused on meeting its commitments, cutting costs and drumming up new business. "We will move forward beyond this temporary distraction together," Hewson, told reporters. Stevens said Lockheed hired an independent investigator in October to look into the matter after an employee came forward with concerns about Kubasik's relationship with another staff member.

The investigation ended on Friday when the board asked for, and received, Kubasik's resignation. He admitted to having "a close personal relationship with a subordinate employee" that violated the company's code of ethics and business conduct. Stevens said the company's swift actions showed its "unflinching commitment to ethics and integrity in everything that we do."

He said the woman involved in the relationship with Kubasik had also left Lockheed. The news about Kubasik's improper relationship emerged hours after CIA Director David Petraeus resigned after admitting to an extramarital affair. Lockheed disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it would pay Kubasik $3.5 million in severance, but he would not receive a separate bonus for 2012. Hewson has been with Lockheed Martin since 1983. She was named president and chief operating officer-elect in April. Lockheed shares rose to $90.04 after hours after closing at $89.98 at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. (Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Ros Krasny, Leslie Adler and Marguerita Choy) =========== FBI probe of Petraeus began with "suspicious emails" Sun, Nov 11 01:02 AM EST 1 of 5 By Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI investigation that led to the discovery of CIA Director David Petraeus' affair with author Paula Broadwell was sparked by "suspicious emails" from her to another woman and Petraeus was not the target of the probe, U.S. law enforcement and security officials told Reuters on Saturday. But the CIA director's name unexpectedly turned up in the course of the investigation, two officials and two other sources briefed on the matter said. The FBI was looking into "an issue with two women and they stumbled across the affair with Petraeus," a U.S. government security source said. The FBI probe was triggered when Broadwell sent threatening emails to an unidentified woman close to the CIA director, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was unclear what the relationship of the woman who received the emails was to Petraeus. The woman went to the FBI complaining of cyber harassment and the law enforcement agency traced the threats to Broadwell, the security official said. The FBI then uncovered explicit emails between Petraeus and Broadwell, The Washington Post reported. Attempts by Reuters and other news media to reach Broadwell, an Army reserve officer and author of a biography of Petraeus, have not been successful. The FBI and CIA declined comment on Saturday. Many questions in the case remain unanswered publicly, including the identity of the second woman; the precise nature of the emails that launched the FBI investigation; and whether U.S. security was compromised in any way. Nor is it clear why the FBI waited until Election Day to tell Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who oversees the CIA and other intelligence agencies, about its investigation involving Petraeus. In attempting to explain the time between Petraeus' FBI interview two weeks earlier and the DNI's notification on Election Day, the security official said there had been no evidence any crime had been committed. The CIA director announced his resignation suddenly on Friday, acknowledging an extramarital affair and saying he showed "extremely poor judgment. The developments likely ended the public career of one of the United States' most highly regarded generals, who was credited with helping pull Iraq out of civil war and led U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. New details emerged on Saturday about developments in the final days leading to Petraeus' departure from atop the CIA. Clapper was notified by the FBI on Tuesday evening about 5 p.m. - just as returns in the U.S. presidential election were about to come in - about "the situation involving Director Petraeus," a senior intelligence official said. Clapper and Petraeus then spoke that evening and the following morning. WHITE HOUSE NOTIFIED WEDNESDAY "Director Clapper, as a friend and a colleague and a fellow general officer, advised Director Petraeus that he should do the right thing and he should step down," the official said. Clapper is a retired Air Force lieutenant general; Petraeus served nearly four decades in the U.S. Army and retired as a four-star general. On Wednesday, Clapper notified the National Security Council at the White House that Petraeus was considering resigning and President Barack Obama should be informed, the official said. U.S. law enforcement, security and intelligence officials agreed to discuss the Petraeus matter only on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity and because it is the subject of a law enforcement investigation. Once Petraeus' name turned up in the investigation, the importance of the FBI inquiry was immediately escalated, as investigators became concerned the CIA chief somehow might have been compromised, the law enforcement official said. However, the official and two sources briefed on the matter said no evidence has turned up suggesting Petraeus had become vulnerable to espionage or blackmail. At this point, it appears unlikely that anyone will be charged with a crime as a result of the investigation, the official said. The FBI investigation began fairly recently - months rather than years ago, when Petraeus would still have been in uniform as one of the U.S. Army's top field commanders, the official said. Representative Peter King, Republican chairman of the House of Representatives' Homeland Security Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC: "It's hard to believe this went on for four or five months at this level without the president or somebody in the White House being told about it by the FBI. I would have thought the FBI had an absolute obligation to tell the president when this type of investigation is going on." "And then we're told the White House was told about it the very day after the election is (over). It raises a lot of questions. I'm not into conspiracy theories but this one just doesn't add up," said King, who is a frequent critic of the White House. FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce and acting CIA Director Michael Morell will separately brief the chairman and top Democrat of the House intelligence committee on Wednesday about Petraeus, a committee aide told Reuters. