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U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he has "no evidence" that the sex scandal involving David Petraeus, former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has had a negative impact on the U.S. national security.
"I have no evidence at this point from what I've seen that classified information was disclosed that in any way would have had a negative impact on our national security," Obama told reporters at his first news conference held after winning reelection last Tuesday.
Citing the ongoing investigation into the scandal by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice, Obama declined to make comment on the specifics of the case.
He stressed that the FBI and the Department of Justice have their own general protocols while conducting "a potential criminal investigation," which he will not meddle in.
However, Obama spoke highly of Petraeus, a retired four-star general who had served as commanders of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, for providing "an extraordinary service" to the country. "We are safer because of the work that David Petraeus has done. And my main hope right now is that he and his family are able to move on," he said.
Petraeus resigned last week, citing that he had an extramarital affair with his female biographer Paula Broadwell, that was exposed by the FBI which launched an investigation after a woman in Tampa, Florida, reported receiving threatening emails from Broadwell.
The woman, named Jill Kelly, a social liaison at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, was reported to have close relations with both Petraeus and John Allen, commander of the U.S. troops and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Earlier Tuesday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that Allen is also being investigated for alleged "inappropriate communications" with Kelley.
Due to the pending investigation, Allen's nomination to the NATO commander has been put on hold, and he would not attend a confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday. |
