David Petraeus, the retired four-star general renowned for spearheading military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, resigned abruptly as director of the CIA after admitting to an extramarital affair.

US president Barack Obama said last night his re-election means Americans support his approach for avoiding a looming “fiscal cliff” that threatens a new recession — and that his approach means the country’s wealthiest people will have to pay more in taxes.

David Petraeus has resigned as the director of US intelligence agency the CIA after admitting he had an extra-marital affair.

BRIAN P O CINNEIDE states: “The US Military Academy at West Point is one of the finest engineering universities in the world. All its graduates are qualified engineers.”

MICHAEL JOB (June 11) asks how American military cadets can help Irish students in engineering.

US President Barack Obama named a Republican congressman today to be the next Secretary of the Army, bringing another member of the opposition into his administration.

The US State Department's former number two said the practice of waterboarding terror suspects was torture and he hoped he would have had the courage to resign had he known the CIA was using the interrogation technique.

A US Marine wanted by the Army for absconding from his unit and who killed himself after crossing the border into Canada, had served two terms in Iraq, officials said today.

GENERAL William Westmoreland, who commanded US troops in the Vietnam War, has died aged 91.

Retired Gen William Westmoreland, who commanded American troops in the Vietnam War – the nation’s longest conflict and the only war America lost – has died at age 91.