WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has cleared the top US commander in Afghanistan of wrongdoing over emails with a woman tied to a sex scandal that forced CIA director David Petraeus to resign, an official said yesterday.

The Defence Department’s inspector-general exonerated General John Allen, the outgoing chief of US-led forces in Afghanistan, paving the way for his pending nomination to take up command of Nato forces in Europe, he said.

The FBI came upon emails from Allen in its probe of Petraeus, and  officials.

Allen had exchanged messages with Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who had thrown parties for officers at the US Central Command headquartered in Tampa.

She alerted the FBI to anonymous emails she received and claimed were threatening. 

The FBI also found emails between Allen and Kelley, and Panetta ordered an independent inquiry.

AFP