MORE “SELECTIVE JUSTICE” FOR THE POLITICALLY CONNECTED …
|| By FITSNEWS || Disgraced general David Petraeus – who resigned as Barack Obama’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief back in November 2012 – has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information.
Um … mishandling?
Petraeus is accused of leaking binders of classified materials to his mistress/ biographer Paula Broadwell – whose affair with the general exposed a culture of salaciousness among America’s military brass. He’s also accused of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about his, um, “leaks” to Broadwell – which are said to have included notes from Petraeus’ meetings with Obama, among other sensitive information.
Yeah …
Of course if a federal judge signs off on his plea deal, Petraeus would only get two years of probation. No jail time. Oh, and he would also avoid an embarrassing public trial.
We wonder … will the same deal will be available to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden? After all, he leaked classified information in the name of protecting individual liberty (as opposed to Petraeus’ shameless self-aggrandizement). And he admitted it.
Oh well … we suspect Snowden won’t be treated so leniently by the federal government seeing as he was trying to expose corruption, as opposed to being part of it.
Petraeus was appointed by Obama to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan in June 2010 after general Stanley McChrystal was relieved of his command. In April 2011 Obama tapped Petraeus to lead the CIA when its prior director Leon Panetta took over as Secretary of Defense.
He was an unmitigated failure in both posts …
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54 comments
Lindsey – we need your comments here.
OH MY!!! Hillary just did the same thing as Petraeus-broke criminal laws by mishandling classified information-at a MINIMUM!!!
Bye bye Hillary!!!
Dream on. Didn’t hurt Bush and Rove, won’t hurt Hillary either. Besides, I thought Petraeus was your man-boy love child. The surge, the surge. The surge!!!
Using private account and deleting email’s containing not only classified information but not providing ALL emails to government email account at State Department.
Criminal and she is finished.
Yeah, just like it hurt the Bush administration – ye of short term memory loss.
Rocky you are having a bad day…bibi exposed the radical occupier of the wHite house, Hillary has broken federal laws and the IRS said illegals can go back 3 years and receive the Earned Income Tax Credit.
I see the Democrats out of power for several decades.
Can I get a gram of that weed you’re smokin’
Except for the fact that the law she allegedly broke wasn’t enacted until 2 years after she resigned as Secretary of State. But don’t let a little technicality like the constitutional ban on ex post facto laws ruin your little hardon.
Assumes she deleted them. She may have them all.
Two terms that make me cringe are “surge” and “Boots on the Ground”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He was an unmitigated failure in both posts …
Only to FITS,Ron/Rand Paul,Democrat Party and America’s enemies?
“…Petraeus agreed to plead guilty to one criminal count of mishandling classified information….
He had 8 binders of classified information that he kept outside of secure storage, retained after he stepped down from the CIA and allowed his paramour (and apparently others) to view without appropriate clearances and lied to investigators about after he was caught. Some similar actions occurred while he was still on Active duty.
Had I or anyone at or below my rank done what he did, we’d be looking at a “long tour” at Leavenworth – and not in the school house. He should be ordered back to active duty to face a court martial and punishment as the court may direct for his actions while still a general. Allowing this plea deal on such an egregious violation is beyond the pale. He should be prosecuted.
While Petraesus was a great “commander” in Iraq and Afghanistan, he sucked as an administrator and obviously has serious character flaws. We really need to remove some of the trappings that our “imperial generals” have become accustomed to in an effort to remind them that they are supposed to be “just simple Soldiers”.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/03/david-petraeus-paula-broadwell/24312109/
Do you believe in the same justice for Hillary
If/when she admits it or is convicted.
Fair enough but we both know she won’t admit to nothing her record speaks volume’s.
What record is that? The secret record that Fake, I mean Fox News has in its safe.
I got this information about Hillary breaking criminal laws from the New York Times today.
Are you talking about the law that didn’t go into effect until a year after she left her job as SOS? Did the New York Times say that Colin Powell broke the same laws?
She also has better lawyers. Remember, Rove and a large number in the Bush White House did the same thing. No one ever got convicted.
And that is why you will never make General, Colonel. Get a life.
I agree that our flag ranks contain more posers than fighters, but we need great commanders, not great administrators. Even Eisenhower had a field wife, so come off your high horse. I’d much rather have an imperious twat who knew WTF he was doing in a war than most of the palace eunuchs wearing stars (and eagles) in our military today. Cult of personality builds coalitions and wins wars.
As for all the classified information he may or may not have had in a secure location, the only real intel value was to the gotcha jackals trying to neutralize him. I imagine Broadwell had sufficient clearances for access to same.
Petraeus’ hubris brought him down because the Obama administration did not want a competing personality in the national eye. He not only got to write his life story, but his epitaph as well.
