The reasons for my decision are personal. I did not come to it lightly or quickly, but given the considerations behind it, I recognized in the end it was the only choice I could make. While I won’t go into the details, my primary concern is for the health of my wife, who has sacrificed so much for so long.General John Allen • Announcing his resignation today, in a statement. Allen’s decision comes as, according to him, he wants to spend more time with his wife, who he’s said suffers numerous chronic health issues, among them an autoimmune disorder. Allen served as the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan for 19 months, was caught up in the fringes of the Petraeus sex scandal (but subsequently cleared), and had been the Obama administration’s nomination to serve as NATO supreme allied commander until now. Said President Obama: “Today, I met with General John Allen and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family.” source
Graphic: Petraeus, Kelley, Broadwell, Allen and the FBI guy with no shirt
Confused about the state of the Petraeus scandal? At this rate, we sympathize — even keeping a close eye on it is hard, with the story mutating over a few days into one that’s reached yet another general, head of U.S. command in Afghanistan John Allen. When this story is all said and done, it’ll make a hell of a read.
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
