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What ‘Terrorist Trick’ Did Petraeus and His Mistress Use to Cover Email Tracks?

Nov. 13, 2012 10:01pm Liz Klimas

Gen. David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell Saved Draft Emails in the Same Account and Deleted Them to Avoid a Data Trail

Gen. David Petraeus shakes hands with biographer Paula Broadwell. David Petraeus resigned from his post on November 9, 2012, citing an extra-marital affair with Paula Broadwell. The FBI began an investigation after it was tipped off by Jill Kelley, a long-time friend of the Petraeus family, who received threatening emails from Broadwell. (Photo by ISAF via Getty Images)

Given that it was intimate emails that helped lead to the uncovering of the affair between Gen. David Petraeus and mistress Paula Broadwell, one might have expected the former director of the CIA — a title Petraeus held until he resigned last week — to take steps to cover their electronic communications. It turns out they did, but the email trick they used just wasn’t sophisticated enough.

In fact, the Associated Press wrote that it’s one “known to terrorists and teenagers alike.”

Here’s what they did according to the AP:

Rather than transmitting emails to the other’s inbox, they composed at least some messages and instead of transmitting them, left them in a draft folder or in an electronic “dropbox,” the official said. Then the other person could log onto the same account and read the draft emails there. This avoids creating an email trail that is easier for outsiders to intercept or trace.

The Washington Post noted that there was even a PBS special in January 2005 that included this tactic and labeled it as a “terrorist trick.” Here’s what PBS wrote:

One terrorist drafts a Web-based e-mail and instead of sending it, saves it to the draft folder, accessible online from anywhere in the world. The other terrorist can open the same account, read the message, and delete it. The e-mail has never been sent, and cannot be tracked.

The Post also stated that it was used in the 2008 film “Traitor.”

Petraeus resigned as the director of the CIA Friday when he admitted involvement in an affair.

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Comments (36)

SmackDownz
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:13pm
This guy is the Director of the CIA and an Army General, yet he has never heard of the TOR Project or Lockbin.com … he totally does NOT deserve to be running the world’s premier spy organization. Its almost like he wanted to be caught. Basic email encryption, people!! Are you using it? If not, start!!

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Gourdy
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 4:56pm
If you use gmail as an example, absolutely none of it actually resides on your computer — it’s all on Google’s servers including saved drafts. Those drafts are no more secure than sent or received emails.

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heavywx
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 7:59am
Has none of these people ever heard of a vpn or the tor project. Want to keep something private these days your run of the mill web based email servers is not the way to go. Just sayin’.

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- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 10:49am
  When phone-dial-up e-service was the rage, there was a FREE mimi-program to “bounce” your info from one “mirror” to annother many hundreds of times before it actually gets to where it’s actually goeing! The #-of-bounces is adjustable from one to almost infinnity! This could take minutes upto days to actually arrive, but even the FBI would hardly be able to un-weave the spider-web of bounces.
  
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- Pontiaku
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 11:16am
  @heavywx
  No kidding. Bureaucrats are always way behind the times. Though I’m not entirely sure if they can install the necessary software or get through the firewall without getting detected and reprimanded.
  
  Report this comment
bekhiet
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:56am
Perhaps, he did have a history of many affairs, so the administration knew he would be an easy press target. Anyways, I don’t care who he sleeps with. That is something he will deal with and apparently going to pay a high price for. What I am concerned over is the fact he can’t stand up and tell the truth. Just be out with it and then let the dust settle. This country did do a lot for him and he should respect that and salvage his character by talking about Benghazi, no matter the cost. These are the times that try a man’s soul….Do the right thing General, do the right thing.

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FightingBear
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:10am
That woman has huge hands! Look at the picture. Petraeus’ hand looks so small in hers.

Was she in the Seinfeld episode “Man Hands”?

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- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 7:29pm
  Lmao!! I always remember the scene with the lobster!…and you’re right, what a big hand!!!
  
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fastfacts
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 4:35am
Even Krauthammer came out last night saying that there was something fishy going on. He even thinks the WH influenced Petraeus’ testimony on Benghazi… http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2012/nov/krauthammer_petraeus_testify.html

Why else would all the sexual details come out by the FBI at this time of scandal. Sounds like another cover up, a continuation of Benghazi before.

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ellietoo
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 4:34am
It’s just silly to think Petreaus never had extramarital affairs before this one. The military is full of this stuff. High ranking people marry people who will advance their careers, just like Petreaus did. They stay married in order to look “stable” in their social lives. People like that are away from home for months even years at a time. Not all cheat but the higher ups have access to a social life that is beyond what any average Joe could think of. Parties and social events every where. Do you think the lady in Florida is unusual? We need to have a Housewives of the High Ranking military series on TV for people to get an idea.
Petreaus did not do anything sharp to hide the emails because the affair was just part of what he did for many years. It didn’t stop him from doing his job until he got into the Obama regime. He got in over his head at that point.

