David Petraeus has apologized to an audience of veterans for the conduct that led to his resignation as head of the CIA following the disclosure of an extramarital affair.

Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, Petraeus gave his first public speech on Tuesday since his resignation in November, to a group of about 600 people.

They included many uniformed and decorated veterans at the University of Southern California's annual Reserve Officers' Training Corps dinner.

Petraeus, hero of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has remained largely in seclusion since resigning. His lawyer, Robert B. Barnett, has said that Petraeus has spent much of that time with his family.

"Needless to say, I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago," Petraeus said. "I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing. So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret - and apologize for - the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."

Petraeus received applause and a standing ovation before he began the evening's program by cutting a cake with a sword in military tradition, a task reserved for the highest-ranking person in the room.

Petraeus, the United States' most celebrated military leader in a generation, stepped down on Nov 9 as head of the CIA after admitting to an affair with Paula Broadwell, a counter-terrorism expert and lieutenant-colonel.

The FBI stumbled upon the affair when Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite and friend of the Petraeus family, asked investigators to look into threatening e-mails that turned out to be from an apparently jealous Broadwell.

The investigation that revealed Petraeus' affair also uncovered potentially "inappropriate" e-mails between Kelley and the top commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

AP-AFP

(China Daily 03/28/2013 page12)