Checkmate Paula Broadwell: Military Intelligence still an Oxymoron

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Winston Churchill spoke this immortal words on August 16, 1940. He was referring to the heroic efforts of the Royal Air Force pilots battling the Nazi war machine in order to stave off a German invasion. It’s powerful and moving.

In the wake of the Patraeus scandal, the greater casualty is being overlooked – our men and women in uniform. While hundreds of soldiers were sent into war zones, with long stretches away from their families, Patreaus, Broadwell and Kelley carried on like teenagers with a highly decorated Broadwell reduced to sending emails “anonymously.”

According to the Associated Press via ABC Action News, ”

General Allen must have sent that email to Kelley and my guess is that she knew exactly who had sent it. Broadwell then sent emails anonymously to Kelley accusing her of touching Patreaus under the table and chastising her for “parading” around the base adding, “‘Who do you think you are?’”

Broadwell who studied military tactics apparently lost all perspective when badgering Kelley. Her biggest misstep (see: The Art of War) was in not knowing her enemy. I am certain, however, that Kelley knew hers and was aware that the vicious emails were from Broadwell.

How does a decorated reservist (she was promoted to Lt. Colonel in August) with top secret clearance get outwitted by a socialite? I have to admit that pretending to fear for General Patreaus’ life because of the emails and then mesmerizing an FBI agent to take on the case was pure genius. I’m not convinced that Kelley knew that an affair was going on, but she certainly knew that Broadwell was bordering on crazy stalker. I think she probably just wanted to out her publicly or at least via an official investigation. In the end, I would put Broadwell in my file of brilliant women diminished by narcissism. She is in unfortunate company, including former astronaut Lisa Nowak who raced to meet her rival at a Florida airport wearing diapers to insure no stops were necessary. You can read about her and another brilliant female doctor that tried to break into her lovers home by sliding down the chimney. She got stuck and no one knew. She died.

It’s all here, “Sell crazy someplace else, we’re all stocked up here.”