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican, is "very concerned and has got a lot of questions," the aide said. Several officials briefed on the matter said senior officials at the Pentagon, CIA and Congress knew nothing of the FBI's investigation of Petraeus until Thursday afternoon at the earliest, and some key officials were not briefed on the details until Friday. There is no evidence at this time that anyone at the White House had knowledge of the situation involving Petraeus prior to the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday, which saw Obama elected to a second four-year term. Another U.S. government security source said it was not until Friday afternoon that some members of the House and Senate intelligence oversight committees were notified about Petraeus' resignation by Clapper's office. The congressional committees were told that it was a personal issue that Petraeus had to discuss with his wife. When pressed, a representative of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said it involved another woman. (Writing by Warren Strobel; Additional reporting by Doug Palmer and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Todd Eastham and Eric Walsh) ========== Petraeus's 'sex under the desk' mistress pictured just a few seats from his wife as colleague tells how she 'got her claws into him' •Unidentified military source says Paula Broadwell relentlessly followed Petraeus to private events and ‘went from someone very likeable to a shameless self-promoting prom queen’ •Petraeus stepped down as CIA director on Friday after confessing to cheating on his wife of 37 years •Petraeus was caught after exchanging sexually explicit emails with his 40-year-old mistress By Daily Mail Reporter and James Nye PUBLISHED: 18:10 GMT, 10 November 2012 | UPDATED: 21:53 GMT, 10 November 2012 Comments (162) Share . . With their body language almost mirrored, Holly Petraeus, the now humiliated wife of former CIA chief David Petraeus sits just feet away from his 'mistress' Paula Broadwell in June of last year. At the time of the photograph it is thought that the affair between the 60-year-old four-star general and his 40-year-old biographer was still continuing despite both being married with children. And in a massive irony, both women are watching Petraeus sit before the Senate Select Committee that confirmed his position as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - the job he resigned from yesterday as a direct result of his affair. Just Feet Apart: Holly Petraeus (left in white) and Paula Broadwell sit in the front row during the CIAconfirmation hearing of US Army General David Petraeus But despite the public shaming of David Petraeus, one senior military source who worked with the former CIA Director leaves little room for doubt where those loyal to the general stand. Blaming Petraeus' biographer and reported mistress, Paula Broadwell for his downfall, the unammed individual said that the 40-year-old author and West Point graduate went out of her way to 'get her claws in him'. More... •Operation sex under a desk: The racy emails between CIA chief David Petraeus and his biographer 'mistress' that were found by the FBI and forced him to quit •Revealed: How Secret Service 'stopped several assassination plots against Romney and Obama during election campaign' Depicting her as obsessed with using the 60-year-old war-hero to further her own career, the unidentified source describes the married mother of two as a 'shamless self-promoting prom queen.' According to an interview the figure gave to businessinsider.com, Broadwell latched onto Petraeus soon after they met at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2006 as she was wrapping up her Master's degree. Intimate history: David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell shaking hands in front of the American flag Claiming that Broadwell used their shared backgrounds as West Point graduates and counterinsurgency experts to become close to the decorated soldier, the source known as 'James Downing' says that when news of the affair broke he realised immediately who it was with. 'It's one of those things that, as soon as the announcement was made, I knew in an instant who it was,' said 'Downing'. 'Everything made sense. Who had exclusive access to him? Who wrote the hagiography on his life? Who framed their entire existence around his persona? Unflatteringly comparing her to Paula Jones the former Arkansas state employee who sued U.S. President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment in 1994, the source claims to have known Broadwell for six years. 'When she started work on the bio she called me for background on one of the general's previous deployments,' said 'Downing'. 'I probably gave her four hours or so, and we stayed in touch after that by email and an occasional phone call.' Confident: Paula Broadwell appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart in January to promote her biography of David Petraeus 'All In' 'Other woman': Paula Broadwell, left, is married and has two children. Petraeus has been married to his wife Holly, pictured right, for 37 years, and they also have two children Husband and wife: Paula Broadwell pictured with her husband and father of her children, Scott, a radiologist Comfortable: She lives with her husband and their two young sons in Charlotte, North Carolina, pictured However, over the course of those years and through her unfettered access to Petraeus, 'Downing' claims that she underwent a dramatic shift in her personality. 'Over that time, she went from someone very likeable to a shameless self-promoting prom queen,' said 'Downing'. 'A very disturbing shift in how she carried herself. 'If she knew P4 (Petraeus) was going to make an appearance at an event, she'd crash it without an invitation (she actually did this at the wedding of some close friends of mine) and photo bomb[ed] sic everyone there.' The senior source who claims to know both parties, even made allowances for the retired four-star general whose policies allowed the U.S. to make a measured withdrawl from Iraq in 2011. Even despite the Washington Post reporting that current and former U.S. military officials long had suspicions of Petraeus being involved in infidelities. 'You're a 60 year-old man and an attractive woman almost half your age makes herself available to you — that would be a test for anyone,' said 'Downing'. 'Claws In': Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus, pictured, reportedly had an affair that led to his resignation Close: Broadwell first met Petraeus when he visited Harvard University, where she was a student Oath of office: Petraeus was sworn in last September by Joe Biden with his wife Holly at his side Denying any suggestions that the Obama administration hung Petraeus out to dry for political gains over the upcoming Bengahzi hearings, he outright blames Broadwell for the affair. 'The timing of the rumors of the administration throwing him under the bus after the election is suspect, but in the end I believe she got her claws — so to speak — in him,' said 'Downing'. Warming to his theme that Broadwell is a shameless manipulator, the source hopes that Petraeus can recover his career of public service. 'He had enough honor to know that a cover-up is much worse than a public admission,' said 'Downing'. 'As a result, I think he can recover and continue to be a player on the national stage, but she's toast. Her reputation is unrecoverable, in my opinion. 