Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Top Agency Officials Knew of Disputed Gun Program
nytimes.com ^ | Published: June 15, 2011 | SEAN COLLINS WALSH

Posted on 06/16/2011 5:13:53 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

WASHINGTON — Knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious, a controversial border security strategy that allowed guns to be shipped illegally into Mexico in an effort to track them to drug cartels, went to the top of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, according to evidence released on Wednesday at a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Witnesses at the House hearing included three relatives of a Border Patrol agent killed in Arizona and three A.T.F. agents, right.

The operation, which began in 2009, came under fire after two guns linked to it were found at the scene of the killing of an American Border Patrol agent, Brian A. Terry, in Arizona in 2010. Members of Mr. Terry’s family testified at the hearing.

The acting director of A.T.F., Kenneth E. Melson, and his acting deputy, William J. Hoover, were “keenly interested” in the operation and received weekly updates on its progress, according to internal e-mails released for the first time by the Oversight Committee’s chairman, Darrell Issa, Republican of California.

At the hearing, Republicans pressed a Justice Department witness as to who else in Washington authorized the operation or was aware of it.

The witness, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, said releasing some of the documents that the committee sought would jeopardize continuing prosecutions.

At one point, Mr. Issa held up an entirely redacted page from evidence submitted by the department and chided Mr. Weich for the department’s response to a subpoena.

“How dare you make an opening statement of cooperation!” Mr. Issa shouted at Mr. Weich. “You’ve given us black paper.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: abovethelaw; atf; banglist; batf; bho44; border; dnc4terrorists; dncabovethelaw; dncpeople; dnctreason; fastandfuriousgate; fastnfuriousgateag; hearings; holder; holderlaw; holderlied; holderspeople; holdervsamerica; impeachobama; issa; obama; obamalaw; obamaspeople; obamavsamerica; treason
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last
To: Erik Latranyi

“By referring to the program as Fast & Furious, it nails Obama.”

Abdo-lutely Erik! I just wanted to make the point clear that Bush did not allow guns to cross the Border. A very important distinction. Also see Post #40.
Best,
Bogie


41 posted on 06/16/2011 9:03:24 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: 556x45

They would have used this to further restrict military-designed weapons from civilians. They would use the National Guard as precedence as the militia in order to finally ban and confiscate all firearms owned by Americans.


42 posted on 06/16/2011 9:09:02 AM PDT by wastedyears (SEAL SIX makes me proud to have been playing SOCOM since 2003.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: wastedyears
Exactly and mediamatters dot com is denying it all. So it is the truth.No one heard of this a few days ago and go search “Fast and Furious” it has hit the news and Obama can't deny he didn't know anything about this nor ordered it; muchless Holder. Holder has already been called. Will Issa call him again?
Holder can't say Obama did not approve or order this.Imagine Holder getting immunity... I know the Chicago way never gets caught and all under go under the bus but this one is gonna be tough for Obama to escape.
43 posted on 06/16/2011 9:18:23 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Fast and Furious and AG Eric Holder Stepping down will be the next most searchable words in the news. Obama will think it all goes away. It won’t.


44 posted on 06/16/2011 9:25:16 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: qaz123

“.......At no time, for any of the firearms that I have purchased, was I ever asked WHY I wanted to buy it.”

Interesting. Every firearm I have purchased, or my wife has purchased we were asked why.

Mainly the dealer was seemingly curious as to help us choose the type of weapon.

Was it for home defense?
Was it for “plinking” at the range?
Was it for hunting, and what type of hunting?

That sort of thing.

NOT ONE single weapon was bought without those questions being asked.

Maybe it’s a California Gun Dealer thing.


45 posted on 06/16/2011 10:09:58 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: qaz123

That’s when it becomes obvious that they don’t write their own Bills.


46 posted on 06/16/2011 12:05:11 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Allowing Islam into America is akin to injecting yourself with AIDS to prove how tolerant you are...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2732811/posts?page=2#2


47 posted on 06/16/2011 12:19:37 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Allowing Islam into America is akin to injecting yourself with AIDS to prove how tolerant you are...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch

Thanks!


48 posted on 06/16/2011 12:52:19 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Erik Latranyi

Erik, another FReeper just alerted me to this;

“Story on foxnews yesterday included a detail that the ATF inserted GPS tracking devices in these guns before the sale.”
Best,
Bogie


49 posted on 06/16/2011 12:54:21 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
“Story on foxnews yesterday included a detail that the ATF inserted GPS tracking devices in these guns before the sale.”

I'm wondering if that was the policy for Gun Runner and not for Fast & Furious.

This is precisely what I was warning about in my original post......they will confuse the issue so it becomes "too complex" for the public to follow it.

50 posted on 06/16/2011 1:06:24 PM PDT by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Wonder if the gun that the notorious Tucson drug-runner Jose Guerena had was a Fast and Furious gun. Or maybe his brother had one. (just speculating here)


51 posted on 06/16/2011 1:10:40 PM PDT by petitfour (Are you a Dead Fish American?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Erik Latranyi

“I’m wondering if that was the policy for Gun Runner and not for Fast & Furious.”

Don’t know for sure, Erik. But I thought I read that it was the Bush era policy. Haven’t been able to pin it down. But if the Bush policy was to not let guns cross the Border, it makes sense that it was Gunrunner. Agents would know when the guns were getting close to the Border.


52 posted on 06/16/2011 1:33:19 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

53 posted on 06/16/2011 1:45:26 PM PDT by archy (I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fido969

Freaking Obastardites probably thought they were being cute by giving the committee a piece of paper with EVERYTHING redacted. A LOT of high ranking people need to go to prison over this.


54 posted on 06/16/2011 6:01:20 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: joe fonebone
“It was relayed to me that they didn’t have to explain anything.”

Typical of liberal elite sons of bitches. They are so far above the hoi polloi that they don't have to answer to mere peasants.

55 posted on 06/16/2011 6:08:07 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
But I thought I read that it was the Bush era policy.

It was the Bush policy to GPS track the firearms and intercept them before they cross the border.

The media and BATFE will cite that during this investigation and leave out the little fact that the policy changed with Fast & Furious.

The media and liberals will trumpet that they were tracking the firearms when they were not doing any such thing.

56 posted on 06/16/2011 6:08:24 PM PDT by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Erik Latranyi
Agents say DOJ still being untruthful about efforts to let guns ‘walk’ into hands of drug cartels

Memos went to Washington for approval during this illegal sting

http://oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

57 posted on 06/17/2011 6:35:32 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

Good get!


58 posted on 06/17/2011 8:05:41 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: blackie

Post 57 shows Issa has evidence Washington knew with memos. How can Obama possibly spin he didn’t if he knew he had to have approved it.


59 posted on 06/17/2011 8:41:44 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson