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CIA director David Petraeus resigns over affair | |
(35 minutes later) | |
CIA director David Petraeus has resigned from his post because of an extramarital affair. | CIA director David Petraeus has resigned from his post because of an extramarital affair. |
In a statement, Mr Petraeus said he had submitted his resignation to President Barack Obama, and that he had shown "extremely poor judgment". | In a statement, Mr Petraeus said he had submitted his resignation to President Barack Obama, and that he had shown "extremely poor judgment". |
He described his behaviour as "unacceptable" for the leader of the nation's main intelligence agency. | |
Mr Petraeus became CIA boss in 2011 after heading international forces in Iraq, then in Afghanistan. | |
He was the highest-profile military officer of the post-9/11 years, winning plaudits for his role running the "surge" in Iraq and implementing a counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan. | |
'Great patriot' | |
Mr Petraeus' resignation came just three days after President Barack Obama's re-election, and prompted a flurry of statements from the White House, intelligence community and Mr Petraeus himself. | |
Announcing his decision to stand down, the former general was full of contrition. | |
"After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extra-marital affair," Mr Petraeus said in a statement. | |
"Such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organisation such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation." | |
Mr Obama's statement said Mr Petraeus had "provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades", citing both his time as CIA director and service to the military. | |
"By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger." | |
"Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work." | |
CIA deputy director Michael Morell will serve as acting director of the agency, the White House confirmed. | |
James Clapper, director of national intelligence, thanked Mr Petraeus for his decades of service: "Dave's decision to step down represents the loss of one of our nation's most respected public servants," | |
"I have spent more than five decades serving our country-in uniform and out-and of all the exceptional men and women I have worked with over the years, I can honestly say that Dave Petraeus stands out as one of our nation's great patriots." |