'The General fell victim to the one thing that can destroy a military leader's reputation faster than death: Seduction.' Broadwell, who served in the military for more than a decade, lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her radiologist husband, Dr. Scott Broadwell, and their two young sons, Lucien and Landon. Embedded: Broadwell, pictured in Afghanistan, has more than a decade of U.S. military service Devoted: Broadwell, pictured with Lt Col. Steve Grenier in Gizab, also writes opinion pieces on leadership It has emerged that Petraeus was caught by investigators after exchanging sexually explicit emails with his 40-year-old mistress and bombarding her with thousands of messages even after she had broken off the affair. Author: Broadwell completed a biography about Petraeus, published earlier this year Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230947/Sex-Under-Desk-David-Petraeus-resigns-head-CIA.html#ixzz2BqyLj9YT Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook The racy communications between the four-star general and Broadwell were uncovered when the FBI began an investigation after suspecting corruption between the pair. Petraeus resigned on Friday after confessing to cheating on his wife of 37 years, Holly behaviour he explained was 'unacceptable' for a senior administration official. Petraeus issued a statement acknowledging the affair after President Obama accepted his resignation, which was announced by the CIA soon after. ‘After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair,” he said in the statement. “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation.’ After being sworn in as CIA Director on September 6th, 2011, Broadwell broke up with Petraeus, but he continued to pursue her, sending her thousands of emails over the last few months - raising questions about his judgement which led in part to his resignation. Broadwell, who spent three years doing researching for her book, had extensive access to Petraeus in Afghanistan. In the biography, Broadwell revealed she first met him during his visit to Harvard in spring 2006 when he was a Commander at Fort Leavenworth. 'I was among the students invited by the school to meet with the general at a dinner afterward, because of my military background,' she explained. 'I introduced myself to then–Lieutenant General Petraeus and told him about my research interests; he gave me his card and offered to put me in touch with other researchers and service members working on the same issues.' Ally: Barack Obama could be harmed by the loss of one of his senior national security officials Broadwell added that this was not a one-off as he often 'does a lot of mentoring'. As she pursued her PhD in public policy in 2008, she contacted him to ask if she could interview him and they kept in touch via email. 'A few months into my research, General Petraeus, who was then leading Central Command, invited me to go for a run with him and his team along the Potomac River during one of his visits to Washington,' she wrote. 'I figured I could interview him while we ran.' She explained that, after earning varsity letters in cross-country and indoor and outdoor track, she wanted to test him to see if he could keep up with her as she interviewed him. Instead it became a test for me,' she said. 'As we talked during the run from the Pentagon to the Washington Monument and back, Petraeus progressively increased the pace until the talk turned to heavy breathing and we reached a six-minute-per-mile pace. It was a signature Petraeus move.' Promoting the book on The Daily Show with John Stewart in January, she insisted that these mile-long runs together were nothing out of the ordinary. Family Man: In a photograph from 2004 David Petraeus, (center), commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, kisses his wife, Holly, (second left), as his son, Stephen, (left), and daughter, (Anne), right, look on 'This is a typical mechanism for him to get to know young people,' she said. 'He's done it throughout his life. That was the foundation of our relationship.' In another often awkward radio interview in January, host Don Imus said that the pair must have 'obviously' liked each other. She responded: 'You know, as I said earlier, he has a number of mentees and that's one thing that's different when you compare him to other Senior Commanders. 'But, yeah, we had a lot of rapport. I think some of that comes from a common ground of having gone to West Point [to the U.S. Military Academy].' Of her reported rival, she added: 'He is married to Holly Petraeus, who is a wonderful Military spouse and done so much for their children and for children of fallen soldiers, I respect her immensely.' The book's description explains Broadwell conducted research for three years and was 'afforded extensive access by General Petraeus, his mentors, his subordinates and his longtime friends'. Its website adds Broadwell was embedded in Afghanistan with Petraeus for a year between July 2010 and 2011. Glory Days: David Petraeus is America's best-known general and arguably the most consequential Army leader of his generation. Here he salutes troops in Afghanistan in 2011 David Petraeus testifies before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in Washington D.C. in January in his capacity as Director of the CIA Broadwell graduated with honors from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, and came top of her class in physical fitness. Petraeus also attended the academy and married his wife Holly there. She has more than a decade of military service and nearly two decades of work in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. She is studying for her PhD at Kings College in London, and is also a research associate at Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership. For her studies and the biography, she spent most of 2011 in Afghanistan as an embedded author. As well as contributing to book chapters, appearing on television interviews and writing opinion pieces for The New York Times and the Boston Globe about leadership and women in defense, she has also worked as a model and demonstrator for KRISS, a .45 caliber machine gun manufacturer. President Obama accepted Petraeus' resignation but described him as 'one of the outstanding General officers of his generation' as he added: 'By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.' Deputy director Michael Morell will serve as acting head of the agency until a permanent replacement for Petraeus is appointed. In his resignation letter addressed to CIA agents, Petraeus wrote that 'such behaviour is unacceptable' for a senior administration official. Sweethearts: Petraeus on the day he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974, pictured with his fiancée Holly Knowlton, whose father was the superintendent of West Point Spouses: David and Holly Petraeus have been married for over 37 years One of the most puzzling aspects of the resignation is its proximity to next week’s congressional hearings on Benghazi, which Petraeus has said he will not now attend, even though being out of office would not preclude his doing so. Petraeus, 60, has been married to Holly, née Knowlton, since 1975, after they meet when he was a military cadet at West Point and she was the daughter of the academy's superintendent. When he was sworn in as director of the CIA by Vice President Joe Biden, Holly held the Bible on which he swore his oath of office. Mrs