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Petraeus scandal: 'Wouldn't call it welcome,' says White House

According to a nearly complete investigation, Marine Gen. John Allen played a role in the scandal which prompted CIA Director David Petraeus' resignation. General Allen's involvement has delayed a planned White House decision to transfer him to Europe. 

The scandal that felled CIA 顿颈谤别肠迟辞谤听David Petraeus听widened on Tuesday to snare the top U.S. commander in听Afghanistan, Marine General听John Allen, who was being investigated for "flirtatious" communications with a woman at the center of the case.

Though a law enforcement probe has not uncovered any evidence so far of legal wrongdoing or security risks, it does raise questions about the unusually close relationship between a听Florida听socialite, her sister and two of the most powerful men in the听United States' national security apparatus.

The woman in question, Jill Kelley, has emerged as a central figure in the scandal that has brought down one of the most admired military leaders in the听United States听and threatens to derail the career of another.

Defense officials and people close to Petraeus听say neither he nor Allen had a romantic relationship with Kelley, a 37-year-old wife and mother, who is described as a prominent presence in military circles in听Tampa.

She may have been seen as a rival by Petraeus' biographer,听Paula Broadwell, who sent Kelley a series of anonymous, harassing emails which touched off an investigation that uncovered evidence of an affair between Petraeus听and Broadwell.

According to law enforcement sources, FBI investigators decided to pursue the matter when they found the messages contained information about the CIA chief's activities that was not publicly available.

Kelley had gotten to know both Petraeus听and Allen as a volunteer setting up social events at听MacDill Air Force Base听outside听Tampa,听headquarters of U.S. Central Command.

The relationship was evidently close enough that both men intervened in a child custody battle involving Kelley's twin sister,听Natalie Khawam.

"She is a dedicated mother, whose only focus is to provide the necessary support, love, and care for her son," Allen wrote about Khawam in a Sept. 22 letter to a Washington, D.C., court.

Allen and Kelley communicated often enough over the past two years to produce between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of email and other messages, which were turned over to Defense Department investigators on Sunday.

The actual volume of communications is likely much smaller, an official said, as the printouts include messages involving other people and email threads including prior communications.

A senior defense official told Reuters the messages were seen as inappropriate because they were "flirtatious" in nature, not because they dealt with sensitive information.

But "flirtatious" may be an understatement. Another U.S. official said the听Pentagon听only decided to refer it for investigation after an initial look found the communications to be of "a sufficient character" to warrant further review.

Allen has denied that the two had a sexual relationship, officials said on condition of anonymity. Adultery can lead to a dishonorable discharge under U.S. military law.

White House backs Allen听听

The scandal complicates President听Barack Obama's efforts to reorganize his national security team following his re-election. The听White House听said it still had faith in Allen, but its plans to transfer him to听Europe, where he would head U.S. and allied forces, have been suspended.

Obama also has to find a replacement for Petraeus听at the CIA at a time when the president is vetting candidates to head the State and Defense departments.

The scandal could throw a wrench into Obama's relations with听Congress听at a time when he is engaging in high-stakes budget negotiations to avoid the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

"I certainly wouldn't call it welcome,"听White House听spokesman听Jay Carney听said of the scandal.

Defense Secretary听Leon Panetta听said Allen, a four-star Marine Corps general, would stay in his job for the time being, and the听White House听said Obama was still had confidence in Allen's ability to command the 68,000 U.S. troops in听Afghanistan.

Both Allen and the official due to replace him in听Afghanistan, Marine Corps General听Joseph Dunford, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before they can take up their new posts in February.

Lawmakers on the听Senate Armed Services Committee听said they would go ahead with a confirmation hearing for Dunford on Thursday. Allen's appearance was canceled.

Allen had just submitted recommendations on what role the听United States听should play in听Afghanistan听after most American combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

A senior lawmaker said on Tuesday the Senate Intelligence Committee still wanted to talk to Petraeus听about the CIA's role in events surrounding the September attack on the听U.S. consulate听in听Benghazi,听Libya, that killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

"The committee will talk to him, the committee thinks it's important," said Senator听Dianne Feinstein, the panel's Democratic chairwoman. "The actual time of it is undecided at this point."

FBI agents searched Broadwell's听Charlotte,听North Carolina, home late on Monday in a sign that the case involving Petraeus听was not fully closed.

Agents entered the house carrying boxes at around 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Tuesday) and emerged four hours later, carrying away what appeared to be two computers and about 10 boxes.

Broadwell's family was not at home at the time.

U.S. officials have said recently that their investigation was largely complete and that prosecutors had determined it was unlikely they would bring charges in that case, which started when Kelley contacted an FBI agent in听Tampa.

That FBI agent, who has not been identified, came under scrutiny himself after it was discovered he had sent shirtless photographs of himself to Kelley "long before" this investigation, a law enforcement official told Reuters.

The agent, who alerted an FBI cyber squad to the Broadwell case, apparently became frustrated at the pace of the investigation and complained to a member of听Congress听about it, the official said.