Posted on 05/05/2011 4:24:54 PM PDT by neverdem
| What Attorney General Holder Won't Tell on Controversial Gun Operation, Documents Do | |
|
|
|
WASHINGTON- At a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa confronted Attorney General Eric Holder on the DOJ's Operation Fast and Furious, a highly controversial operation where federal authorities facilitated the purchase of assault weapons for drug cartels and chose not to interdict them before being transported to Mexico.
While Attorney General Holder was unwilling to provide answer about who at the Department of Justice authorized, knew about, and even whether he still defended Operation Fast and Furious, three new documents provide information that Attorney General Holder did not address in response to questions posed by Rep. Issa.
"Two federal agents are dead," said Chairman Issa. "While Attorney General Holder and other top officials at the Justice Department have refused to address the reckless decisions made in Operation Fast and Furious that have created a serious public safety hazard, investigations led by Sen. Charles Grassley and I continue to receive information from deeply concerned insiders who believe those responsible for what has occurred cannot be trusted to investigate themselves."
What the documents say that Attorney General Holder wouldn't: US Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke was in full agreement with the investigative strategy of allowing the transfer of firearms to continue A January 8, 2010 memo (PDF) from the ATF Phoenix Field Division Office on Operation Fast and Furious noting the involvement of US Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke who was in "full agreement with the current investigative strategy." The memo states that "currently our strategy is to allow the transfer of firearms to continue to take place ... in order to further the investigation and allow for the identification of additional co-conspirators who would continue to operate and illegally traffic firearms to Mexican [Drug Trafficking Organizations]." Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer knew about and even approved a wiretap application for suspects targeted in Operation Fast and Furious over a year ago A March 10, 2010 memo (PDF) from Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer authorizing a wiretap application and revealing his participation in and knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious. As Pressure from Congress has risen, DOJ officials are now scrambling to stop the practice of letting guns walk into Mexico A March 10, 2011 e-mail (PDF) referencing a directive from the Deputy Attorney General ordering law enforcement agents not to "design or conduct undercover operations which include guns crossing the border." The e-mail clarifies that this includes "cases where we are working with the Mexican government to have them follow the vehicles once they are in Mexico." Key Moments: Holder: This operation has gotten a great deal of publicity. Issa: There are dead Americans as a result of this failed and reckless program. So I would say this hasn't gotten enough attention, has it Mr. Attorney General? ---- Issa: Mr. Attorney General, we're looking at you. We're looking at your key people who knew or should have known about this and whether or not your judgment was consistent with good practices and whether or not, instead, the Justice Department is basically guilty of allowing weapons to kill Americans and Mexicans. So will you agree to cooperate with that investigation, both on the House and Senate side? Holder: We'll certainly cooperate with all the investigations, but I'm going to take great exception to what you just said. The notion that somehow or other, this Justice Department is responsible for those deaths that you mentioned, that assertion is offensive. I want to tell you that - Issa: But what if it is accurate, Mr. Attorney General? ----
Issa: So what am I going to tell Agent Terry's mother about how he died at the hand of a gun that was videotaped as it was sold to a straw purchaser fully expecting it to end up in the hands of drug cartels? Holder: Well, you know, what we'll have to see exactly what happened with regard to the guns that are at issue there. And I've attended funerals, you know? This is something that – This isn't theoretical. It's not political. This is extremely real from me, as Attorney General. Issa: It is for us too.
###
|
|
|
Operation Three Stooges?
Hardly... Don't mistake evil for stupidity. There was only 1 reason for doing this... The Obama regime was preaching over and over that US gun stores were supplying these "deadly weapons" to the drug cartels, but they weren't actually able to prove it with evidence. So they decided to "fabricate" the evidence as proof of what these bad gun stores do.
The Justice Department isn't so concerned with the dead agents as what the revelation of their actions might do to their power.
The BATFE has a long history of doing things incredibly stupid and dangerous things to garner media coverage. Anybody remember Waco? That all started as a live press conference to help the BATFE get more $$$ from congress.
Mark
This is weirder far than Waco.
I LIKE ISSA!
He slices...
He dices...
He makes Julienne fries.
I wonder what Holder will look like on a kebab stick...
Assistant Attorney General Lanny Brewer went to our embassy in Mexico City last summer, and documents from the State Dept. have been subpoenaed, IIRC. I won't be dissapointed if Hillary and Holder resign or get impeached next year. There are two dead U.S. federal agents out of a scheme to advance gun control.
I believe that Holder is covering for Dennis K. Burke, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. Burke was the Chief of Staff (2003-2008) to Janet Napolitano when she was Governor of Arizona. Importantly, he chairs the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee which deals with policy, management and operations. He is also on two other AGAC sub-committees, on Native American Indians, and Civil Rights. He has won an advocate award from Chicanos Por La Causa, and has, since leaving law school, been a Democrat hack. He is close to both Napolitano and Holder.
“There are two dead U.S. federal agents out of a scheme to advance gun control.”
That’s right, and these asshats thought they were so clever, and so smart, and they were going to get away with this ruse to take away our guns.
They are working on an alternative plan I’ve read, but no idea as to the means they are working on to do it has been let yet is my understanding.
Thank you Obama. /s.
Supplying AK47's to Narco Terrorists in another sovereign nation, in an attempt to subvert the Constitution,,,,, Controversial????
More like an act of WAR, and TREASON.
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.