The documents in question were by Petraesus’ admission of a nature requiring “special storage”. There’s no doubt that we are talking classified documents not cleared for use in open areas or for open storage. Read the article at the link I provided above.
“…As CIA director, the document shows, Petraeus kept eight black books containing classified and unclassified notes he took during meetings, conferences and briefings. And in late August 2011, he delivered the books to the private Washington residence where Broadwell — his biographer and mistress— was staying during a week-long trip to the area…”
“…Also contained in the “black books” was national defense information, including secret code word information….”
By definition, “code word” documents are classified “top secret” and require both a TS clearance and a code word “compartmental information” access.
And people wonder (not really) how we lost the peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks for making my case for me.
Without confusing clearance and access, access to SCI and above is determined by the caretaker of same. There are provisions for “instant access,” interim clearances, and such. Blah, blah, blah…
Read the novel “Q Clearance” by Ricard Hoyt. We classify too much data and information for our own good.
Petraeus most probably had some SCIF-like secure facility at his residence. If he had conducted due diligence (which he didn’t), he could have vetted his binders into sponsoring agency protocols. As security manager of his binders, he could have submitted Broadwell for access to the sponsoring agency. He did neither.
This was some low hanging fruit for a political prosecution/persecution.
She may have had the clearance – but you don’t take sensitive information out of the sensitive information security zone. There’s a reason we have rules about that stuff. You don’t get to avoid them just because you’re you. And that goes for Hillary and her private email account too.
We haven’t had a REAL Imperial General since MacArthur. Marshall (who didn’t like anyone, including the person in the mirror), Eisenhower, and Bradley were “wannabe” Imperials, but didn’t really have the background (MacArthur more or less sacked Eisenhower, who was his aide some time after WWI). Patton was as imperial as MacArthur, but was killed too early to really make it stick. Admiral King was a true Imperial (or, rather “Imperious”), but nobody liked him much anyway.
But isn’t it strange – after WW2, we only had one REAL general, and that was Stormin’ Norman.
I’m not suggesting that Petraesus was on the order of magnitude as MacAuthur – though if you’ve observed how our current breed of generals live and the perks of office, particularly when in deployed environments, you’d think Mac was a Trappist Monk by comparison.
Security detachments composed of SFOD/DEV Group operators or contractors, customized “luxury pods” inside C-17s, palatial offices and “Ops Rooms” – it has really gotten out of hand. Bradley wore a standard Soldier’s uniform, carried a Garand, rode around in a sytandard jeep and his “operation center” was generally a couple of “Deuce and a Halfs” and a few tents. Read Eisenhower, Patton and Bradley: Team of Rivals and you can see the contrasts in both style and effectiveness. In terms of actual capability and accomplishment, Bradley was far more effective than Patton and Montgomery (another prima donna) put together.
I’ve read those, along with Bradley’s auto-biography, and he always impressed me as a great leader. Had he served in a private sector company he’d have been a hero. I never served, but I’ll have to say, it amazes me how some in the modern day realm live. During the Iraq War I was amazed at the unbelievable powerpoint decks produced. Those things would take an army (no pun intended) of people to create every day. Reporting for the sake of reporting. Giving a staff person the value of a platoon. Wondered, when did MSPowerPoint skills become more important than tacticial leadership ability. OK Colonel – you can slap me silly now. And don’t get me wrong, the professional leadership, usually, is comprised of extremely intelligent and well educated people.
Patton would be smacking your face right now ! You should of went ” outside ” the tent. Colonel Fodder, if anyone listens to you we’re screwed. Been there. Gomer.
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I’m sure Snowden will get the same treatment if he decides to come back to the USA.
That being said, the Paula poon was probably worth it for him.
Colonel: I couldn’t have said it better myself. And people say we don’t have two systems of justice in America? One for the well-connected with the wherewithal to hire expensive lawyers and another for everyone else. His crime wasn’t “mishandling,” but disclosure to an uncleared or unauthorized individual. That’s not only a violation of federal code but the UCMJ too. He certainly knew better.
Your research is impeccable as usual. A commander of bedpan boys. A true Republican, ” Semper Fi ” sandbagger !
Well, at least it looks like he got laid on a regular basis while in the “Big Sandy” Probably had booze too………..
i did 3 tours and never got my ashes hauled in country but did sneak in some firewater on the first & third tours. Second one being based at Al-Udide and had a liquor ration – made all the difference in the world for morale but sadly no in-country poon-tang.
Vietnam was no shit hell but at least they had booze,women & dope!!!!!
They’re still doing the “two drink thing” at Al Udid.
it was 3 when I was there (’03-’04). I have my ration card as a souvenir.
It made all the difference in the world for morale.
I never experienced one instance of “fuck your buddy” at the “Deed”
Did two “rotes” out of Ali-Al-Salem (’02 & ’05) and “fuck your buddy” was the rule of the day (unless it was your individual unit)
We should take a lesson from the Brits but the US Government and the US military are ass-kissers when it comes to what the host nation dictates.