Petraeus is head of the Office of Servicemember Affairs, a department of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which is responsible for ensuring members of the military are not taken advantage of by banks and other financial businesses. The resignation comes at an awkward time for the President, who is beginning to put together his team for his second term in the wake of his re-election on Tuesday. Man of action: Petraeus guided Obama around Iraq when he visited as a presidential candidate in 2008 Appointment: The general served under George W. Bush as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already declared her plans to step down in January, while Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is expected to follow some time in 2013. Petraeus' departure leaves another vacancy for a key position in the national security establishment. Morell, who has served as the agency's deputy director for two and a half years, will be one of the frontrunners to take over on a permanent basis - former CIA director George Tenet was promoted from deputy in the same way after the resignation of John Deutch in 1996. He is a long-serving analyst who has twice been a witness to history, travelling with George W. Bush on the day of the September 11 attacks and sitting in the White House situation room with Barack Obama during the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden in May last year. Petraeus was in charge of the CIA at the time of the terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11 of this year, a raid in which ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed and which has become a political disaster for the Obama administration. The former CIA director was due to address a congressional hearing on the attack next week, which could raise suspicions that the timing of his resignation was politically motivated. He will no longer be present at the hearing, which will instead grill Morell on the agency's failings in allowing four Americans to die during the assault on the consulate and a CIA compound. Read more: PETRAEUS COLLEAGUE: Biographer Paula Broadwell 'Got Her Claws Into Him' Petraeus' biographer Paula Broadwell under FBI investigation over access to his email, law enforcement officials say ================ Identity of second woman emerges in Petraeus' downfall Mon, Nov 12 01:53 AM EST 1 of 5 By Rick Rothacker and David Ingram (Reuters) - New details emerged on Sunday about the extramarital affair that abruptly ended the career of CIA chief David Petraeus, including the identity of a second woman whose complaints about harassing emails from the woman with whom he had the relationship, Paula Broadwell, prompted an FBI investigation. A person familiar with the investigation identified the second woman as Jill Kelley, a long-time friend of the Petraeus family and a Tampa, Florida volunteer social liaison with military families at MacDill Air Force Base. Kelley went to the FBI after receiving threatening emails that eventually were traced to Broadwell, law enforcement and security officials have said, prompting an investigation that turned up evidence that Petraeus and Broadwell were having an extramarital affair. "We and our family have been friends with General Petraeus and his family for over five years. We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children," Kelley said in a statement obtained by ABC News. Broadwell has not been available for comment and both the FBI and CIA have declined public comment on the matter. Petraeus has made no public comment since he announced his resignation on Friday. The affair has raised questions about whether U.S. national security was ever at risk and the timing of law enforcement and intelligence officials' revelation of the matter to the White House, as well as who knew about the investigation before last week's presidential election. Meanwhile, a former spokesman for Petraeus during his time as an Army general has said the affair with Broadwell, an Army reserve officer who co-authored a glowing biography of him, began after Petraeus retired from the Army in August 2011 to lead the spy agency and ended four months ago by mutual consent. Retired Colonel Steven Boylan, who was Petraeus' spokesman in Iraq and has spoken to the general since he resigned at the CIA, downplayed the question of whether U.S. security had been at risk. He said Petraeus never gave Broadwell classified information or communicated with her via his government email. "My understanding is that she was only at the CIA twice. And at no time, based on conversations with him, did he provide her classified information, nor did she receive anything from him in that manner," Boylan said in an interview. "My understanding is that they mutually determined that it was time to end it," he said, adding that Petraeus "knows he made a huge mistake" and is now trying to focus on his family. "It wasn't right. And it was done. That was about four months ago." A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Petraeus was first interviewed in connection with the FBI investigation during the week of October 28, about a week after Broadwell was questioned. The FBI informed Petraeus' boss, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, in the early evening of Election Day, November 6. Senior U.S. officials said Clapper then informed the White House's National Security Council staff of the issue and Petraeus' intention to resign on Wednesday, the morning after President Barack Obama was re-elected to a second four-year term. Obama was informed later that day, they said. "EXTREMELY POOR JUDGMENT" Petraeus, a widely admired soldier-scholar credited with turning around the U.S. war in Iraq and who led NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, announced his resignation in a letter to the CIA workforce on Friday, acknowledging "extremely poor judgment" in having an extramarital affair. The person familiar with the investigation said Kelley initially approached a Florida field office of the FBI - not FBI headquarters - with a complaint of cyber-harassment. She had received numerous intimidating emails from a handful of different, opaque pseudonymous addresses. The nature of the emails, according to the source, who was briefed on their contents, was "I know what you're doing" and similar suggestions that someone was onto Kelley. There was no explicit threat of violence. Upon tracing them, the FBI found out that Paula Broadwell was behind them, this source said. They also found correspondence between Broadwell and Petraeus leading to the revelation of an affair between them. High-level Justice Department officials were informed in late summer 2012 of an ongoing investigation involving Petraeus, according to a law enforcement official. This source would not name the Justice officials or say whether Attorney General Eric Holder was among them. The Justice Department followed long-standing policy by not revealing the investigation to anyone outside the department, such as White House or congressional aides, this official said. It would be inappropriate and unfair to do so, and it might jeopardize any potential prosecution, the official added. As the investigation moved into the fall, the