Posted on 06/15/2011 11:47:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
“Allowing loads of weapons that we knew to be destined for criminals, this was the plan. It was so mandated.” –Special Agent John Dodson ATF Phoenix Field Division.
Damning new evidence from Capitol Hill shows that ATF Directors and Justice Department Officials knew about and encouraged the purposeful trafficking of thousands of weapons across the southern border, despite strong objections from ATF agents. Thousands of innocent lives were taken as the result, including those of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and ICE Agent Jamie Zapata.
New emails released by House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa show that ATF Director Kenneth Melson was briefed weekly about Operation Fast and Furious and watched a live feed of straw purchasers (who serve as middle men, purchasing guns and giving them to cartel members) in Arizona gun shops from his cozy Washington D.C. office. Emails also show that Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations William McMahon was enthusiastic about the operation.
“An e-mail from April 12, 2010, indicates that Acting Director Melson was very much in the weeds with Operation Fast and Furious. After a detailed briefing of the program by the ATF Phoenix Field Division, Acting Director Melson had a plethora of follow-up questions that required additional research to answer. As the document indicates, Mr. Melson was interested in the IP Address for hidden cameras located inside cooperating gun shops. With this information, Acting Director Melson was able to sit at his desk in Washington and – himself – watch a live feed of the straw buyers entering the gun stores to purchase dozens of AK-47 variants,” Chairman Issa said in his opening statement.
Senator Charles Grassley, who has been working closely with Rep. Issa, pointed out that officials from the Justice Department have been stonewalling the investigation for months. Attorney General Eric Holder has said he is unaware of who ordered the operation.
“On October 26, 2009, emails indicate that there was a meeting of senior law enforcement officials at the Justice Department. It appears to have included the heads every law enforcement component of the Department, including directors of the FBI, the DEA and the ATF. It also included the U.S. Attorneys for all the Southwest border states, the Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” Grassley testified.
Emails also show that ATF encouraged gun dealers to sell to straw buyers, in spite of their own hesitance to do so.
"ATF encouraged gun dealers to sell to straw buyers. Emails prove that at least one dealer worried prophetically about the risk. He [a dealer] wrote to ATF about his concern that a border patrol agent might end up facing the wrong end of one of these guns. ATF supervisors told the dealer not to worry. So, the agents said it was a bad idea. And, the gun dealers said it was a bad idea, but ATF supervisors continued anyway", Grassley said.
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was that agent. He was killed by cartel member 18 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border near Rio Rico, Ariz. Agent Terry was a fighter-a former Marine who was willing to put everything he had, including his life, on the line for his country. He was dedicated to his job, his family and the United States.
“It was just ten days before Christmas last year, when our family received the devastating news; Brian had been shot and killed while engaged in a firefight with a group of individuals seeking to do harm to Americans citizens and others,” said Robert Heyer, the cousin of Terry, testifying on behalf of the entire Terry family. “Brian did ultimately come home that Christmas; we buried him not far from the house that he was raised in just prior to Christmas day. The gifts that Brian had picked out with such thought and care began to arrive in the mail that same week. With each delivery, we felt the indescribable pain of Brian’s death, but at the same time also remembered his amazing love and spirit.”
ICE Agent Jamie Zapata was killed in Mexico in February 2011 while on assignment. He was killed by a gun traced back to Operation Fast and Furious, however, Zapata’s family will never see justice. Once guns flow back into Mexico, they are no longer within the jurisdiction of the United States, leaving the government without any authority to prosecute anyone for any crime.
Three Special ATF Agents gave additional incriminating testimony. ATF Agent Dodson, one of the first whistleblowers to come out publicly against Operation Fast and Furious, provided details about the failed operation.
“I was involved in this operation, we monitored as they purchased hand guns, AK-47 variants, and .50 caliber rifles almost daily. Rather than contradict any enforcement actions, we took notes, we recorded observations, we tracked movements of these individuals for a short time after their purchases, but nothing more. Knowing all the while, just days after these purchases, the guns that we saw these individuals buy would begin turning up at crime scenes in the United States and Mexico, we still did nothing,” Dodson said. “Allowing loads of weapons that we knew to be destined for criminals, this was the plan. It was so mandated.”
And there still isn’t an explanation as to why.
“Allowing firearms to be trafficked to criminals is a dangerous and deadly strategy. The thought that the techniques used in the “Fast and Furious” investigation would result in “taking down a cartel” given the toothless nature of the “straw purchasing law” and the lack of a “firearms trafficking statute” is, in my opinion, delusional,” Special Agent Peter Forcelli said. “This operation, which in my opinion endangered the American public, was orchestrated in conjunction with Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory Hurley. [Emory Hurley is the same Assistant U.S. Attorney who previously prevented agents from using some of the common and accepted law enforcement techniques that are employed elsewhere in the United States to investigate and prosecute gun crimes.] I have read documents that indicate that his boss, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, also agreed with the direction of the case.”
There is no way to prosecute drug cartels in Mexico even if firearms trafficking had been successful in locating them. They are not within United States jurisdiction.
“I can’t think of a single, logical strategy as to why this would have worked,” Forcelli said. “This was a catastrophic disaster.”
According to testimony, it has become common practice for retaliation to occur against ATF Agents who spoke out against their supervisor's corruption, even when operations had no logical backing.
Forcelli also added that while the ATF was ordering gun dealers to sell to straw buyers under surveillance, gun dealers were taking the heat for it, and being held responsible for violence in Mexico. He stressed gun dealers were not the problem. In fact gun dealers were helpful in pursuing cases against cartel members, making it blatantly clear law abiding gun owners are not at fault, but the government is.
