Posted on 02/04/2011 6:00:18 AM PST by marktwain
The Los Angeles Times confirms it: the rifles used to murder U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry were allowed to slip into Mexican hands by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Clearly, the agency is trying to get out ahead of the scandal. Sources said U.S. authorities did not have the ability to adequately monitor the movement of the guns toward the southern border, in part because current laws and low levels of staffing. In other words, the ATF is blaming the criminal conspiracy that led to a mans murder on federal bean counters whove hamstrung their valiant efforts to stop guns from crossing the U.S. Mexican border (even though they were engaging in said traffic). By extension, given the Washington Posts take on ATF funding, theyre blaming the NRA. It gets worse . . .
My worst fear was that they would be used in a homicide of a Mexican military official or a Mexican police official. It crossed my mind that they would be used against U.S. forces, but I didnt think it would happen this soon, said another federal law enforcement source.
This soon? So these unnamed feds were expecting the smuggled guns to be used against U.S. law enforcement officials eventually? Pardon my French, but how fucked-up is that? The question now becomes how far up the food chain this fiasco extended. Heres an indication . . .
Federal sources confirmed that there has been controversy over the program within the bureau and, at least in the early stages, little communication with Mexican authorities, many of whom are often targeted with U.S.-smuggled weapons.
Should they have been notified? I think youre correct, said one source familiar with the investigation.
The policy [until Project Gunrunner] has always been we dont allow any weapons to cross south of the border, because then its out of our hands and we cant control it, he said.
But the complaints were overruled, he said, by both the Phoenix office and bureau headquarters in Washington, D.C.
And who, pray tell, might those taxpayer-funded officials might those be? The stonewalling is breaking out all over. Again, the ATF line: were underfunded and sometimes guns slip through. Heres the conclusion of the LA Times piece:
Agents are hampered in following up [on straw purchases, Tom Mangan, spokesman for the bureau's Phoenix office] said. An individual could buy 500 guns, and painfully, we know thats legal. And then they can turn around and say, I sold them. And then again, realistically, say you have a list of these guns, if some of them would turn up in Mexico, its, I just sold them; theyre not my responsibility; I dont know how they got there.
TTAG knows for a fact that this is bullshit. New Mexicos largest gun dealers tell us [via friends] that they have NEVER sold more than two rifles at a time. Not that they wouldnt have. Just that they dont; there isnt demand. Not ten years ago. And not now. The ATFs Iron River is an illusion, as is any idea that they are somehow not to blame for supplying guns to the men who murdered Agent Terry.
From the start of these “US guns are going to Mexico!” reports I’ve wonderered if the ATF had approved the transfers knowing where they would end up. Kinda floored to find I was right.
Who will do that? The spineless disappointment GOP congressmen? No. Law and order will break down first.
Arizona. With authorization from Headquarters.
Start with William D. “Bill” Newell who was the SAC (Special Agent in Charge) and Deputy Director Melson.
As long as everyone is silent on that inactivity, who REALLY is to blame?
I write my congressman. He tells me BS like increasing the debt is “responsible”.
I often say the people get the government they deserve.
I think I’m in a minority in this country. I don’t expect it to get better, based on who inhabits this country.
Now that I think a bit more about this, I wonder if they broke a State law or only federal.
If only federal, General Holder’s JustUs Department will never prosecute it.
Don’t worry Chuck Grassley is on the case and will hold private hearings. LOL...Im sure that’ll resolve it all. I must agree though, there should be firings and prosecutions leading to substantial jail time. Would also be great to shut the ATF down completely. However, we live in a cock-eyed world in which Congress will huff & puff and dither around the edges claiming victory only to see this sort of thing repeated.
bump
Here it comes...the poor, downtrodden ATF needs MONEY AND POWER!!!!! And any Republican congressman voting AGAINST this is in favor of the murder of Border Patrol agents!!! Has anyone seen the FACTS to support the LA Times’ claims??? Or are we just supposed to BELIEVE it is true? More importantly, why are Border Patrol agents armed with rubber bullets...or no weapons at all??? Why are Mexican drug gangs operating at will inside the US, with nothing being done by the White House??
It's got the smell of a cover story.
I'm just guessing, but I'd say Zippo is shipping guns to the “Revolutionaries” in Mexico and they plan on doing in Mexico what they have done in Egypt.
Curious if that long touted civilian army of Obama’s is actually brown skins opposed to brown shirts. Crazy I know, but the thought occured to me as I read about an American Government agency (BATFE) exposed in the act of actually supplying weapons to subversives of another country adjacent our own, and reflect on the lack of border security, and lack of will to secure the border by this Administration.
Everything I see this Administration involved seems anti American. Everything.
Thanks.
“Something about this stinks.
It’s got the smell of a cover story.”
Now, who would think that the reporters in the LA Times would spin a story to protect their favorite government agencies..../S
Nah, they work sometimes .... the DemonRats who'ver been politicking this are the ones who need to be defanged.
And branded and deported, under pain of death, for their attempt on the People's liberties.
Got caught handing the Iranians plans for a nuclear triggering device simply claimed it was an undercover CIA operation gone bad.
I’ve got a feeling Zippo is doing the same thing with arms shipments to Mexican Revolutionaries. The guns start popping up, just claim it's an ATF sting operation gone bad.
I don’t like the political aspect of this action.
If the DHLS hadn’t sent out Jan to tell everyone that the nasty gun dealers were responsible for ALL deaths in MX, it would be different.
Then to find out the BATF was actually involved in the guns going to Mx. NO this is unacceptable. And just think if Border Agent Terry hadn’t been killed we may never have known what they were up to.
The story was leaking out before Terry was shot. Unfortunately his death put a large focus on it.
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