This article was published by The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor on Wednesday, December 7, 2016:
David Petraeus
Within hours of the meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and retired Army General David Petraeus on Monday, November 28, Gun Owners of America sent an email alert to its more than 1.5 million members:
Anti-gun activist David Petraeus is under consideration for the position of Secretary of State in the Trump administration…
He hates guns so much that he teamed up with anti-gun leader Mark Kelly and his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, to co-found the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, an anti-gun organization devoted to “do[ing] more to prevent gun tragedies” by “urging lawmakers to toughen gun laws.”
As Secretary of State, Petraeus would be in a position to support the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, and ITAR – the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The first would mandate international gun registration and allow comprehensive gun bans while the second would outlaw private gunsmithing activities.
GOA then offered an online petition directed to the Trump transition team, which was completed by many, if not most, of those members.
Petraeus’s anti-gun stance is one that most journos have overlooked. Instead they have focused on the seamy and treacherous relationship Petraeus had with his mistress (also his biographer) Pamela Broadwell, which forced him to resign as head of the CIA in 2012. They published evidence that he gave her eight notebooks that he kept while he was commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, containing everything from his daily schedule to classified information about the identities of officers serving under cover, war strategies, intelligence capabilities, private conversations with diplomats, notes taken during National Security Council meetings, as well as private meetings with President Obama.
So treacherous were those revelations that the FBI and the Justice Department recommended that felony charges be lodged against Petraeus. As FBI Director James Comey said at the time:
So you have obstruction of justice, you have intentional misconduct and a vast quantity of [classified] information. He admitted he knew that was the wrong thing to do. That is a perfect illustration of the kind of cases that get prosecuted.
But Petraeus negotiated his way through a plea bargain to admit guilt only to misdemeanor charges that cost him $100,000 in fines and two years on probation but no jail time.
Following the interview on Monday it looked like the deal was done. Trump tweeted: “Just met with General Petraeus – was very impressed!” Petraeus returned the compliment:
I was with him for about an hour. He basically walked us around the world. Showed a great grasp of a variety of challenges that are out there and some of the opportunities as well.
[It was a] very good conversation and we’ll see where it goes from here.
Afterward a transition team member said, off the record, that Trump was “inclined” to pick Petraeus.
But then the roof fell in. Petitions opposing his nomination apparently flooded in and Trump began to reconsider. After all, how would it look if one of the most pre-eminent positions in his new cabinet would be filled by someone still under probation? How would it look to his base of supporters to appoint an anti-gunner?
The combination of betrayal of state secrets and a virulent anti-gun ideology is now forcing the Trump transition team to broaden its list of candidates for the position. Said team leader Kellyanne Conway on Sunday: “There’s not a definite list of candidates [for secretary of state]. [There are] more than four. Who know how many finalists there will be?”
Sources:
email from GOA on Petraeus anti-gun position
Website of Americans for Responsible Solutions
Business Insider: Petraeus takes center stage amid infighting about Trump considering Romney for secretary of state
Bloomberg.com: Trump Sees Petraeus as Secretary of State Fight Continues
Trump expands list of candidates to head State Dep’t
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