Issa said he will continue to investigate in order to find the truth and get to the bottom of the operatation. The government owes the truth to the American people and to the family of Brian Terry and Jamie Zapata, he explained. “There has now become a focus on getting the truth out.”
From the horse’s mouth:
“
According to testimony, it has become common practice for retaliation to occur against ATF Agents who spoke out against their supervisor’s corruption, even when operations had no logical backing. “
OH, it was very logical alright, from a communist lusty piece of crap Obama view, as the following explains...
“
Forcelli also added that while the ATF was ordering gun dealers to sell to straw buyers under surveillance, gun dealers were taking the heat for it, and being held responsible for violence in Mexico. He stressed gun dealers were not the problem. In fact gun dealers were helpful in pursuing cases against cartel members, making it blatantly clear law abiding gun owners are not at fault, but the government is.
“
That’s it , blame America, blame American guns, blame free Americans with guns etc...
... and nothing like making for a corrupt, idiotic and decompetenting childlish thuggish government to destroy US legitimacy and leadership in the world.
Maybe Homeland Security can get in on the act - they could go down with the TSA and pat down grandmothers going grocery shopping... It won’t do a damn thing about the gun issue, but lots of liberals will feel good about themselves.
It's starting to feel like we're living in the old USSR... or some other thuggy totalitarian state... how did all of this happen?
Couldn’t agree more.
This, and the statement “we can absorb another terrorist attack”, proves beyond all doubt that the LAST thing our leadership gives a damn about is the American people.
In fact, their policies support the fact that they are actively working to bring about our financial and physical demise.
Exactly. They were so arrogant that they thought that no one would trace it back to them or if it were traced back to them, they would be shielded by a Rat controlled House, Senate, and WH.
How come honest Americans have to jump over numerous, very costly regulatory hurdles annually in order to own & carry guns but VIOLENT, FOREIGN CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS are eagerly getting flooded with US govt-subsidized guns for a “study” of criminal activity? The balance sheet does not look good for the “GOOD” guys — peaceful Americans!
It sure looks that way.
This would be a 24/7 story if Bush were still in power.
This stuff has been going on for at least 90 years. It just now reached the tipping point or maybe the point of no return.
At least that is what the leftists think. 40 years ago, I would never in my wildest dreams have thought the U.S. would elect a person with the character of Obama, or re-elect someone like Clinton.
Well maybe I am wrong. Now that I think about it, LBJ was nearly as bad. Of course no one knew what he really was like until he was President.
And then what, Congressman Issa?
I mean, (assuming my best Sean Connory voice) "What are you prepared to DO?!"
The BATF elitist A-HOLES knew full well what they were doing—as did Eric Holder and the Barack Hussein Obama. These bastards intentionally facilitated the sale of weapons to mobsters, for the sole purpose of inciting political ire against lawful American gun owners—and with the primary expectation of increasing this Administration’s draconian choke hold on our liberties!
THESE INDIVIDUALS AIDED AND ABETTED THE LEVYING OF WAR AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE—AND AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL BORDER STATES ... THAT ACT MAKES THEM GUILTY OF TREASON, AS THE WORD IS SPECIFICALLY DEFINED IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.
Recall too that, within the time frame during which this “operation” was ongoing, the mainstream media—AND THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE—were pushing the canard that “95 percent of the Mexican Cartels’ guns were coming from gun shops in the US” ... NOW we know through whom and by whose direct orders—the the OBAMA White House, the OBAMA Justice Department, and the OBAMA BATF.
The owners of American gun selling establishments were cajoled and reassured by the OBAMA Administration, through their BATF proxies, that to cooperate in allowing such sales was in their best interest! They were set up to be made political whipping posts.
When you put the facts together—particularly the timely Obama-induced media spin against gun owners, gun shows, and gun shops—then it becomes crystal clear that the entire “Fast and Furious / Gun Walker” operation was PURPOSED to incite public opinion against American gun rights.
In other words, these effing government SOB’s BECAME WILLING ACCESSORIES TO PREMEDITATED MURDER, in the hope of scoring a political victory against our Second Amendment Rights!
This is a treachery beyond compare. This is sufficient reason to take down this tyrannical fascist Obama regime—by armed force, if necessary—because these bastards know no limits, AND WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO DEPRIVE AMERICANS OF OUR LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY!
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, AND HIS MARXIST CRONIES, WILL EAGERLY AID DRUG LORDS, GANGSTERS AND MERCENARIES IN THE KILLING OF INNOCENT AMERICAN AND MEXICAN CITIZENS—JUST SO THAT THEY MAY AFFECT GREATER LEVERAGE TO DEPRIVE AMERICANS OF OUR FREEDOMS!
It is time to END THE REIGN of “King” Obama. Impeach him, try him, and publicly execute him—and all those who have aided in his fowl and treacherous treason. Damn them all to Hell!
The whole damned thing is about intentionally creating an exploitable crisis.
You can be sure of it.
Send repeated individual emails with different captivating headers to Greta (she is big on reporting about the border), Hannity, Rush O’Reilly and anybody else we can think of. This is so important we need to inundate them with email about this so that they cannot ignore it or cover it up. Get to work freepers and change history!
This is nothing short of TREASON on the part of Obama/Holder and their thug gang.
Justice Department taking a page out of Hitler’s playbook?
See http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/burns.htm.
Germany was a different country after the Nazis torched the Reischtag.
Clearly, Justice hoped that this scam would result in a severe restriction on gun purchases and ownership in the US.
I wonder if Rep. Issa can raise this issue to the point that an Orange Jump Suit franchise would be profitable?
A lot of people MUST GO TO THE BIG HOUSE for participating in this clumsy attempt to subvert our laws and our Constitution!
bttt We have to keep this alive.
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