Petraeus Affair and Escalating Crisis in Syria

This column is designed to offer a platform to discuss national stories on a local level. Share your opinion in the comment section!

---------

I'm sure you've heard by now that David Petraeus, Director of the CIA, resigned over an extramarital affair. 

Reports have surfaced that the affair was discovered by investigating his emails. Questions arise, but I'm sure we'll find out more about who, what, when and where. The Chicago Tribune reports that the woman was a journalist and his biographer. 

While the public has questioned why he would resign over an affair - when even presidents have had affairs and remained in office - the FBI expected him to resign "rather than risk the possibility that he could be blackmailed to give intelligence secrets to foreign intelligence agencies or criminals," according to Newsmax.com.

Additionally, the woman in question had access to Petraeus' email account.

CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell will now fill in as CIA Director, and will also testify at congressional briefings on Benghazi instead of Petraeus, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

----------

Although it's not getting much press, the situation is Syria is still on a downward spiral. According to CNN, al-Assad, whose family has ruled for four decades, is losing control of the country at a rapid pace.  

Two suicide car bombs "targeted Syrian security forces in the flashpoint city of Daraa," according to CNN, leading to renewed efforts and international pressure by the U.S. and Arab Nations to form a new rebel body that could become a transitional form of government. 

The attack followed the alleged killing of ten people by government forces. According to UN estimates, over 35,000 people have been killed in the civil war and over 400,000 have been displaced since March of 2011. 

Al-Assad refuses to call it a civil war, and instead calls the opposition forces "terrorists."