Tawdry inconsequentiality sums up the Petraeus matter. Petraeus and Allen, two Imperial Viceroys from CENCTOM, strode across the globe with more direct and indirect power regionally than any U.S. diplomat or civilian, outstripping in many ways their Roman forebears. Yet the Pro Consuls are socially seduced by shameless con artists. How does this happen?
Jill Kelley, the Philadelphia native, is apparently a ruthless social climber only five years in Tampa. Her apparent wealth masking profound insolvency, alleged IRS fraud, and a litany of creditor lawsuits for staggering sums. Her potentially sociopathic sister knows both generals well enough to finagle two ineffective letters of character support in her child custody war. A judge saw more clearly than the two Titans of CENTCOM. He rejected them, noting her mendacity and untrustworthiness are well known to the court.
‘Camp whores’ (of both genders) are a well known sociological phenomenon. Yet these two did little more than play hostess at various functions. None are obviously stunningly attractive outside the Jersey Shore framework. But flaunt a lifestyle vastly beyond their means. Something else must explain their extraordinary access. It’s not about Petraeus or Allen individually, but a systemic phenomenon.
Reports now indicate that Petraeus used to arrive at Kelley’s parties in military motorcade with 28 Tampa police as escorts. Kelley in return offered expensive cigars, bottle service and musical serenades. It’s corrupt from both sides. Why does CENTCOM condone this?
Kelley tried to get her house declared the other day a diplomatic mission because of a flimsy volunteer certificate bestowing the awesome title of ‘Honorary Ambassader’ [for cheese whiz, or the like]. This is the person who trades personal emails with the Titans of CENTCOM? She has those bona fides. Besides 30,000 pages of emails with General Allen. Her intimacy with Allen involves flying up from Tampa to see him in Washington, D.C. Evidence suggests she had some similar access to Petraeus.
A foreign intelligence service couldn’t design a more useful penetration of Imperial Viceroys. Especially when Jill Kelley is millions in debt and fighting foreclosure and her sister, she of the court order, just declared $3.5 MM bankruptcy. There are a dozen intelligence services that would toss some coin for their access and then guided/targeted collection efforts.
Apparently, to penetrate an American Viceroy you just need some decent tits a good profile, cigars, a foreclosed Mercedes, ruthless self-promotion and South Philly/Jersey shore moxi. The Chinese might well be dumbfounded at the ease and minimal funds involved.
Quick thoughts. We’re somewhat sympathetic to both original ‘sinners.’ Everyone probably knows an ex that did not take a breakup well (or been that ex). Sure, she pursued him. He was the alpha male in a system based on latent crypto-homoerotic glorification of the top dog. He made the mistake. To sociological analysis noting the affair began 2 months at CIA without his accustomed staff, etc. we repeat the above: he made the mistake. Full stop.
re Petraeus’ departure and reducing CIA paramilitary interest, history teaches it’s the President, not the Director that determines this. CIA built up its capacities in every major military conflict to compete with and complement the Pentagon. Stan Turner’s famous 1978 ‘Halloween Massacre’ under Carter was in part (though not entirely) a house cleaning of paramilitary personnel from Vietnam. Few can say that his refocus on technical collection by itself improved things.
Current CIA paramilitary interest began in the Fall of 2001 and grew in a steady line. If you’re here you likely agree the drone program is out of control. What calls itself CIA these days still responds to White House interest, priorities and wishes (spoken or unspoken). Obama must be the one to set new priorities, not a Director.
We agree the FBI’s role is both ominous and pathetic. We also agree the underlying emails should not be sufficient for an FBI investigation. One silver lining: people see that the Bureau does not need a court to access all of their email and Cloud data from 6 months ago. The Bare-Chested Dude (take that, Cigarette Smoking Man!) adds to the entire South Philly/Jersey Shore-in-Tampa motif. His circumventing Bureau Protocol to ignite Congress directly a further warning that the FBI can not be trusted to control information.
Should Petraeus have resigned? Yes. Not because of all the pontification of blackmail, etc. That same 1959 mindset has always been used to enforce needlessly orthodox lifestyle preferences. It’s been rolled back in many areas. Had he chosen to remain, he would of necessity be defending his actions and be perceived as bureaucratically weakened, internally and externally.
These past days may be the only time ever among grown men, we’ve heard someone actually say “Look at those arms, pretty hot, eh?” So there’s that.
Anon says
I think that the bust for his affair was a pretty obvious attempt to remove him from the top level. But I don’t know if I buy it that Petraeus was targeted for being too militaristic with the CIA. IMHO he was probably targeted by people way more militaristic than him, for not being bold enough
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/10/1186031/-Bombshell-article-about-Petraeus-and-Benghazi-based-on-e-book-to-be-released-Tuesday
DrLeoStrauss says
Heard those rumors re security detail hostility in the immediate aftermath. Find much of the reported details – i.e. the ultimatum to resign or be destroyed – a bit comical. Once investigation containment failed — i.e., the House Majority Leader and other members of Congress apprised by the FBI agent in Tampa — his days numbered beyond any alleged palace ‘coup’. (The Agency [sic] is no stranger to military leadership, i.e. Michael Hayden and others (although Turner was a clusterf*ck)).
Not aware of anyone who doubts that the U.S. had boots on the ground assisting anti-Khadaffi forces or still in-country for specific operations. So that part of the tale is stale.
What’s fascinating at this remove is how all these conspiracies now commingle – Benghazi as betrayal, arms dealing, doomed heroic OGA operators, Petraeus, his bimbettes, Brennan, Obama. It’s getting close to a Unified Field Theory of Whack. They’ve yet to link in HRC, though. That two special forces guys package it up adds that extra penumbra of specific, detailed vagaries.
Anon says
Any “lefty” conspiracy has got to have a Clinton in it :p
Aldershot says
“This impact is not outweighed by few advantages, such things as the Charge of the Light Brigade, Florence Nightingale’s heroic service and the recognition of ordinary soldiers’ humanity.”
Ouch.
Alex says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/04/russian-embassy-responds-to-guardian
(We’ve just had a small but nontrivial Russian agent-of-influence job run on the Tories that went bust because Malcolm Rifkind is too much of an old fox not to spot it. This is the Russian Embassy’s right of reply piece in the Grauniad.)
DrLeoStrauss says
Hilarious, Alex. The Crimean War schitck almost worthy of Doris Kearns Goodwin or Michael Beschloss.
Dr Leo Strauss says
Phillip, point well taken. To expand your observation even further, spoke with an acquaintance devoted to rigorous physical fitness. She said everyone at her gym/dojo checks out arms on all genders appreciatively. Looks like we’re (the Stiftung) the ones out of step with the modern world!
Phillip Allen says
Having spent the last 40+ adult years of my life among gay men, I’ve heard that and variants constantly. I suspect that the circumstance you mention is vastly more surreal.
Dr. Leo Strauss says
Anxious, it was a bit too obvious, wasn’t it? We omitted the usual graphics because each effort made the headline seem oblique.
Leon Panetta ordered today a review of ethics. Should clean all this right up.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2012/1116/Pentagon-can-recover-from-Petraeus-and-Allen-scandals
anxiousmodernman says
A headline too bold for Politico.