Source: BBC

CIA director David Petraeus’s extramarital affair, which forced him to resign, was uncovered during an investigation into a potential breach of his Gmail account, reports say.

The check revealed Mr Petraeus’s affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

The FBI was investigating whether Mrs Broadwell had access to Mr Petraeus’s account, after receiving a complaint that she had harassed another woman.

Mr Petraeus described his behaviour as “unacceptable” for the CIA’s leader.

President Barack Obama, re-elected just three days before the resignation, praised Mr Petraeus for his “extraordinary service”.

The four-star general became CIA boss in 2011 after heading international forces in Iraq and later in Afghanistan.

He was the highest-profile military officer of the post-9/11 years, winning plaudits for his role running the “surge” in Iraq and implementing a counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan.

He left his command role in Afghanistan in mid-2011, resigning from the US Army to head the CIA after Leon Panetta became defence secretary. Read further.