By Debra Sweet

Often, since 2008, War Criminals Watch has thrown up protests when (mostly) Bush-era officials spoke publicly. This week, instead of protesting outside, some of us went inside when General David Petraeus spoke in NYC. Ray McGovern was arrested for attempting to use a ticket he had purchased for a Petraeus event, and many activists have been ejected from speeches for verbally challenging Petraeus' accounts of the wars.

On Saturday, the Pentagon announced that, despite having pleaded guilty to the crime of lying to the FBI during the scandal that cost him his job as CIA Director, he will not be punished at all by the military, and will keep his 4 stars and pension.

The Washington Post: "Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter has decided not to impose any further punishment on David H. Petraeus, the former CIA director and retired Army general who was forced to resign in a sex-and-secrets scandal in 2012...As part of Petraeus’s plea deal with the Justice Department, he admitted in a signed statement that he had committed wrongdoing while he was still in the Army before he retired in 2011 to take charge of the CIA. He also admitted that he lied to FBI agents...

The Post ends, without irony, "Petraeus remains a revered figure within the Army for his leadership during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite the scandal that led to his downfall at the CIA, he also maintains close ties with many influential members of Congress."

In an NYC appearance Monday evening, Petraeus went on at length about his contributions to the United States, and was not challenged, including by journalists, either about the scandal, or about being a leading war criminal.

Afterward, one of us went through the receiving line, and reminded Petraeus that there have been calls for his arrest for war crimes, with a description of same.  Reportedly, Petraeus was taken aback.  The confidence the system places in Petraeus, backed up with a 4 star ranking, should be challenged by people everywhere.