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Home Page > News > Report claims Irish American Jill Kelley at heart of Petraeus resignation story

Report claims Irish American Jill Kelley at heart of Petraeus resignation story

Paula Broadwell sent harassing emails to ‘social liaison’ Kelley

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, November 12, 2012, 7:29 AM

Updated Monday, November 12, 2012, 7:29 AM

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Paula Broadwell, left, author of the David Petraeus biography "All In" and Jill Kelley of Tampa, right, the State Department's liaison to the military's Joint Special Operations Command.

Photo by Broadwell photo: AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, T. Ortega Gaines; Kelley photo, Tampa Bay Magazine, May/June 2007 edition

Irish American Jill Kelley has emerged as a major player in the events surrounding the affair which led to the resignation of CIA chief David Petraeus.

Kelley is a 37-year-old resident of Tampa in Florida who acts as a ‘social liaison’ to local military bases.

The New York Post claims that Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell, who had an affair with the CIA boss, sent harassing emails to Kelley.

A senior military official has told the paper that these emails triggered an FBI investigation.

A second source has confirmed to the Post that Kelley and Petraeus are friends.

The FBI probe that ultimately forced Petraeus to quit as CIA director last week began several months ago with a complaint against Broadwel,l according to the report.

Investigators were led to Broadwell’s email account which uncovered the relationship with Petraeus.

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Murph46 | Nov 14, 2012, 01:23 PM EST

Merefellow-Would you call Clinton a man if he used YOUR daughter as a humidor?

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merefalow | Nov 13, 2012, 04:46 PM EST

the day military men are destroyed by the pc brigade is a BAD day,what the hell sort of pansy warriors are we breeding and that a mans career, life, rep can be destroyed because he has an eye for a pretty woman.kennedy,clinton,were men,not like some of the,whatever they are in government now.bloody shame.

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Researcher1 | Nov 13, 2012, 11:01 AM EST

I must let you know that "Jill Kelley" is not Irish American. If she is an American citizen, then she is more than likely a "Syrian American". Her maiden name is Khawam. Five minutes of internet search led to finding the following: (1) Searching for the word Khawam resulted in syria-related businesses as search results. 2) Her brother and sister use the name Khawam. 3)There is some story on the New York Post web page about Petraeus intervening on behalf of Jill Kelley's twin sister Natalie Khawam in some child custody matter. 4) Natalie Khawam is a lawyer who is suing her former employer, a Tampa Fl Law firm over sexual harassment that an employee of the firm allegedly did. The bottom line is that this is a mess!

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Towngate | Nov 12, 2012, 06:15 PM EST

I am amazed nobody at the CIA has noticed that Kermit look-a-like Patreaeus is a muppet!

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mal | Nov 12, 2012, 03:10 PM EST

Your desire to claim people with tenuous links to Ireland is pathetic. Is there a bounty paid for each claim? If my Jewish granny drank Guinness does that make me Irish?

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Murph46 | Nov 12, 2012, 01:27 PM EST

Hey LacourSeanB-Back off the West Side Irish in Cleve! You are right about her picture ,I told my wife-"She sure as hell ain't shanty Irish"Ha!

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LacarourSeanB | Nov 12, 2012, 01:16 PM EST

A piece well more comprehensive than the above published in today's Philadelphia Daily News indicates that Jill is of Lebanese descent, is a Maronite Catholic and lived in the Philadelphia area until her mid 20's. It appears also by that account that she is somewhat of a pretentious social climber and is at least an acquaintance of General Petraeus. One thing that she isn't is Irish or Yank Irish or at all Irish. No sin in that of course but hey guys, drop the sounds like but it's nonetheless less than a sound byte reporting and just look at the poor woman's picture if you want to write and publish something here sans doing any appropriate investigative work. She looks well more Dubai than Dublin and certainly more Cairo than Cork. She might pass for the West Side IA in Cleveland but who doesn't? Cmon! You folks can do better than this.

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slainte9 | Nov 12, 2012, 12:04 PM EST

Jill Kelley is someone who is married to someone who has an Irish name. I am surprised that a four star general didn't run as fast as he could in the other direction, when a big bosomed woman prone to short dresses that barely covered her privates showed up at the party.

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slainte9 | Nov 12, 2012, 12:00 PM EST

Only rabid rightwingers would think Patraeus has anything to contribute to our understanding of the incident in Libya. Command of the incident was way below his pay grade and all he knows about it is what was passed up the CIA chain of command. Any officials who need to investigate what happened can talk to the State Dept. and CIA officials who were actually in charge.

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Murph46 | Nov 12, 2012, 10:45 AM EST

Bob Woodward of "Deepthroat" fame castigated the right for making this political.I vividly remember him saying there are no coincidences in politics.What do you know Petaeus is supposed to testify on the Libyan murders of 4 Americans,now saying he won't.Amazing this comes out AFTER the election when so many had knowledge of it so far back(except for Senate Intelligence Char Feinstein)!!!!!

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ccorser | Nov 12, 2012, 10:28 AM EST

She is from a Lebanese family in New Jersey and her husband is a surgeon.

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Parents | Nov 12, 2012, 10:03 AM EST

I dont think he had to resign...he is great at his job. Many others are doing the same thing but they didn't get caught, that's the difference. Just because he had an affair doesn't mean this woman had any secret information at all. That is what needs to be proved not the affair.

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RichardP | Nov 12, 2012, 09:13 AM EST

Ok. I know you love to tie everything into 'Irish-American' somehow but HOW do you know this woman is Irish American? She is married to a man with an Irish last name - is that what makes her Irish American?!? Maybe she's Italian or Jewish or Cuban or whatever and proud of it, or maybe she really IS Irish Americanbut don't let the facts get in the way or substantiate your story with them.

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