Petraeus affair scandal engulfs senior Afghan General

The sex scandal that led to the resignation of CIA director David Petraeus has widened to include the top US and NATO Commander in Afghanistan.

General John Allen is being investigated by the FBI for alleged "inappropriate communications" with a woman who claims she received threatening emails from General Petraeus' former lover. Special Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports.

General John Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan, is under investigation after the FBI found between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication - mainly emails spanning from 2010 to 2012 - between him and Mrs Jill Kelley, the woman at the centre of the David Petraeus scandal.

Mrs Kelley said she received "threatening emails" from Paula Broadwell, General Petraeus's mistress and biographer. The FBI inquiry that followed her complaint eventually led to the resignation of the CIA chief.

Read about the resignation of the CIA director here.

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement that he asked that Allen's nomination to be Commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe be delayed as the investigation gets underway.

Allen, who denies wrongdoing, will remain in his job, but Panetta encouraged the Senate to quickly act on approving his successor, General Joseph Dunford.

President Obama said he had "faith" in General John Allen, the White House spokesman Jay Carney said:

A senior official described the tone of the 20,000 plus emails exchanged between General John Allen and Tampa socialite Jill Kelley as "flirtatious", according to the Associated Press.

General Petraeus told associates his relationship with the second woman, Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, was platonic, though his lover, Paula Broadwell, apparently saw her as a romantic rival.

General Petraeus was said to be shocked to learn his mistress Paula Broadwell was suspected of sending threatening emails to Mrs Kelley.