focus was potential cyber-harassment by one woman against another woman. Petraeus was thought of by investigators as a potential witness or party to the investigation, but he was never a target of investigators. Prosecutors considered whether the conduct in question constituted a crime of cyber-harassment under the law. During their interviews with investigators, Broadwell and Petraeus both admitted to the affair, the official said. After the interviews, prosecutors decided they likely would not bring charges, based on the available evidence. Another U.S. government official said the FBI investigation into the emails was fairly straightforward and did not require obtaining court orders to monitor the email accounts of those involved, including the personal email account of Petraeus. Rather, the official said, investigators reviewed the emails that Kelley had brought to their attention. "There wasn't a court order," the government official said, adding that that action would have been a last resort when other avenues had been exhausted. A source close to the Petraeus family confirmed that Kelley, who is 37 according to published reports, and her husband, Scott Kelley, a Tampa cancer surgeon, became friends with Petraeus when he was stationed at MacDill from 2008 until 2010 as commander of the U.S. military's Central Command, which runs operations in the Middle East and South Asia. The Kelleys later visited the Petraeuses in Washington while on a trip to visit relatives. The Kelleys did not answer phone calls to the number listed for the family's mansion-style home on Tampa's exclusive Bayshore Boulevard, close to the military base. The Kelleys made the VIP guest list at military functions at MacDill and also hosted Petraeus and his wife at their home in 2010, for the city's annual Gasparilla pirate parade, according to a report at the time in the Tampa Bay Times. (Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, Matt Spetalnick, David Adams and Tabassum Zakaria. Writing by David Alexander.; Editing by Warren Strobel and Christopher Wilson) ============== Three women intertwine in downfall of David Petraeus Mon, Nov 12 23:30 PM EST 3 of 3 By Rick Rothacker (Reuters) - Jill Kelley is a fixture on the Tampa, Florida, military scene, volunteering for community relations work with foreign military officers and their families stationed at MacDill Air Force base. She is also a friend of David Petraeus, and yet, she appears to have contributed to his stunning downfall and departure as director of the CIA. It was Kelley's complaints about harassing emails from the woman with whom Petraeus had an extramarital affair, Paula Broadwell, that prompted an FBI investigation that later exposed the liaison and led to his resignation last week. People close to Petraeus have said Kelley is a family friend and that there was no romantic relationship. It's unclear why Broadwell would have sent threatening emails to her, but she may have seen her as a rival for Petraeus' affections, the same people said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The scandal has tarnished the reputation of a revered general and raised questions about how the FBI handled the situation and when the White House learned of the affair, which became public after the November 6 presidential election. It has also brought uncomfortable attention to three women in Petraeus' life: Kelley, Broadwell and his wife of more than 37 years, Holly, an official with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Kelley and her husband, Scott Kelley, a Tampa cancer surgeon, became friends with Petraeus when he was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa from 2008 until 2010, people familiar with the situation said. At the time, Petraeus was commander of the U.S. military's Central Command, which runs operations in the Middle East and South Asia. The two families socialized in Tampa and in Washington, the people said. Unlike Broadwell, who has been silent and out of public view since the story broke on Friday, Kelley has put out a statement on her family's friendship with the Petraeuses and asked that her family's privacy be respected. A source close to the family said that Kelley is now being advised on how to respond to the Petraeus uproar by one of Washington's most prominent trial lawyers, Abbe Lowell, a family friend who has represented high-profile criminal defendants like former U.S. Senator John Edwards and disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Lowell did not respond to requests for comment. Kelley has also enlisted the help of Judy Smith, a well-known crisis PR manager who is the model for the ultra-effective fixer and spin doctor Olivia Pope in the ABC Thursday night TV drama "Scandal." Kelley could not be reached for comment. She was spotted driving away from her Tampa home on Monday in a car with "Honorary Consul" on the license plate. She is considered an unofficial ambassador at the MacDill base, promoting community relations with foreign liaison officers, said a source familiar with the situation. Kelley is the daughter of Marcelle and John Khawam, now of Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, but with roots in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, said her brother, David Khawam, a lawyer who practices in Westmont, New Jersey. The Lebanese-born parents owned three restaurants, all called Sahara, when their children were growing up. Kelley's vocation has been to be an "honorary ambassador" to the military, her brother said. "She has always wanted to take a certain role, in giving back to the community," he said. He said it's not surprising she would go to the FBI after receiving threatening emails from an unknown source, considering her connections to the military and the fact that she has a wealthy husband and young children. "I believe my sister probably reported this because of fear that somebody may be serious in any kind of threats they may be making towards her," he said. FBI AGENT REPORTEDLY BARRED FROM CASE The Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI agent who started the investigation was a friend of Kelley's. He was later barred from taking part in the case over concerns that he had become personally involved. Officials found that he had sent shirtless pictures to Kelley, the Journal reported. The agent's identity has not been disclosed. Kelley, 37, also has an identical twin sister, Natalie Khawam, with whom she appears with Holly and David Petraeus and her husband in a 2010 photo published in newspapers on Monday. Court records show Kelley played a role in a bitter child custody trial that preceded the divorce case between Khawam, and Khawam's then-husband, Grayson Wolfe of Washington, who once worked for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. In a scathing decision in November, 2011 against Khawam that granted sole primary and legal custody of their then 3-year-old son to Wolfe, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz refused to believe Kelley's claims that Wolfe had tried to push her sister down a flight of steps in Kelley's Tampa home. "The court does not credit this testimony," Kravitz wrote, calling Kelley "a patently biased and unbelievable witness." Neither Wolfe nor Khawam could be reached for comment. Broadwell, 40, who sources said sent the threatening emails to Kelley, is an Army reserve officer and doctoral student who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two young children. FBI agents searched Broadwell's home on Monday, entering the house carrying boxes and remaining there for almost two hours. There was no sign that Broadwell or members of her family were at the house during the FBI search. Broadwell met Petraeus in 2006 when she was student at Harvard. The general gave her his card and offered to help with her studies. In 2010 when Petraeus was named commander in Afghanistan, she decided to turn a dissertation about his leadership into a book, called "All In," which was published in January. Interviews for the book often took place during runs together, Broadwell said later. 