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Is Fast and Furious the Next Watergate?
expertclick.com ^ | 6 May, 2012 | Alan Caruba

Posted on 05/07/2012 8:45:27 AM PDT by marktwain

When suspects in a crime are interrogated, they often develop memory loss. When the crime is running guns to drug cartels on both sides of the border, the crime involves the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol officer, Brian Terry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Jaime Zapata, and countless Mexican citizens.

Katie Pavlich has written an extraordinary expose, "Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and its Shameless Cover-Up" (Regnery Publishing). She is a veteran agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) who has meticulously documented a story that should result in contempt of Congress action against Attorney General Eric Holder and possibly Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano as well.

It is an appalling story of arrogance, stupidity, and the intimidation of ATF agents who dared to question and expose the operation. It is a story of deception at the highest levels of our government. Both Holder and Napolitano exhibited memory lapses before a congressional committee. Both knew about a federal government authorized gun-running operation to Mexico called "Fast and Furious."

Pavlich reports that "Fast and Furious was closely followed by Department of Justice officials. On multiple occasions, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke met with Phoenix ATF Director Bill Newell to discuss the progress of the Fast and Furious operation. 'There were DOJ attorneys and prosecutors who were involved in this since the beginning, giving advice," testified ATF Special Agent Peter Forcelli.

As Pavlich details it, "Operation Fast and Furious wasn't a 'botched' program. It was a calculated and lethal decision to purposely place thousands of guns in the hands of ruthless criminals."

The operation was designed to attack the Second Amendment right of Americans to purchase and bear arms, a right considered so essential to the nation that it followed directly after the First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of the press, the prohibition of the establishment of a nationally sanctioned religion, and the right of Americans to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

We are in the grip of an administration that would restrain and erase those rights, and which engaged in a reckless and ruthless operation to achieve that goal. It is an administration that is moving toward the confirmation of a United Nations treaty that would override and eliminate the right to own and bear arms.

The facts regarding Holder's and Napolitano's testimony are clear:

"Eric Holder was sent five memos, personally addressed to him, in the summer of 2010 that detailed Operation Fast and Furious." Holder claimed he first knew about the program in February 2011.

"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has feigned ignorance when questioned about Fast and Furious. She claims she only found out about the program after Brian Terry was murdered."

"She visited the White House with Eric Holder to visit President Obama just a day before Holder testified on Capitol Hill about Fast and Furious, leaving the reason for her visit blank."

Pavlich writes, "These are the facts: There are still 1,400 Fast and Furious guns missing and ATF agents are not actively trying to track them down. Ten thousand round of ammunition were sold to cartel-linked straw buyers under the watch of the ATF. Eight hundred of the original 2,500 weapons sold through Fast and Furious have already been linked to criminal activity."

The program, observers believer, was the deliberate effort to blame the violence in Mexico and in some cases in America on the gun shops, but those shops were intimidated into participating in Fast and Furious out of fear that ATF would take away their licenses.

After questioning ATF and Justice Department witnesses, Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa, R), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote a January 31 letter to ATF officials saying, "As you may be aware, obstructing a Congressional investigation is a crime. Additionally, denying or interfering with employee's rights to furnish information to Congress is also against the law."

On May 3rd Rep. Darrell Issa, (CA) Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent every member of his committee a 64-page draft contempt order against AG Holder, along with a 17-page memo outlining the history of the scandal. Only one attorney general has been found in contempt, Janet Reno in 1975.

Fast and Furious is redolent with memories of the Watergate coverup.

On March 23, 2011, in a Univison interview, Obama said, "First of all, I did not authorize it" and when further pressed said, "Eric Holder did not authorize it. He's been very clear that our policy is to catch gunrunners and put them in jail." The facts strongly suggest otherwise insofar as Fast and Furious literally authorized a gunrunning program under the aegis of ATF.

As Pavlich noted, "Many people in ATF saw what was happening and tried to warn the bureau, but the new corrupt and arrogant culture of management had become too powerful and intimidating. Field agents who spoke up were punished for having an opinion and daring to voice it. Whistleblowers had their reputation, careers, and finances shattered."

This culture of corruption is endemic to the Obama administration and as more and more examples become known it has been in full panic mode to suppress the truth. No matter what the outcome of the testimony of two of its top appointees, the only way to save America is to vote out President Obama in November and ensure that Mitt Romney has a Republican Congress.

Alan Caruba Founder The National Anxiety Center South Orange, NJ 973-763-6392


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: atf; banglist; brianterry; coverup; dea; dhs; doj; fastandfurious; fbi; gunrunner; gunwalker; holder; ice; jaimezapata; obama; terry; zapata
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To: spawn44

The SAD thing is...”THEY” are going to keep him in office. He is doing too good a job of destroying this country.

To: Free Republic:
I am so happy you have the no profanity policy. I enjoy reading articles and then looking at the comments of others, but I get so very offended by the language of most sites that it takes away all the enjoyment. THANK YOU


21 posted on 05/07/2012 11:33:14 AM PDT by Right_Rule
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
It’s not the next Watergate because we are talking about the Treason party I mean the Democrats here. Absolutely nothing will happen because as we all know it’s against the law to prosecute or even pretend to investigate Democrats.

You've got it correctly. Show me where this corrupt government ever convicts any anti-american leftists to the most extent. Slap on the hands at most. Does Sandy Burgler ring a bell?