As far as I’m concerned,if the US flag is planted in the dirt that is US soil and host nation be damned.
When I was in Saudi during Gulf I, Uncle Sugar kissed Saudi’s ass, but the Brits had their ration and they could care less what Saudi Arabia had to say about it.
The Aussies at Ali Al Salem Air Base had the same attitude. I traveled the theater a good bit and never imbibed at Al Udid – my soldiers never had a chance to get there and it didn’t seem fair. However, I had more than one can of Fosters in Bila bong Flats at Ali – one of my better NCOs knew somebody who knew somebody…
I’m not sure about the long pull making little rocks out of big rocks at Leavenworth (career-ender, to be sure, thougfh), but I definitely hear you on the double standard. The silliest thing in the FITS piece is the little jewel of hyperbole comparing the couple of notebooks of Petraeus’ notes to the actions of that self-important asshat Snowden…
Little rocks and big rocks? Surely you jest
Of course, but humor me. It’s a nice thought… ;-)
This may surprise you “Colonel” but Patreaus had both the authority to share information with those he deems have a need to know and the authority to declassify…it’s part of the power of the position. Snowden and Hillary however put classified material in the hands of ANYONE without the slightest thought toward the consequences.
Sorry slick, he does not have that authority to grant access beyond that granted by JPAS and competent authority. In addition to that, much of what he admittedly disclosed was covered under multiple code words and each code word program requires its own clearance or read in.
If he “..had both the authority to share information with those he deems have a need to know and the authority to declassify…it’s part of the power of the position..”., why’d he plead guilty?
We’re not really even talking about clearances here, were taking about access. Access is always about need to know and his paramour clearly did not have that need.
“Slick” you have to love the internet “Colonel”.
Honestly I didn’t follow the story or timeline closely, so I’ll admit it all depends on when events occurred as to his authority…example JPAS has no oversight for the DCI.
And if you’re referring to his “Paramour” and he was a General, wouldn’t that make her assigned to his workplace and since she was an Intel Officer, I don’t know that she didn’t have the authority to see what he showed her.
Lastly, he pled guilty out of honor – for his himself, his country, the Army, and CIA.
She was not a “serving officer assigned to his command”, she was a reservist acting in her civilian capacity as a “journalist”. In fact, Broadwell’s clearances have been suspended because of her actions (she threatened several people to attempt to prevent their disclosing her accessing the records).
She is a major in the Army Reserve and in fact is a military intelligence officer who should have known better (in fact, she did know better). I agree that admitting your guilt is the appropriate thing to do but I’d hardly call his extra marital affairs, lying to investigators and attempts to cover his actions “honorable”.
I make no claims that his actions being discussed were honorable, just that it’s honorable not to drag others down because of his own frailty. No one is perfect.
I’ve had a TS clearance for all of my adult life. I have never disclosed any information to any one who did not have appropriate access and need to know, I’ve never cheated on my wife of 25 years, I’ve never attempted to obfuscate or impeed an investigation – and I am a decidedly imperfect person there are just some non negotiables in life.
Again I’m not excusing his poor choices – but that doesn’t lead me to discount his otherwise honorable contributions.
Married 41 – never cheated – cleared TS/SCI/EBI 41 years – retired, I get where you’re coming from.
I’m really just expressing my dissatisfaction with the premise of this story, that Snowden should have any special consideration and the timing coincidence that Billary has used poor judgement in re to her email.
Ignore Will anytime he opines on anything even remotely related to the military, he’s almost always full of bovine excreta.
Snowden should be shot as the traitor he is. Her Highness has violated any number of regulations regarding use of and disclosure of government records, networks, resources and equipment. She needs to be tried as well but it’ll never happen – unless Gowdy finds a good barber…
Let him go.
Say it’s payback for OJ.
The immoral are yours…you readily admit that. He, and OJ, are TOTAL Democrat…Why flee from it now?
You’ve never hear of Bill Clinton????
You are theirs… enough said.
Brain-dead copy-cat much?
LMAO! hahahahah!
The only thing David Petraeus hasn’t failed at is carrying other general’s briefcases…which is what he did until George W. Bush sent him to Iraq to build on his inept Amb. Paul Bremer’s de-baathaification to create the situation that helped give rise to ISIS.
And, I have read reports that he walked the halls of the Pentagon calling himself King David — like Mark Sanford — for the same reason: C Street/The Fellowship/The Family/National Prayer Breakfast cabal of politicians, military, and businessmen.
Can we assume Hillary Clinton will have the same treatment as she leaked classified info via personal email?
The majority of U.S. military officers are careerist swine – the Niedermeyer type.
Just look at that tasty little tart, with her shirt un-buttoned!!!1