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- NeilChapin
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 5:43am
  The method used by Petraeus is a common method not only in use in the terrorist community. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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ECOMCON
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 4:15am
Big Brother’s tentacles reach far and wide, so I doubt there would be a way of those 2 sending each other secure messages, either by e-mail or texting. But wait, don’t all high powered spooks, military and foreign service types get those high tech secure phones? It would have been easy for the general to give his lady friend one of the extras that he could have ordered up. I bet they have better than 256 bit encryption too ( but the feds had programs that could crack even that back in the early ’90s). I know I could blab about a few ways to really keep things secure and untraceable, using both computers and phones,but I’d be giving away all my trade secrets (and the wife would start getting suspicious if she read this).

One of the real questions is who is running both of the “Willows” in this little menage a quad consisting of the 2 generals and the 2 babes? The Ruskies, the Chinese, the White House or Soros?

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- ECOMCON
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 12:25pm
  It was a bit late last night when I was opining. I meant “swallows” which is the trade name for what essentially are honey traps. But given the particular subject matter, I guess I self censored and said “willows” instead. Ugh, both generals are too old to imagine using the correct term.
  
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Mrs.Cee
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 1:56am
How does anyone know that the authors of the so called drafted emails were indeed the two in question? Could there be a set up of some sort? Somehow I cannot imagine the head of the CIA being so stupid. He should be 10 minutes smarter than everyone else. Am I the only one watching James Bond movies? Geez weez, Sean Connery had better spying techniques than this amateur email drafting scenario.

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blackyb
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 12:26am
Why would she be a spy?

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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:01pm
Frankly from what I’ve read so far you all are focusing on the “sex sells” part of this when you all should be focusing on the real disturbing part which is how much classified information she recieved, how she came into posession of it and most importantly, what she did with it. Yes, it is awfully suspicious that it was exposed at this paticular time, however, the fact remains it is apparent the General compromised our security and that of the nation.

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- RedSox718
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:32pm
  Even if he did give her top secret information (which I doubt he willingly/knowingly did) she had a top secret security clearance.
  
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- Jaycen
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:41pm
  Uh, no….you should be focused on why the Obama administration thought it was appropriate to funnel weapons through Ambassador Stevens to al Qaeda rebels to help topple Assad in Syria.
  
  But, whatever…
  
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- Do Not Panic All is Well
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 1:08am
  Red sox. Classified information is still restricted on a need to know basis. She did not have a need to know any classified information. So the question is what did she learn from her relationship that is classified.
  
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DOSLYNX
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:00pm
I sense a great tragedy is about emerge.

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- Ditto Head
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 12:21am
  The MILF is pregnant?
  
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- bekhiet
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:57am
  A great tragedy is unfolding all around us.
  
  Report this comment
PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:53pm
http://www.theconservativetreehouse.com/2012/11/13/bumper-sticker-of-the-day-419/ Obandoned

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:29pm
PBS? Geez, top spy and intel via Big Bird! What next?

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:47pm
  I know RJJ.. lol..
  
  Was Patraeus getting ALL of his spy techniques from Brad Thor and Jack Higgins?
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:21pm
  Hi Guys,
  
  I wonder who chirped them out?
  
  Report this comment
marine249
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:29pm
if I had a lady on the side, this is what I would do.
but seeing I don’t, I will just send my emails and
post the old way.

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:52pm
  lol MARINE… you sly dog, you!
  
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Eastinfection
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:28pm
I don’t even have to read it… the old “drafts” in a shared account trick… lol… amateur hour.

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jblaze
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:26pm
Ok how did they get the emails then if they deleted all of them?

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:32pm
  when you delete something, it’s not “gone”… it’s in your recycling bin…. it’s like going through someone’s trash… when you put your garbage on the curb.. it still exists even if it’s no longer in your house… same thing.
  
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- Polarized America
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:42pm
  Depends on your server.. even if you Format your Hard Drive & wipe it clean. then reload it, sigh into your email account.. ie…hotmail ….you get all your mail back because they save it..
  I have a local server, and once you download your mail they no longer keep it
  
  note…. i think they still do anyway
  
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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:50pm
  POLAR…
  
  you bet they do… if Boris & Doris, here, did this on “Gmail”, for example, they would get ads for crap 1/2 way through composing depending on their keywords…
  
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- Ditto Head
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 12:27am
  @JBLAZE
  The FBI was monitoring the email account for who knows how long.
  They were obviously archiving the drafts.
  
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- Old Ogre
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 1:06pm
  If you want to get an idea of just how scary the internet can be, do a little digging on yourself sometime… Your whole life is out there in the public domain. If you don’t want something known don’t put it on the internet. (period).
  If a data miner can find out three simple things about you say, email address, isp, and partial name they can eventually learn more about you than you have forgotten!
  
  Take the time to read the privacy policy on sites like Google, it should make you just a wee bit concerned.
  
  Report this comment
FaithfulFriend
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:24pm
A Spyographer? Maybe a Jiveographer?

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