22 posted on 05/07/2012 11:53:31 AM PDT by Digger (If RINO is your selection then failure is your election)
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To: marktwain

Nothing is going to happen.
This thing is 2 years old and nothing has been done.
It ain’t gonna happen. Obama will skate.


23 posted on 05/07/2012 12:11:42 PM PDT by BuffaloJack (End Obama's War On Freedom.)
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To: BuffaloJack

It is not two years old. The first story ran in Nov or Dec of 2010 so it is about 1 1/2 years old. The first indictment in Watergate came about 13 months after the story broke and that was with a non-stop full court press by the media. After a year and a half this story has not gone away. It can’t go away there are still hundreds of F&F guns out there and there are still bodies dropping from them.


24 posted on 05/07/2012 12:58:08 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: marktwain
Watergate wasn't state-sponsored terrorism.

December 8, 2011
Dear Representative Gardner:
Dear Senator Udall:
Dear Senator Bennet:

Let's call Fast and Furious, Castaway, "Grenade Walker" and "Cash Walker" what they are. State-sponsored terrorism.

On this side of the border they are violations of the RICO Act. In Mexico and Honduras it is state-sponsored terrorism.

What else would you call heavily arming international criminal syndicates within foreign countries wherein those countries are in a death struggle with those syndicates?

Especially when it goes beyond thousands of assault rifles to include grenades, RPGs, shoulder fired rockets, anti-aircraft guns, night vision equipment, body armor and special deals to bring their drugs onto our soil with legal impunity?

Not to mention the just-revealed news that the rip crew that killed BP Agent Brian Terry was there with DEA and FBI assistance and approval to attack and kill a rival cartel's smuggling crew.

Let's not leave out the FBI and DEA laundering millions of dollars for the drug cartels by setting up bank accounts for them that they otherwise couldn't do.

It is organized, it is spread throughout every Federal LEA and it violates numerous domestic laws and numerous statutes and treaties that deal with foreign nations. Yet none of it has been officially sanctioned by Congress. (that I know of) It is the Federal government acting like mafioso.

Pres. Obama, AG Eric Holder and Sec. State Hillary Clinton are all deeply involved in this and it is unquestionably state-sponsored terrorism by the definition used to define states like Iran and North Korea.

PS: if you think I am wrong or exaggerating any of this I will be glad to bring you up to speed with very well sourced articles, legal depositions (publically available) and other public information that verifies every word I have said.

Either you are with these criminals or you are with U.S. I implore you to get informed, get involved and act or get run over by this. This lawless scandal is not going away.

Sincerely,

Mr. (TigersEye)
Address
Town, State, Zip

----------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a petition to call for Eric Holder's prosecution.
Tea Party Petition to Prosecute Eric Holder

After signing the petition you will get an automatic way to send an e-mail to your Congressman and Senators. You can use their text or fill in your own.

I strongly encourage all FReepers to sign that petition and to send their own thoughts about this to their Congress critters. Let them know that you are aware of this issue and that you are not going to forget about it. Let them know you will be watching to see what they do about it.

25 posted on 05/07/2012 1:00:56 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: TigersEye

The only person who can prosecute Eric Holder is Eric Holder. Congress could impeach him, but we all know how well that worked last time. And that was when Republicans controlled the Senate.


26 posted on 05/07/2012 1:46:57 PM PDT by Hugin ("Most time a man'll tell you his bad intentions if you listen and let yourself hear"--Open Range)
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To: Hugin
Who prosecuted everyone involved in Watergate? Was it the AG?
27 posted on 05/07/2012 2:01:36 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: TigersEye

IIRC, at the time of Watergate there was a law allowing the an independent prosecuter completely outside the control of the AG to be appointed. After the special prosecutor (Cox) under Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson was sacked, and later Leon Jaworski was appointed under that act. It expired back in the 90’s and was not renewed. Now the only person who can appoint a prosector is Holder, and he no longer is truley independent; he serves at the pleasure of the AG who can remove him at will.

Good luck at getting Holder to appoint one.


28 posted on 05/07/2012 2:49:04 PM PDT by Hugin ("Most time a man'll tell you his bad intentions if you listen and let yourself hear"--Open Range)
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To: Hugin

We’re helpless. It’s all over. Pack it in.


29 posted on 05/07/2012 2:58:01 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: TigersEye

We’re not helpless. We just need to get rid of the Obamunists the old fashioned way, vote them out.


30 posted on 05/07/2012 3:28:42 PM PDT by Hugin ("Most time a man'll tell you his bad intentions if you listen and let yourself hear"--Open Range)
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To: Hugin
Just trying to get the hang of the GOP-e New Tone.

I'll need time to practice it.


31 posted on 05/07/2012 3:39:20 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: marktwain
"Fast and Furious" is a B-grade Hollywood thriller in the American mind.

Call it what it is:

MURDERGATE.


32 posted on 05/07/2012 4:54:45 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: marktwain
It should be the next Watergate. Fast & Furious is Watergate X 100 + lots of dead people. Plus the corruption and participation of most of our federal police agencies. In this case, the crimes committed by our government is MUCH MUCH worse than the cover-up, which is monumental compared to Watergate.
33 posted on 05/08/2012 6:44:23 AM PDT by A. Patriot (Have we lost our Republic? Do the majority of Americans care?)
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