Petraeus's Departure

An affair that would normally have repercussions that reached only so far has now caused CIA director David Petraeus to resign from his post, only a few days after the 2012 presidential election, and a few days before he was scheduled to testify about the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. Many politicians have reacted negatively towards his resignation, and even more so towards the cancellation of his testimony. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King, R-New York, who is also a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, says Petraeus should testify regardless. 

King insists that Petraeus is "an absolutely essential witness." He goes on to say during an interview on CNN, "David Petraeus' testifying has nothing to do with whether or not he's still the CIA director, and I don't see how the CIA can say he's not going to testify." The conspiracy theorists have already emerged, claiming that Petraeus's resignation is part of a large scheme by the Obama administration to cover up the events in Benghazi. 

Petraeus's actions were indeed irresponsible and scorn worthy, but let us not overlook the bigger picture. His resignation is a watershed event, after which the US Intelligence Agency cannot fully recover. His expertise in the field and his adroitness in international relations has been key in the United States' success in foreign policy; his shoes are simply too big to fill. Whether this has negative implications for US security or not, I am not quite sure yet. But it is absolutely necessary for this issue to be handled sensitively, and resolved immediately. I will update on this story as more information emerges.