Why Isn’t David Petraeus on Trial?

[marmar]

via truthdig:


The U.S. government has treated principled whistle-blowers like treasonous spies, yet Attorney General Eric Holder has reportedly ignored recommendations from his own FBI and Justice Department to prosecute former CIA chief David Petraeus.

The New York Times reported Friday that “F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors have recommended bringing felony charges against retired Gen. David H. Petraeus for providing classified information to his former mistress while he was director of the C.I.A.” Petraeus, a decorated general who worked for both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, is accused of passing classified information to his mistress, who was also his biographer.

Petraeus resigned from the CIA in 2012 and Holder was supposed to have decided whether to prosecute by the end of the year. The Times reports that the dilly-dallying has irritated Holder’s own subordinates, who see a double standard, as well as Petraeus supporters.

With Obama and Holder, the U.S. has conducted more prosecutions under the Espionage Act than all previous presidents combined. The administration has hunted leakers from all corners of government, including some who are praised as heroes. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/why_isnt_david_petraeus_on_trial_20150109

[99th_Monkey]

1. Great Question - I've been watching this snake since early 2011

General Petraeus's Link to a Troubling Suicide in Iraq: The Ted Westhusing Story
Greg Mitchell * June 27, 2011 - 9:40 AM ET * The Nation

The scourge of suicides among American troops and reservists in Iraq and Afghanistan remains a serious and seriously underreported problem. Last month they hit a new high in the US Army, despite intensive new efforts to prevent them. One of the few high-profile cases emerged six years ago this month, and it involves a much-admired Army colonel and ethicist named Ted Westhusing—who, in his suicide note, pointed a finger at a then little-known US general named David Petraeus.

Westhusing’s widow, asked by a friend what killed this West Point scholar, replied simply: “Iraq.”

Before (reportedly) putting a bullet through his head, Westhusing had been deeply disturbed by abuses carried out by American contractors and unnamed advisors in Iraq, including allegations that they had witnessed or even participated in the murder of Iraqis. His suicide note included claims that his two commanders, Lt. Gen. Petraeus and Maj. Gen. Josephy Fil, tolerated a mission based on “corruption, human rights abuses and liars. I am sullied—no more. I didn’t volunteer to support corrupt, money grubbing contractors, nor work for commanders only interested in themselves.”

One of those commanders: the future leader of American forces in Iraq, and then Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus.

Westhusing, 44, had been found dead in a trailer at a military base near the Baghdad airport in June 2005, a single gunshot wound to the head. At the time, he was the highest-ranking officer to die in Iraq. The Army concluded that he committed suicide with his service pistol and found his charges against the commanders unfounded. Petraeus and Fil would later attend Westhusing’s memorial service back in the United States.

In a new interview, Westhusing’s widow Michelle (who lives just up the river from me near West Point) says she wished they had not attended. “I feel like they let him down,” she says. “I feel as if no one was watching out for Ted’s welfare. He was trying to tell them something, and they ignored him. I can only imagine how that felt to him…. Ted very much believed in honor and doing the right thing. I think he was told not to worry about things, to sweep them under the carpet and go home. But Ted couldn’t do that. He wasn’t just a professor of ethics, he didn’t just teach it, he believed it with all his heart.””
http://www.thenation.com/blog/36661/general-petraeuss-link-troubling-suicide-iraq-ted-westhusing-story

[sabrina 1]

2. That was a tragic story, I remember it well. Westhusing was an honorable man and like so many

honorable people, Manning eg, who tried to report wrongdoing, it was THEY who suffered draconian consequences.

I did not know that Petraeus was involved in that, but it isn't a surprise.

And I remember how Moveon's ad against him (General Betrayus) angered the Dem Party, oddly, who then pressured Moveon to remove it.

Seems they should have stuck to their guns on that.

The story of Petraeus and his mistress and those women at the base, was a strange one airc. But it conveniently died before there were any answers.

Something is terribly wrong in this country when honorable people are jailed and murdered while the corrupt remain untouchable.

[Telcontar]

9. I was there, I worked with him

He was majorly (perhaps clinically) depressed.

[bullwinkle428]

3. Look at Rachel's story last about the sleazy details surrounding John Ensign's

resignation. Ensign's top aide got busted for lobbying, following his termination by Ensign after the discovery by the aide that Ensign was nailing his wife (who also worked for Ensign).

The thing is, Ensign set the whole lobbying thing up, but the Justice Dept. never thought to actually investigate (let alone bring charges against) Ensign himself.

[AzDar]

4. K & R

[90-percent]

5. This is a real selective enforcement dilemma for the Administration

Petreaus was the former head of the CIA. A polite administration simply does not go after somebody at this level. If they did, the next thing you know they'd be prosecuting Bush and Cheney and the Banksters.

Prosecuting Petreaus would betray the doctrine of "laws are just for the little people".

I do not think the Oligarch's that own our government would ever allow them to go after a guy on his level. It might open the floodgates to rid our institutions of corruption. And then where would the wealthy get the bazillions for all their car elevators?

-90% jimmy

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. IOKIYAR.

[chillfactor]

7. why aren't Bush and Cheney on trial....

that is the better question!

[Scuba]

8. Holder is a whore, too busy busting MMJ users to deal with real crimes.