Juan Cole: Real Petraeus Failure Was Counter-Insurgency in Iraq, Afghanistan

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CIA director David Petraeus has resigned following revelations of an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, a married U.S. Army reservist. "This personal issue that cropped up and ruined his career in the end, I think it's very much a minor thing ... compared to his big exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan," says historian Juan Cole, who responds to the surprise departure of the former head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Petraeus retired from 37 years in the military to head the CIA last year. Over the weekend, new revelations suggested Broadwell had sent harassing emails to Jill Kelley, a 37 year-old from Florida and a family friend of Petraeus and his wife, Holly. The FBI launched an inquiry after Kelley said she had received vicious emails from the CIA director's biographer. Its investigation revealed the affair, and led agents to believe Broadwell or someone close to her had sought access to his email. On Sunday, Democracy Now! spoke to Cole about the significance of Petraeus's resignation, and about Malala Yusufzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani activist who was shot in the head by a Taliban militant for demanding the right of girls' education. Cole is professor of history at the University of Michigan and his most recent book is "Engaging the Muslim World."

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• Category

  News & Politics

[zacharycat]

According to Rush Limbaugh....that was as much of the comment as I needed to read.

[Malaikatrendy]

Rush limbaugh is gospel to "the bumper sticker-speak" community .

[onalyd]

he lost my respect when he turned into a blatant Obama apologist at 10:20

[Vladimir Wardell]

According to Rush Limbaugh Broadwell or her competitor were told bad things about BenGhazi by Petraeus. Limbaugh was also complaining about the "lies and smears the Democrats" heaped upon poor Mitt. The explanations for the Republican failure are just amazing to listen to. The scary part is that FOX and Family still have an audience...very depressing. On the other hand, the 'conservatives' did lose by more than two million votes. There is hope.

[rockhardagain]

Paula Krantz Broadwell, this is another example of a woman being used to spy on and leverage a man of power. Text book..