Let he who is without sin cast the first stone....
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Let he who is without sin cast the first stone....
Trudy Rubin, Inquirer Opinion Columnist
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone....
Cairo. The sudden resignation of David Petraeus as CIA director over an affair makes me very sad, and quite angry. There's something wrong with a political system that destroys men of his talent over a very human mistake.
Yes, I know he showed bad judgment and may have considered it a matter of honor to step down. But I think his resignation should have been rejected. Can our system really afford to lose him and upend the CIA, yet again, over such a peccadillo? Do we really have such talent to spare?
Petraeus was not accused of any security breach, and – as the whole world now knows - the affair was discovered only tangentially through another FBI investigation. This is now an unfortunate situation he must resolve with his wife. But why, at a time when the CIA is crucial in anti-terrorism operations, and Petraeus so knowledgeable on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa and the Middle East, should the country lose his skills because of a personal matter?
Watching from Cairo, where guns and jihadis are passing trough from next door Libya and making the Sinai into a new terrorist nexis, I wonder how Petraeus' exit will affect the efforts to curb this problem? Or to deal with the influx of jihadis into Syria, or drone attacks in Pakistan, etc. etc.
Who can be surprised that, having served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade, under incredible pressure, this disciplined general might have slipped up? Had he compromised security it would be one thing. But if not, why should the whole country pay the price for his marital sin?
The perils of false purity became clear during the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. Supposedly that mess was precipitated because he lied, but in reality it was a political vendetta. It backfired when many of the legislators who decried the president’s immorality were revealed to have committed similar or worse acts in private.
Shouldn’t we have learned to be wary of penalizing our leaders for sins of the flesh?
News reports say the Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper asked Petraeus to resign, and he agreed. I don’t know the details. But I do know that even those who criticized Petraeus as overly ambitious recognize the sacrifices he made for his country. My many trips to Iraq left no doubt in my mind that the counterinsurgency strategy he promoted there prevented an even more grisly civil war, and ended the heaviest fighting. In Afghanistan, he did the best possible with the hand he was dealt.
Stephen Kinzer has an op-ed in the N.Y. Times Saturday detailing the serial affairs of Allen Dulles, CIA chief from 1953-1961, in the pre-internet days when such behavior wasn’t reported. Dulles’ compulsive womanizing probably did jeopardize his work, unlike Petraeus’ folly. But reading this piece made me yearn for the days when national leaders were judged on performance, and their private lives remained just that.
It appears the general sent untold numbers of compromising emails through his personal account, which is quite reckless for someone with his highest level of security clearance and oversight responsibilities. That goes directly to his judgment, which is why, in my view, his resignation was entirely appropriate.
Of course we are all sinners, but when bad choices endanger national security -- as this well could have -- then it's best that someone else step into that key leadership position.
I'd like to know whether Eric Holder told the president about this when it was first discovered -- and if not, why. And if the president DID know about it from the beginning, why did he not demand his resignation months ago?
Well, if Bill Clinton didn't have to resign, why did Petraeus have to resign?— icantbelieveit- frank1121:
Even Chris Wallace when asked on Fox News said that he did not think it was nothing more than what was said as resignation as a result of marital infidelity. Mr. Wallace admonished the others not to speculate into other things that have no basis here!
However, some people have to see a conspiracy under every rock.
I agree with Ms. Rubin, if national security was not compromised then Pres. Obama should not have accepted CIA Chief Petreaus's resignation. People do make mistakes and they deserve second chances in most cases.— EIK - What is there when we no longer have honor? And is honor to one's family not the most honorable? Trudy, you are a one trick pony with obviously with a low bar for ethics for our national leaders and familia.— Earl J
- To people like Trudy, honor is just a word that she hears once in a while at the movies.
For them the ends will always justify the means.— barlowjames1 - One could predict this article. Are assignments make in journalism, you take pro, I'll take con?
Your arguement fails. Do you believe he is the only person in the US who can fill this role. One thing you learn in the armed services: all of us are replaceable.
In view of his prostate cancer, his busy career, his age and other male factors, one can understand the temptation, what is not acceptable is to break an oath.
There is no right to a position of authority. It is a privilege that is earned. If we can't trust those who take an oath, who can we trust?
He could have divorced, he could have not had a relationship with another, but he did not and broke his promise to his wife.
He promised to defend the constitution, and while his past suggests he honored that promise, so had his past behavior suggested he love, honored and cherished his wife up to the point he did not..
If this behavior does not call his judgement into question, what does? (And FTR, I felt Clinton, a great president should have resigned for the good of the US. If he had, maybe no Bush, no Iraq, no Afganistan.)— Osler - I did not read the previous e-mails. However, congratulations, Trudy. Some day the USA will shake off its puritanical world view. The man, and woman, are human. I do not condone their behavior but we are going to lose a great leader because of this?!! Check out some previous US presidents, Jefferson, for example. Should he be censored because of his discretions? Try the European national leaders. Most have affairs that are common knowledge to their citizenry— bedlinen
- This man was entrusted with the highest position in the CIA to oversee our national security. For a man who has consistently made good decisions as a military leader, he betrayed his own values of honor and ultimately betrayed the interest of our country. Any excuse you can conger up for the man Trudy is irreverent...."ye suffer fools gladly."— dogman5
- An trice, accused rapist, found guilty of adultery in the oval office recently addressed the Democrat National Convention, and is held in high regard among 1/2 the population. I agree, since Clinton got away with rape and molestation, the general should be able to chase women all he wants.— Tony Stark
- This whole situation stinks. Petraeus properly resigned after improperly conducting himself. A person at that level knows the deal; don't compromise yourself. A higher standard exists. This was gross disregard of duty and a poor example for the people he led.
Beyond that, any intelligent and inquiring mind will want to ask; why now? Why was this rushed? When the FBI found this stuff why not make sure Feinstein and Rogers were informed immediately? That's fishy. Petraeus is a private citizen now. He can plead the 5th at any hearing that follows.
This is a plain case of government abusing its power. The 4th estate should not be excusing any part of this. Get to work and find the smoking gun.
— bstew74 - Well said, Trudy. Could not agree more. Two more well-known names you could have easily (and accurately) added are those of JFK and Mickey Mantle, two of the biggest skirt-chasers who ever walked the earth. But they lived in a time when, as you said, private lives remained private - and stuff we didn't need to know did not surface. If someone shows conclusively that National Security was breached, I might be concerned. Otherwise, this is a matter for him to resolve with his wife.— Phil
- Trudy, obviously you are a heathen, because "What God joins together, let no one put asunder".
- Politicians and the press still haven't learned to hold comment and judgement until ALL the facts have been gathered. There is a great deal of information missing here.— Elery
- Peccadillo?? Seriously?? TELL THAT TO HIS FAMILY!! The demand for Mr Petraeus's resignation has NOTHING to do with 'sin'. We ALL fall short of how we are supposed to be. It has EVERYTHING to do with the potential security risk. Mr Petraeus opened himself up to potential blackmail. His years in the military and the effects thereof MAY have led to these affairs, but they do NOT excuse them. Nor does the excuse that others in authority did the very same thing.— wbminn63
