'Fast and Furious' Whitewash by Justice Department

Townhall.com ^ | September 25, 2012 | Chuck Norris

[Kaslin]

Sometimes, as the saying goes, the truth really is stranger than fiction. There may have been some wild plotlines on "Walker, Texas Ranger," but there was nothing that compares to the scandal surrounding "Fast and Furious" -- the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation that resulted in the loss of a distinguished Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry.

The congressional investigation into "Fast and Furious" has been going on for more than a year, but it was stonewalled by Attorney General Eric Holder, who instead opened an internal investigation by the Department of Justice's inspector general. Tens of thousands of internal Justice Department documents supplied to the inspector general were withheld from Congress, despite having been requested in a lawful subpoena issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This act of stubborn defiance resulted in Holder's becoming the first attorney general to be voted in contempt of Congress. Now Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report finally has been released, but it leaves some critical questions unanswered. Before delving into specifics, let me thank Townhall's Katie Pavlich for her help deciphering the report, as well as her groundbreaking reporting on this issue from day one.

Media accounts surrounding the release of the report had a routine flavor, which was otherworldly in light of the report's contents. The Associated Press reported that "the Justice Department's internal watchdog ... faulted the agency for misguided strategies, errors in judgment and management failures during a bungled gun-trafficking probe in Arizona that resulted in hundreds of weapons turning up at crime scenes in the U.S. and Mexico." Oh, is that all?

"Fast and Furious" involved the "walking" of guns into Mexico -- an artful term for gun smuggling that was clearly illegal but nonetheless encouraged. Most of these guns turned up in the hands of drug dealers and known criminals. The ostensible goal of the ATF was to catch these cartel members red-handed with the smuggled guns during crimes in Mexico. Two of the guns that were "walked" into Mexico were found at the crime scene of the killing of Agent Terry, who died in a firefight with drug cartel henchmen.

Thousands of guns walked into Mexico are still on the loose. Where are they, and how many are out there? Does the U.S. government have a plan to recapture them, or will we simply spend years wondering how many more victims they are being used to kill? And who will make sure that Congress and the public are made aware if and when these guns surface at more crime scenes here in the U.S.?

The report outlines the basics of "who knew what when" and recommends potential sanctions for no fewer than 14 government employees. Note that 14 is also the precise number of criminals who have pleaded guilty under this operation, according to the AP. But the report doesn't delve into potential motivations. There may be deeper motives for allowing these guns to walk into Mexico that remain unaccounted for. Is it possible that allowing an infusion of firearms to go into Mexico was intended to provoke an explosion of gun violence, thus prompting domestic politicians to call for sweeping new restrictions on our rights? The report is silent on this count.

Terry is the most prominent victim of this horribly botched operation, and his family members are the unsung heroes here. They have been waiting patiently for answers for almost two years now. Brian Terry only wanted to do his job and get home for the holidays. Dubbed "Superman" by colleagues and friends, he is the face of "Fast and Furious." Justice must be properly served, or else his valiant service and ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty will be dishonored.

Even with its omissions, the inspector general's report is a chilling indictment of a collapse in leadership at the highest levels of federal law enforcement. There may be 14 staffers who take the fall, but it's clear that their politically appointed superiors were either asleep at the switch or willing to jeopardize public safety to push an agenda that remains undisclosed. Can anyone possibly need any more reasons to register to vote?

The bottom line is that the American people deserve answers that go well beyond the inspector general's report. Congress needs to proceed with a comprehensive investigation, and it must have the unfettered cooperation and access that the Department of Justice thus far has withheld. And Justice is clearly in need of new leadership. Let's give it to them.

[Real Cynic No More]

The ad produced by the State Department for $70,000 and distributed all over Pakistan has many similarities to the fast and furious incident. Methinks our government is trying to attack the First Amendment using means similar to what fast and furious was intended to do: get public opinion in support of weakening our First Amendment freedoms, while f&f was intended to do the same for the Second.

[MestaMachine]

“Terry is the most prominent victim of this horribly botched operation, and his family members are the unsung heroes here. They have been waiting patiently for answers for almost two years now. Brian Terry only wanted to do his job and get home for the holidays. Dubbed “Superman” by colleagues and friends, he is the face of “Fast and Furious.” Justice must be properly served, or else his valiant service and ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty will be dishonored.”

As if any of these mysanthropic, bipedal, connoisseurs of corruption know or care anything about honor.

[neveralib]

This "Regime" (and all its key players and actors) has got to be the most dishonest and CORRUPT in recent history and even makes "Tricky" Dick Nixon's Administration, seem Saintly by comparison.

IF we are to survive as a Republic, they MUST be voted out in November; the ONLY way to rid ourselves of this scourge!

[bcsco]

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[duckworth]

We need Hollywood or HBO on the case. Their seedy, greasy, rodent-like screenwriters should concoct the whole F&F story positioning Obama and Holder as Republicans. Have them do the whole screenplay that way, full of hatred and ridicule for Republicans. And when it’s all written, one of our Hollywood undercover agents should steal the script and change all the Republican references to Democrat references. And then we’ll produce the movie ourselves. (We do have undercover agents in Hollywood, don’t we?)

[stephenjohnbanker]

” We do have undercover agents in Hollywood, don’t we?)”

There are many, and a few are FReepers.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

kaslin~ “... The bottom line is that the American people deserve answers that go well beyond the inspector general’s report. Congress needs to proceed with a comprehensive investigation, and it must have the unfettered cooperation and access that the Department of Justice thus far has withheld. And Justice is clearly in need of new leadership....”

neveralib~ “This “Regime” (and all its key players and actors) has got to be the most dishonest and CORRUPT in recent history ... “

While not trying to demean or lessen the impact of “ Fast and Furious” , and given the history of the dishonest and corrupt government we have recently seen , I wonder where it will stop.
Given the security breaches of Border Agent Terry , as well as the recent Liberian Ambassador Stevens, I cant help but think of the similarities.
Perhaps the Benghazi attack was to cover up weapons supplied to the “Democracy Loving Liberians” , and prevent the weapons recovery .
Does the Department of State have an Investigator General office ? If not ,..who does investigate ?

[bcsco]

There are screenwriters in Hollywood who aren’t liberal nitwits. I know that for a fact. My wife’s half-brother was a writer for some well-known shows. I never met him, but my wife has said he was a pretty religious fellow. But, they haven’t been in contact in decades. He still has credits up through 2011.

It’s the producers who call the shots, however. And, I know there are producers who are conservative. David Mamet for one, who’s also a writer and director. I wouldn’t be familiar with others, as I don’t follow on Hollywood or its people.