After the re-election of US President Barack Obama, a scandal after another has caused commotions in that country, which has not yet recovered from the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
The most notorious thing is the framework of circumstances that led to the resignation of former CIA director, David Petraeus, accused of having an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, which reminds us the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.
As the North American press has reported, Petraeus could even face adultery charges in a court-martial, if it’s proved that his affair with Broadwell began when he was still on active military duty.
US ABC news network revealed that according to a former subordinate of the retired general, the affair between Broadwell and his former boss began after he retired from the Army in August 2011, and finished four months ago.
The biographer and reserve officer is under investigation too for having revealed war secrets during a public press conference in Denver, Colorado, which have to do with what happened in Bengasi last September 11, something that she shouldn’t handle and that it’s not known for sure why she revealed it.
Beyond whether there was a love affair earlier or after or not, the truth is that this scandal has been like opening Pandora’s Box, which exposed the vulnerability of the system, and the existing cyber-espionage in U.S., where even the CIA director himself is an easy target. But watch out, the most likely thing is that Petraeus, a heavyweight in the northern country, has been investigated for the emails he exchanged with his biographer, who was under the FBI’s scrutiny for alleged threatening emails.
Apparently, the love affair between Petraeus and Broadwell became known because a friend of the former CIA director complained to the FBI’s Tampa office about anonymous harassing emails. The traces of the messages led the feds to Broadwell, and then to the emails that showed the confidential affair between the two.
This event has put the lack of freedom and privacy of US citizens up for debate. Human rights activists have denounced the FBI’s practices of violating intimate aspects of its people. Apparently, the more technological platforms develop, the least protected be the citizen who accesses them.
After the 9/11 attacks, the government gave the Federal Bureau of Investigations broad authority to control cybercrimes, ranging from identity theft and online bullying; in addition, it can request technical information from the email accounts of private citizens, for which it only needs the permission from a prosecutor.
Stewart Baker, former official at the Homeland Security Department, said that in case of an ongoing investigation of an alleged crime, experts with government permission can enter and manipulate emails of private citizens.
In another extent, the scandal has tinted the credibility of Obama, they accuse him of having known these events long before the 11/6 elections and that they remained in secret so as not to affect the vote. At a minimum, the Secretary of Defense was aware, and he has direct access to the US president, they allege.
Several political analysts ascertained that the real reason for the resignation of the former general at the CIA command is linked to the Agency’s mismanagement of the Benghazi attacks, which claimed the life of the US ambassador and other officials last September.
Since the attack on the consulate, the government has given many versions. One after another contradict themselves and have left many more questions than answers about what really happened in that Libyan city.
On this matter, Petraeus was summoned to testify last Thursday before the House Intelligence Committees, and journalistic sources highlighted that the lawmakers expressed their doubts after his appearance.
The statements issued in camera raised harsh criticisms against the Obama administration, by considering there were security failures.
Rep. Pete King pointed out that Petraeus said from the outset that the involvement of extremist groups in the attack had remained clear. Then, the senator stated he did not remember that the former CIA director “had said that on September 14”, referring to the report he had submitted three days after the attack, which supposes a change of assumptions now.
Republicans feel safe in the Benghazi issue to incriminate the current administration in its responsibility for the failure in the policy toward the countries of northern Africa and the Middle East. These criticisms could be the prelude of a republican offensive within the bicameral parliamentary system.
The lawmakers insist on a coherent strategy before the strengthening of radical Islamic groups in northern Africa, linked to Al Qaeda or its affiliates (key detail to remind the North American public the 9/11 events). Without a doubt, the aim is to promote the active role of the AFRICOM, the U.S. Command for Africa, in the protection of Washington’s interests in that continent. The latter would be against Obama’s strategy focused on building an internal opposition as destabilizing method.
Battles are envisioned in both the Senate and the House of Representatives around thorny issues such as the handling of the federal budget, higher taxes on the wealthiest by the Democrats and Obama’s healthcare plan, among others.
Proponents of the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) have also raised their alert in the face of the resumption of multilateral talks at the United Nations (UN) on the draft treaty for the arms trade, which apparently was paralyzed as not to interfere in the past elections.
The White House has stressed that this treaty would apply only to arms exports and does not pose a danger to gun owners in the country. Nevertheless, there are growing fears that the signing of this treaty could be used by Obama to restrict firearms, in fulfillment of his pre-election promises on reducing violence.
Military members involved in scandals
As if this weren’t enough, the number of top officers investigated and some dismissals from their posts for alleged wrong decisions and sexual violence is increasing among U.S. Army lines.
Among the military under the FBI’s investigation is Gen. John Allen, the Commander of the U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. He’s accused of keeping alleged inappropriate communications with a civil woman.
Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense, released a statement where he affirms that the FBI is investigating Allen and that he ordered an internal inquiry. Everything indicates that the commander of the International Forces is under scrutiny for his emails exchanges between 2010 and 2012 with Jill Kelley, a friend of the Petraeus family and responsible for uncovering the whole investigation that resulted in the latter’s resignation.
The New York Times daily reported that among the generals under scrutiny is William Ward, founder of the so-called Africa Command, who’s accused of misuse of tens of thousands of dollars of the government for his trips and accommodations.
Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, deputy chief of the 82nd Airborne Division forces in Afghanistan, is confronting a grand jury to decide whether he should stand trial for adultery, sexual misconduct and sodomy, in his relationships with five women.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade chief, Col. James H. Johnson III, was fined and reduced in rank to lieutenant colonel (retiring), after pleading guilty for bigamy and fraud in an affair with an Iraqi woman, with whom he maintained business relationships too.
The newspaper also reminds the scandal at the main training center located at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where six male instructors were charged with rape, adultery, sexual attacks and harassment against several of their female subordinates.
The Navy Times newspaper highlighted that more than 20 top naval officers were dismissed from service this year for misconduct and inappropriate behavior.
In that same extent, Navy Admiral Charles M. Gaouette was replaced from his command of the powerful aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN–74) strike group. Although there were not many details about this, he’s being accused of misconduct.
Cubasi Translation Staff