Women Worry Scandal Will Hurt Role as Advisers

Women Worry Petraeus Scandal Will Hurt Their Role as Advisers to Military Leaders by Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers.

The burgeoning sex scandal that has swept up retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, his biographer, Paula Broadwell, and now Petraeus’ successor as the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine Gen. John Allen, is alarming the small cadre of women advisers who enjoy extraordinary access to top generals based on their expertise and scholarship.

Often coming from non-military backgrounds, these women’s work has informed U.S. policy in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than a decade, offering fresh ideas on topics such as local governance, human rights, rule of law and counterinsurgency, with an ability to challenge the commanders from a position of independence.

Now they fear that leaders who have learned to rely on their advice might restrict women from their inner circles to avoid the appearance of impropriety…