Petraeus scandal: Broadwell and Kelley's access revoked

The US military revoked access for the two women at the centre of a scandal that led to the resignation of General David Petraeus as CIA director.

Security clearance has been suspended for his ex-mistress, Paula Broadwell, and Jill Kelley's pass at the Florida air force base where she organised social events has been frozen.

An FBI inquiry into Kelley's complaints of email harassment revealed that Broadwell and Gen Petraeus had been having an affair.

Broadwell, a 40-year-old married mother of two, had apparently sent the anonymous emails to Kelley warning her to stay away from Gen Petraeus.

Broadwell, who wrote a biography of Gen Petraeus, held a security clearance through her work as a reserve Army intelligence officer.

An investigation is under way into how classified material ended up on the West Point graduate's computer and in her Charlotte, North Carolina home, which was searched by the FBI on Monday.

Kelley was described as a "social liaison" for the facility, which is the home of US Central Command.

In his first public comments on the scandal, US President Barack Obama told reporters on Wednesday he had seen no evidence that Gen Petraeus' extramarital affair compromised national security.

His resignation should be a "sidenote" to a distinguished career, said Obama.

Adultery is illegal under military law, and Pentagon officials are sifting through thousands of pages of correspondence involving the married Gen Allen, 58, and Kelley.

He is said to have addressed her as "sweetheart" and "dear" in the communication, although the messages are not said to be overtly sexual.

The commander, who has received the backing of President Obama and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, insists he did nothing wrong.

But Panetta said on Wednesday that suspending Gen Allen's nomination to be the top Nato commander in Europe, pending an inquiry, was the "prudent" thing to do.

Kelley is said to have developed close friendships with Gen Petraeus and Gen Allen. Both men wrote letters supporting her twin sister in a messy custody dispute.

Kelley is known to have thrown extravagant parties for officers posted to MacDill and was appointed in August as an honorary consul representing South Korea.

In a recording of a phone call to police on Monday, Kelley asked for diplomatic immunity to have media crews outside her house removed.

"I'm an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property," Kelley can be heard saying.