Senior U.S. officials who have read emails exchanged by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan and a Florida socialite say they were not sexually explicit or seductive.

A senior U.S. official tells The Associated Press that those who have read the exchanges between Gen. John Allen and socialite Jill Kelley found them to be relatively innocuous even though they might be construed as unprofessional and flirty.

The official says the emails included pet names such as "sweetheart" and "dear" but didn't offer evidence of an affair or classified information put at risk.

The official was not authorized to discuss the email publicly and requested anonymity.

Kelley reportedly received threatening emails from the woman with whom former CIA Director David Petraeus had an affair, Paula Broadwell, that led to his resignation.