Tell me what you think about this theory, cooked it up myself...Petraeus was summoned to the White Hut, he is told he is going to be fired.
However he is offered a chance to “save face” in a way, not a very good way because Hussein hates the military and America, but Petraeus is told he can lie and say he had an affair and must leave for personal reasons, even though he was in reality just being given the boot by the dictator.
This makes Hussein look like he did not fire Petraeus. It humiliates Petraeus, as Hussein wanted, but it is less so than a public firing for any job related offense that P. would never commit anyway.
Hussein is clearing out any possible patriots.
When I heard of P. “resigning” today I said “Ha, is Vladimir the replacement?!”. (semi-sarcasm on)
I think your theory is as more plausible than the press story. P may have insisted on resigning over the whole mess, and was blackmailed by Barry into the reason, ie the affair rather than Barry’s abandoning the people.
Perhaps is pension was on the line.