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Gen. Petraeus resignation 'stuns' WH officials

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    CIA director cites extramarital affair

  • Duration 2:43
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This transcript is automatically generated

Good evening I'm Brett -- talk about a November surprise us.

CIA director General David Petraeus is out tonight just three days after President Obama won reelection.

Petraeus says the reason is an extramarital affair.

This is one of those stories that virtually no one saw coming.

We begin tonight with chief White House correspondent Ed -- Good evening -- good evening -- officials here at the White House say they were stunned when General Petraeus came to the president just yesterday and told them he wanted to step down.

He has had a long distinguished military record.

Of decades.

An architect of the surge in Iraq of course you'll remember in 2007 under President Bush came back and became commander on the ground in Afghanistan against President Obama.

And had only taken the CIA job in September of 2011.

That even though the general has come under fire for the CIA's role.

It have been Ghazi terror attack people close to tonight -- -- the resignation has absolutely nothing to do with that incident this was just a personal failing that he talked about today in a statement saying.

Quote after being married for over 37 years I should extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair such behavior is unacceptable both as a husband.

And is a leader of an organization such as ours this afternoon the president.

Graciously accepted my resignation now as you know the president and the general have clashed over the years there was even speculation General Petraeus could.

Because the -- presidential or vice presidential nominee on the Republican side running against the president.

That never happened.

But don't forget these two men did come together after general Stanley McChrystal had to step down.

Because of unfortunate comments he made a Rolling Stone magazine.

General Petraeus agreed to put their differences aside stepped up went back to the battlefield and served as commander on the ground in Afghanistan in the president singled about today in praise General Petraeus by saying he is quote one of the outstanding.

General officers of his generation.

-- -- our military adapt to new challenges in leading our men and women in uniform through remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to responsible and as director of the Central Intelligence Agency he has continued to serve with characteristic in intellectual rigor.

Dedication and patriotism that from the president meanwhile democratic senator Dianne Feinstein the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee is tonight saying.

-- what she does not excuse the general's behavior she regrets that the president accepted his resignation because she thinks he is so.

Critical in that -- so important in that job and obviously with crises in Iran Syria the last thing -- White House wanted to be doing tonight Brett.

-- deal with the new search for CIA director.

OK -- we'll head back in just a minute.

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