[hummingbird]

"Who had the authority to direct AFRICOM second in command to relieve his senior?"

Wondered about that, too. Petraeus? Petraeus, under C in C orders?

[jjotto]

Petraeus is CIA, retired from the military.

The guy would be Gen. Martin Dempsey, CJCS, who is, coincidentally, in Israel meeting with Ehud Barak, the leftist Israeli Defense Minister who likely will lose his seat in the Kenesset.

[Cvengr]

Nope.

Only the NCA, specifically the CinC, POTUS.