Petraeus to testify before Congress about September 11 attack in Benghazi

The sex scandal that led to CIA Director David Petraeus' resignation widened Tuesday, with the top US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, under investigation for alleged "inappropriate communications" with one of the women involved in the case.       

Even as the FBI prepared a timeline for Congress about the investigation that brought to light Petraeus' extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, the Pentagon began an internal investigation into emails between Allen and Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite involved in the case.  

Kelley, 37, is a close friend of Petraeus and served as a sort of social ambassador for US Central Command in Tampa, hosting parties for the General when he was commander there from 2008 to 2010. Her complaint about an anonymous, threatening email, which allegedly was traced back to Broadwell, triggered an FBI investigation that uncovered Petraeus' affair and led to his downfall.  

Now investigators are poring over emails between Kelley and Allen, who succeeded Petraeus as the top American commander in Afghanistan in July 2011.    

Allen, who was recently nominated to become the next commander of NATO forces, has denied wrongdoing.  At the White House on Tuesday, spokesman Jay Carney said that US President Barack Obama "thinks very highly of General Allen" but in light of the recent developments and investigation, Allen's nomination has been put on hold.        

Still, Carney insisted the President maintains faith in General Allen and his abilities.        

The Petraeus case has sparked an uproar in US Congress, with lawmakers complaining they should have been told earlier about the probe that has roiled the intelligence and military establishment.   

The issue of what the FBI knew, when it notified top Obama administration officials, and when Congress was told, has brought criticism from lawmakers.       

The White House wasn't informed of the FBI investigation that involved Petraeus until November six, Election Day, although agents began looking at Petraeus' actions months earlier, sometime during the summer.    

On Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said the FBI's handling of the situation perplexed her. 

Collins said lawmakers should have learned about the FBI's investigation into Petraeus' affair much sooner. But she said regardless, she and other members of Congress are calling on the former CIA Director to testify before Congress as he was originally scheduled to do, about a September 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the American Ambassador there.     

"I think it's absolutely imperative that General Petraeus come and testify. He was CIA director at the time of the attack. He visited Libya after the attack. He has a great deal of information that we need in order to understand what went wrong, how this attack occurred, why four Americans lost their lives and most of all what we can do to lesson the chances of this kind of attack," Senator Collins said.      

Allen has denied any wrongdoing involving Jill Kelley.      

Friends and former staff members of Petraeus told The Associated Press that he too assured them his relationship with Kelley was platonic, although Broadwell apparently saw her as a romantic rival. Petraeus also denied to these associates that he had given Broadwell any sensitive military information.     

In its initial investigation, the FBI concluded there was no security breach in any information shared between Petraeus and Broadwell.       

Nevertheless, FBI agents conducted a search of Broadwell's Charlotte home on Monday. And the criminal investigation continued into the emails to Kelley, including whether Petraeus had any hand in them.


APTN