'ALPHA WOMAN' A person who knows Broadwell and Petraeus said she stood out in Afghanistan as an "alpha woman" who was attractive, fit, smart and driven. It was not unusual for Petraeus to mentor younger soldiers and take an interest in scholarly work, said this person. Broadwell has not responded to requests for comment. It is not clear how much Holly Petraeus and Broadwell have interacted. In the book's acknowledgements, Broadwell gives "special thanks" to Holly, but no interviews are listed with her in the notes. The book describes how Petraeus and Hollister "Holly" Knowlton, a student at Dickinson College, first met on a blind date in 1973 at a college football game at West Point, where Petraeus was a cadet. Holly's father, General William Knowlton, was the superintendent at West Point, and Petraeus found the "stature of Holly's family intoxicating," the book says. Holly has been a dedicated military spouse who endured her husband's extended absences over the past decade, said Peter Mansoor, who was Petraeus' executive officer in Iraq from 2007 to 2008. "They've been apart more time than they have been together, with him being overseas on five different deployments," Mansoor said. "She was a stalwart Army trooper through it all." At the Senate hearing on confirmation of his appointment at the CIA in June 2011, some senators, including John McCain and Joe Lieberman, paid tribute to Holly, as did Petraeus. "Holly was recently described as being bright, nice, small and a pit bull, someone you want in your corner," Petraeus said. "I've been blessed to have had her in my corner for some 37 years and 23 moves, and I appreciate the opportunity this afternoon to recognize her publicly." Since January 2011, Holly Petraeus has led an office that advocates for military families at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Jean Ann Fox of the Consumer Federation of America, said Holly Petraeus has traveled all over the country to talk to service members and has a reputation for spending time with families and talking about her own experiences and observations as a military spouse. "She has shined a light on a lot of problems that impact the military, and hopefully as time goes on, enforcement actions will help take care of some of that," Fox said. A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau spokeswoman said Holly Petraeus remains a key leader at the agency and would have no further comment. She posted a Veteran's Day message on the bureau's website on Friday, the same day her husband's resignation became public. Mansoor, trying to explain David Petraeus' behavior, said he believes he might have struggled with the social transition from his life in a military "cocoon" to his work at the CIA. "I think that General Petraeus found himself a little bit isolated socially at the CIA and his manner of reaching out was through the person who made herself the most available to him and that was Paula Broadwell," Mansoor said. Holly Petraeus is furious with her husband, said Mansoor. "He's going to do what he can to repair his relationship," he said. (Additional reporting by David Adams, Emily Stephenson, Mark Hosenball, David Ingram, Saundra Amrhein and Dave Warner.; Editing by Mary Milliken and Christopher Wilson) ================== Serat News on Petraeus Scandal: ‘The Terrible Organization kneels before a woman!’ Posted on November 13, 2012 by Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi The hardline Serat News close to the Kayhan Institute weighs in on the debate over David Petraeus’s resignation due to an extramarital affair with his biographer in an article titled “When the Terrible Organization kneels before a woman!” “The forces that the CIA can bring to accompany it, the most elite of which can be seen with the existence of individuals like Petraeus, who even though the head of an important organization kneeled [when] confronted with an infiltrator and a woman whose spirit of militarism had distanced her from her family for years.” “Paula Broadwell for close to ten years cooperated with the American military forces. Even though she has a husband and two children, but she enthralled herself to militarism and was present in countries like Afghanistan following Petraeus who was at the time the American commander in Afghanistan … If we look at the course of the lives of the past leaders and managers of the CIA it can be seen to be full of these type of people in positions of power with a brutal soul.“ Foreign Affairs The Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, at a ceremony in remembrance of Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the so-called ‘father of Iran’s missile program’ who was killed in an explosion at Al Ghadir missile base, which killed 17 people in November 2011, told the audience in attendance, “Tehrani Moghaddam has forever taken away peace and calm from the Israelis.” Salami’s speech was published on Sepah News, the official news agency of the Revolutionary Guards. Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that a “meeting for Syrian national dialogue” will take place next week in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Amirabdollahian claimed that different representatives of the opposition and the government will be present at the meeting. The meeting will take place under the banner of “No to Violence, Yes to Democracy.” Alef, affiliated to Principalist and Ahmadinejad critic, Ahmad Tavakkoli, has claimed the United Kingdom has given £13 million to the “rebels of Syria.” Adding, “The recommendations put forward by David Cameron [i.e. the British Prime Minister] regarding the changes in the politics of the European Union against Syria whose aim is securing armaments for the terrorists under the pretext of officially recognising their right to self-defense … London has performed an important role in exacerbating the fire of unrest in Syria.” Domestic Affairs Saeed Qassemi, a former Commander in the Revolutionary Guards in the Iran-Iraq war, now linked to the radical quasi-official vigilante group, the Ansar-e Hezbollah and formerly a staunch defender of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, told Asr-e emruz when asked about the prospect of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani running for office in the 2013 presidential election: “the history of Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and