Posted on 07/07/2011 11:59:19 PM PDT by XHogPilot
One of the original whistleblowers on Operation Fast and Furious — which allowed thousands of guns to cross the border into Mexico — said Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Ken Melson’s testimony before congressional investigators on July 4 was nothing but “smoke and mirrors.” ATF Special Agent Vince Cefalu continued:
At this point he’s doing what anyone would do, he’s saving his own ass.
Cefalu is one of the founders of CleanUpATF.org, a message board dedicated to addressing abuses within the ATF. He is one of the most vocal critics of the heads of the organization.
Cefalu was served with a notice of termination just one day after Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the ATF warning them against retaliation towards agents who come forward to testify about the operation.
According to a release from Issa’s office, Melson secretly talked to House and Senate investigators with his personal attorney present — former United States Attorney Richard Cullen — and did so without the knowledge of the ATF or the Department of Justice.
Per the letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder by both Issa and Grassley:
[Melson’s] interview had originally been scheduled through the Justice Department to occur on July 13 in the presence of DOJ and ATF counsel. As you know, however, under our agreement Department witnesses who choose to attend a voluntary interview with their own lawyer are free to exercise that right rather than participate with counsel representing the Department’s interests.
Cefalu questioned the presence of Melson’s lawyer:
Why would he need an attorney, why would you need all this protection if it doesn’t happen (that ATF retaliates against whistleblowers)?
According to Cefalu this is an attempt by Melson to avoid responsibility for the operation which led to the deaths of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata, and more than 150 Mexican nationals. New reports now say that guns from Fast and Furious are being found in Arizona, having come full circle from the operation which was based in Phoenix. Said Cefalu:
He’s horribly irresponsible. He’s not taking responsibility for what he’s done. At the end of the day he made decisions on behalf of ATF and people died for it.
Cefalu said the operation was never about actually arresting cartel members for arms trafficking, it was about headlines for the ATF and its upper echelons, more budget, more gun control, and more media attention for ATF:
There’s no Mister Big in Mexico, there’s no … Iron Pipeline. It doesn’t exist.
When everybody is screaming terrorism and counterterrorism no one wants to talk to anyone but the FBI. If there’s gunrunning on the border and thousands of guns flowing into Mexico it’s more headlines for ATF.
It’s fame and glory and grabbing headlines.
Cefalu said the operation was akin to the DEA deciding to track the flow of drugs in a major city by putting tons of high-quality heroin on the streets, then waiting for a rash of overdoses to see which part of the city had the most drug activity.
Meanwhile, emails have revealed that high-level officials within DOJ were aware of the operation, which Attorney General Eric Holder has repeatedly said he only found out about when the story broke.
According to the emails, Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Division) Lanny Breuer, Melson, Acting Deputy Director of the ATF William Hoover, DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, and Director of the FBI Robert Mueller were all aware of the operation.
It defies belief that Holder was unaware of the operation, and it is highly unlikely that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano were unaware of an operation that had both national security and international relations implications. It seems increasingly likely there will be multiple resignations as a result of this investigation and possibly criminal prosecutions.
Update: Someone in Congress funded Gunwalker via the stimulus bill.
“He’s a criminal.”
Who is at least partially responsible for the MURDERS of two American Law Enfocement Officers.
Me, too. TIA
The media are still ignoring that a whistle blower was fired.
Muchless that the DOJ had to give Melaon permission to tell congress what he knows and Melson is semi singing testifying on his own. USUALLY WHEN OBAMA THROWS SOMEONE UNDER THE BUS THEY HUSH THEIR MOUTHS. NOT THIS TIME.This is good news that must have shocked the bejeebees out of Obama and Holder.Obama can’t put the worms back in the can even if the media tries to cover for him.
Add me and add the keyword FFGATE and BANGLIST to all articles please.
This will not end differently because congress did not hold Clinton accountable for his crimes, even with an impeachment.
So what if they impeach Holder and Obama?
Congress is too scared of a racial backlash to end this racist, criminal chocolate reich.
The only good news is that it will not last for 1000 years, either.
If you start a list, please put me on it. Thanks.
You got it.
In a nutshell.
When the funding was added, it was still a legit op as it was under Bush. AFTER is when obama and holder went rogue with it. Congress was nowhere in the loop. SOMEWHERE there is an executive order with obama’s signature on it. It is the only way funds could be transferred, as they were, between agencies. The thing is, these executive orders are so damn convoluted you would need to go through each and every single one with a fine tooth comb.
Jim, Could you add GUNWALKER, FFGATE, FastAndFurious; as GUN”runner” is associated with the LEGIT operation under Bush NOT the GUN’WALKER’GATE of Obama.The media have so far pegged this FastandFuriousGate
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/577631/201107071849/Fast-And-Furious-Gate-Contd.htm
Please add me, “muchas gracias”.
Hecho. Usted es bienvenido
This isn't really true and the idea that this operation had any legitimate law enforcement potential has to be stopped. The ATF has no jurisdiction in Mexico. Selling/giving gun to known arms dealers in order for them to bring them to Mexico, doesn't provide any usable information to the ATF. It also doesn't provide any usable information for Mexican law enforcement even if the ATF were to provide such information, and as this whole operation broke international small arms treaties then it isn't likely they would pass that information along.
There isn't any logic or rational reason for this operation, except as a tool to excuse increased gun laws, and therefore the ATF operation budget. Further this administration has done everything they could possibly do to cover it up, from not turning over information subpoenaed by a congressional committee, to justice department lackies lying in written correspondence with the investigators, to ATF leaders lying in press conferences. The media has also colluded with this cover up from the very beginning and that in and of itself is a huge story. This is the biggest scandal our nation has ever faced, and the media (for the most part) doesn't want to talk about it?
They weren’t merely irresponsible, they were criminal. If any of the people involved in it were to go to Mexico they would be arrested.
That's gonna leave a mark.
Doesn’t this sound strangely similar to another botch ATF op? That one was called Waco, perpetrated by the Slick Willie administration. It seems liberals have no problem w/ guns or murder as long as its them who are armed killing those they see as inferior. Its a common theme with them....death, destruction, mayhem.
Every time I post a FFGATE article or am pinged to one I will post the links showing a blogger broke this news AND the video that Obama said he nor Holder authorized FFGate.
CBS actually has a video that may disappear-as well as they actually broke the story from a blogger.WaPo and MSNBC reported more than they should as well. I guess they are hushing it now.
Video
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360542n
Links
http://bigpeace.com/bbarrack/2011/05/16/did-msnbc-find-project-gunrunners-smoking-gun/
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/operation-fast-and-furious/
Bloggers broke this story.
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/05/official-atf-field-manual-of-gunwalker.html
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