his hangers on has come to an end in the revolution…these things are being said [i.e. that Rafsanjani will run for the presidency in June 2013] so they can say “we are here” and if not both Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and [former President Mohammad] Khatami in our view are finished. ” Javad Karimi Qodusi, a member of the Majles Commission, has claimed, that five political prisoners are the “probable agents” responsible for the death of blogger and online political activist, Sattar Beheshti, who mysteriously died in custody at the Kahrizak detention centre last week. Karimi Qodusi added, “this killing is suspicious and I am suspicious of the influence of the seditious movement [i.e. the name hardliners generally use when referring to the Green Movement and those deemed sympathetic to it] in this killing.” Two preachers very well-known Tehran preachers, Mansur Arzi and Saeed Haddadian, who had been brought before court after President Ahmadinejad’s Chief of Staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, lodged a complaint against them for having threatened to kill him, have received their sentences. Arzi was acquitted and Haddadian was forced to pay a very small fine. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Majles, has said that stopping the second phase of subsidy reform is a policy to surpass the pressure of Western-led sanctions. MP Hojjat al-Islam Hossein Sobhani Nia has told the Islamic Republic News Agency that the date and time of President Ahmadinejad’s questioning over the state of the economy and his government’s economic policy, is still yet to be confirmed. It is unlikely that the time and date of the president’s appearance will be announced prior to the public holiday of Ashura, when Shi’is traditionally mourn the death of the third Imam and grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, Hossein. ================= Petraeus scandal widens, snares U.S. commander in Afghanistan Tue, Nov 13 20:44 PM EST 1 of 3 By David Alexander and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The scandal that felled CIA Director David Petraeus widened on Tuesday to snare the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine General John Allen, who was being investigated for "flirtatious" communications with a woman at the center of the case. Though a law enforcement probe has not uncovered any evidence so far of legal wrongdoing or security risks, it does raise questions about the unusually close relationship between a Florida socialite, her sister and two of the most powerful men in the United States' national security apparatus. The woman in question, Jill Kelley, has emerged as a central figure in the scandal that has brought down one of the most admired military leaders in the United States and threatens to derail the career of another. Defense officials and people close to Petraeus say neither he nor Allen had a romantic relationship with Kelley, a 37-year-old wife and mother, who is described as a prominent presence in military circles in Tampa. She may have been seen as a rival by Petraeus' biographer, Paula Broadwell, who sent Kelley a series of anonymous, harassing emails which touched off an investigation that uncovered evidence of an affair between Petraeus and Broadwell. According to law enforcement sources, FBI investigators decided to pursue the matter when they found the messages contained information about the CIA chief's activities that was not publicly available. Kelley had gotten to know both Petraeus and Allen as a volunteer setting up social events at MacDill Air Force Base outside Tampa, headquarters of U.S. Central Command. The relationship was evidently close enough that both men intervened in a child custody battle involving Kelley's twin sister, Natalie Khawam.

"She is a dedicated mother, whose only focus is to provide the necessary support, love, and care for her son," Allen wrote about Khawam in a September 22 letter to a Washington, D.C., court.

Allen and Kelley communicated often enough over the past two years to produce between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of email and other messages, which were turned over to Defense Department investigators on Sunday. The actual volume of communications is likely much smaller, an official said, as the printouts include messages involving other people and email threads including prior communications. A senior defense official told Reuters the messages were seen as inappropriate because they were "flirtatious" in nature, not because they dealt with sensitive information. But "flirtatious" may be an understatement. Another U.S. official said the Pentagon only decided to refer it for investigation after an initial look found the communications to be of "a sufficient character" to warrant further review. Allen has denied that the two had a sexual relationship, officials said on condition of anonymity. Adultery can lead to a dishonorable discharge under U.S. military law. WHITE HOUSE BACKS ALLEN The scandal complicates President Barack Obama's efforts to reorganize his national security team following his re-election. The White House said it still had faith in Allen, but its plans to transfer him to Europe, where he would head U.S. and allied forces, have been suspended. Obama also has to find a replacement for Petraeus at the CIA at a time when the president is vetting candidates to head the State and Defense departments. The scandal could throw a wrench into Obama's relations with Congress at a time when he is engaging in high-stakes budget negotiations to avoid the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff." "I certainly wouldn't call it welcome," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of the scandal. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Allen, a four-star Marine Corps general, would stay in his job for the time being, and the White House said Obama was still had confidence in Allen's ability to command the 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Both Allen and the official due to replace him in Afghanistan, Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before they can take up their new posts in February. Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee said they would go ahead with a confirmation hearing for Dunford on Thursday. Allen's appearance was canceled. Allen had just submitted recommendations on what role the United States should play in Afghanistan after most American combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014. A senior lawmaker said on Tuesday the Senate Intelligence Committee still wanted to talk to Petraeus about the CIA's role in events surrounding the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. "The committee will talk to him, the committee thinks it's important," said Senator Dianne Feinstein, the panel's Democratic chairwoman. "The actual time of it is undecided at this point." FBI agents searched Broadwell's Charlotte, North Carolina, home late on Monday in a sign that the case involving Petraeus was not fully closed. Agents entered the house carrying boxes at around 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Tuesday) and emerged four hours later, carrying away what appeared to be two computers and about 10 boxes. Broadwell's family was not at home at the time. U.S. officials have said recently that their investigation was largely complete and that prosecutors had determined it was unlikely they would bring charges in that case, which started when Kelley contacted an FBI agent in Tampa. That FBI agent, who has not been identified, came under scrutiny himself after it was discovered he had sent shirtless photographs of himself to Kelley "long before" this investigation, a law enforcement official told Reuters. The agent, who alerted an FBI cyber squad to the Broadwell case, apparently became frustrated at the pace of the investigation and complained to a member of Congress about it, the official said. (Additional reporting by Rick Rothacker, David Ingram, Toby Zakaria, Susan Cornwell, Matt Spetalnick, Margaret Chadbourn and Phil Stewart.; Writing by Andy Sullivan. Editing by Warren Strobel and Christopher Wilson) ================== Florida socialite in Petraeus scandal feels "scared" Fri, Nov 16 23:59 PM EST By Colleen Jenkins (Reuters) - Days after an extramarital affair forced CIA Director David Petraeus to resign, the Florida socialite who triggered the inquiry that took down Petraeus complained about "paparazzi" in front of her mansion and "people calling me with threats." Jill Kelley, whose tip about harassing emails from the retired four-star general's mistress Paula Broadwell sparked the FBI probe that revealed the affair, complained to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn in emails this week that she and her family were frightened by the worldwide attention they were receiving. "I'm not sending my daughters to school today, and my husband slept at the hospital, because it's just gotten too difficult to even pull out of our own driveway. And now, I have to deal with people calling me with threats," Kelley wrote in one of several emails the mayor released on Friday. "I'm scared and cannot believe what my city - in which I have contributed so much of my love, time, money and leadership - has now done to me and my innocent family," she said. Besides the affair, investigators uncovered a series of explicit emails between Kelley and another high-ranking military man she had met in her work as a volunteer social liaison at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa: General John Allen, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The emails released by Buckhorn, which represent his communications with Kelley since he took office in April 2011, show Kelley as a cheerful, name-dropping party host and volunteer. Along with her cancer surgeon husband, she became cozy with Petraeus, Allen and several other military leaders who served at MacDill. The emails also show that right up to the day before the sex scandal became public on November 9, Kelley was using her connections to military leaders to cast herself as an influential community leader. In a series of emails with Buckhorn in March, for example, Kelley told the mayor that Petraeus, Allen and Vice Admiral Robert Harward had sought her help in preventing a local disc jockey known as Bubba the Love Sponge from deep-frying a Koran. The stunt - which never took place - was scheduled for roughly a year after a Florida pastor's burning of a Koran led to protests and several deaths around the world. Before the stunt this year was called off, Kelley told Buckhorn that her military friends had asked her to get involved to try to stop it. "I have Petraeus & Allen both emailing me about getting this dealt with," Kelley told Buckhorn in an email on March 7. In a brief reply, Buckhorn said Tampa's police chief was planning to talk to the radio station manager about the issue. "Ok. Can you keep me in the loop?" Kelley wrote back. "Gen Allen will be calling me from Afghanistan at 1 p.m. on this - and our next step." Whether Petraeus, Allen and other military leaders actually called on Kelley in such matters could not be verified on Friday. Buckhorn did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Attempts to reach Kelley for comment have been unsuccessful. A CHANGE IN TONE In emails to Buckhorn, Kelley referred to herself as "Ambassador to U.S. Central Command's Coalition," a position she told Buckhorn included hosting various distinguished visitors who traveled to Tampa. The MacDill base is home to the U.S. Central Command, which runs military operations in the Middle East and South Asia. Military sources said Kelley and five other Tampa-area residents were given the titles of honorary ambassador. The designation did not come with any special privileges, although until this week Kelley did have a pass that allowed her onto the base. The curt tone of Kelley's emails to Buckhorn this week was a departure from her previous dispatches to the mayor, whom she and her husband, Scott Kelley, had hosted at a reception at their waterfront home in April 2011, after Buckhorn was elected mayor. Jill Kelley followed up with frequent invitations to Buckhorn and his wife for social events - most of which the mayor declined. Her emails to Buckhorn are filled with the names of military officers and references to trips to Washington, including several visits she said she had made to see friends who work in the White House. In one of the most recent emails, Kelley reflects on a visit to Washington to see friends in the White House just before the November 6 election. She also laments that Buckhorn and his wife had been unable to join Kelley, her husband and Vice Admiral Harward for a crab dinner at a local yacht club. "I'll give you another chance! LoL! :-)" Kelley wrote to the mayor on November 7. In a couple of emails to Buckhorn, Kelley referred to visits with the Petraeus family during trips to Washington. "We just got back from spending the weekend with the (Petraeuses) and he said to send you his best!" Kelley wrote to Buckhorn in November 2011. A friend of David Petraeus reiterated on Friday that the relationship between Petraeus and Kelley was purely friendship, and that "there was no romantic involvement whatsoever." The friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Petraeus and his wife, Holly, would see the Kelleys when the Tampa couple came up to Washington to visit Kelley's sister and her sister's son. The Petraeuses and Kelleys sometimes would go out to dinner together, he said. Friends of Allen also have said that he was not romantically involved with Kelley. In the last communications from Kelley to Buckhorn, Kelley asked Buckhorn for help and then criticized him for allowing the city government to release information about her that included her home address and cellphone number. "Can you help out with the obstruction by the paparazzi, since they're blocking our alley, our driveway, and continue to trespass on my property," Kelley wrote on Tuesday. The next day, Kelley said the release of personal details had put "me and my daughters in harms way." She added that having her name in the media would not bother her "if they got the facts right. ... The truth will one day prevail." (Additional reporting by Warren Strobel and David Adams; Editing by David Lindsey and Mohammad Zargham) ======================