Posted on 07/26/2011 10:01:05 PM PDT by Nachum
At a lengthy hearing on ATF's controversial gunwalking operation today, a key ATF manager told Congress he discussed the case with a White House National Security staffer as early as September 2010. The communications were between ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix office, Bill Newell, and White House National Security Director for North America Kevin O'Reilly. Newell said the two are longtime friends. The content of what Newell shared with O'Reilly is unclear and wasn't fully explored at the hearing.
It's the first time anyone has publicly stated that a White House official had any familiarity with ATF's operation Fast and Furious, which allowed thousands of weapons to fall into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to gain intelligence. It's unknown as to whether O'Reilly shared information with anybody else at the White House.
Congressional investigators obtained an email from Newell to O'Reilly in September of last year in which Newell began with the words: "you didn't get this from me."
"What does that mean," one member of Congress asked Newell, " 'you didn't get this from me?' "
"Obviously he was a friend of mine," Newell replied, "and I shouldn't have been sending that to him."
Newell told Congress that O'Reilly had asked him for information.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
seen this?
What this will boil down to is an agreement to correct the misshapen " timely exchange of information". Nobody is going to resign over it, nobody will get prosecuted and certainly it will not change anything regarding the criminal pResident of the White House, so put the popcorn back. It's a boring show, not even worth watching.
Following is the joint statement issued by Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Espinosa who together with other senior government officials of the United States and Mexico met March 23, 2010 in Mexico City as the Merida Initiative High-Level Consultative Group:
1. As friends, neighbors and strategic partners, the Governments of Mexico and the United States of America are committed to a future of development, security and well-being for our people. In this spirit, we renew our long-term efforts to create the conditions that allow us to achieve the great potential between our nations in all areas and to confront common challenges.
2. In 2007, the Governments of Mexico and the United States decided on the implementation of an ambitious multi-year initiative to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation against transnational drug trafficking organizations and organized crime. The Merida Initiative includes actions that each country would implement in its territory, with its own resources, to confront organized crime. It also includes enhanced bilateral cooperation, in areas such as information exchange and technical assistance and equipment transfers, technology and training to strengthen the capacities of the Mexican security and law enforcement agencies.
3. The Merida Initiative represents a paradigmatic change in our bilateral cooperation against transnational organized crime. It is based on the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, respect for each country’s jurisdiction, and the complementarity of national efforts and regional cooperation.
4. Meeting in August 2009, Presidents Felipe Calderón and Barack Obama noted the progress achieved within this framework. They reiterated the importance of its full implementation, and the need to continue and to expand and institutionalize our cooperation against the regional threat presented by organized crime.
5. We act with a shared vision of our common threats and with the conviction that the appropriate way to confront transnational organized crime and related security concerns, in particular drug trafficking and related criminal activities such as the traffic of weapons and bulk cash, is through cooperation, consultation and the timely exchange of information.
6. We now open a new phase in our cooperation in which the common goal for both countries will be to prevent and combat this scourge in an even more efficient and coordinated manner.
7. In this context, we have consolidated a strategic vision for the coming years to ensure continuity of bilateral actions already in place and advance new opportunities and areas of cooperation, with full respect for the legal framework and sovereignty of each country. Our vision is comprehensive and balanced, encompassing actions in four strategic areas:
A. Disruption of the capacity of criminal organizations that act in both countries, through the systematic weakening of their operational, logistical and financial structures and capabilities.
B. Mutual support for the continuous improvement of the framework for security and justice and the strengthening of public institutions of both countries that are responsible for combating organized crime, including the promotion of the full observance of human rights and active civil society participation.
C. Development of a secure and competitive border for the 21st century, based on a bilateral and comprehensive approach, that increases our global competitiveness through efficient and secure flows of legitimate commerce and travel while ensuring citizen safety and disrupting the illicit trade of drugs, weapons, bulk cash and other goods.
D. Building strong and resilient communities which includes supporting efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence, promote the culture of legality, reduce illicit drug use, promote a broader perception of the links between drug use and crime and violence, and stem the flow of potential recruits for the cartels by promoting constructive, legal alternatives for young people.
8. Our work in each of the four strategic areas must draw on the full capabilities of both governments and, through strong and effective coordination, leverage the skills and resources available at all levels of government and in civil society. Mexico and the United States recognize the key roles of our respective executive, legislative and judicial powers in the efforts to effectively combat transnational organized crime. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen dialogue and coordination among branches of government, within our respective jurisdictions. We underscore the importance of continuing consultation and engagement with civil society organizations.
9. We intend to formulate comprehensive plans, based on the four strategic areas that have been identified, to combat the violence that exists in areas of our common border, seeking to guarantee the security of our citizens. We intend to implement pilot programs in a coordinated manner in the Tijuana – San Diego and Ciudad Juárez – El Paso regions. Through the strengthening of their information exchange mechanisms, agencies from both countries will undertake operations in their respective territories to apprehend criminals, and will promote the social and economic development of the communities that have most suffered the effects of violence.
10. Recognizing that Mexico and the United States have unparalleled opportunities as neighbors to advance joint and national interests in a global environment, we have committed to develop and implement, in line with our four strategic priorities, a plan for a comprehensive vision of how to manage our common border to increase the security and economic competitiveness of both our countries. Our plan will be based on the principles of coordinated management and permanent consultations, co-responsibility for cross-border criminal activity, shared interest in reducing the costs of doing business, and partnership with communities, including the private sector and other stakeholders, along the border that are most intimately affected by federal policies.
11. Drug use is a serious public health problem, and we are therefore committed to improve and strengthen efforts in the areas of prevention, rehabilitation and demand reduction. The fight against production and drug trafficking will not be effective until the issue of demand is addressed through a comprehensive approach incorporating health and education policies.
12. Equally, Mexico and the United States intend to prioritize our bilateral and national efforts to investigate, arrest, and punish individuals linked to money laundering, by improving the exchange of financial intelligence, law enforcement coordination and the use of all technical means available to detect and prevent financial crimes.
13. Our governments intend to establish a bilateral work program to combat illegal weapons and illicit financial flows, crimes that contribute to spread violence and corruption. This scheme will have concrete objectives and progress indicators that will be periodically reviewed. It will seek to identify new areas of cooperation and actions that each State can take within its jurisdiction.
14. Furthermore, aware that the causes and effects of drug trafficking do not respect boundaries, the United States is further intensifying its efforts to combat criminal organizations that introduce and distribute illicit drugs in its territory.
15. For its part, the Government of Mexico will continue to confront resolutely organized crime and to advance the legal reforms needed to modernize its judicial and police structures, combat impunity and strengthen the rule of law. In order to guarantee the security and tranquility its citizens are entitled to, it intends to continue to commit the necessary resources to meet its responsibilities in this area.
16. In the context of strengthening bilateral cooperation and reinforcing mutual trust, both governments are committed to redoubling their respective efforts to combat corruption.
17. Convinced that no State can by itself and with its own resources successfully face these criminal organizations, both governments are committed to deepening regional cooperation and coordination in North America and, likewise, with the countries of Central America and the Caribbean.
18. Our two countries reaffirm our commitment to strengthen the effective mechanisms we have created to confront these challenges. Our efforts are genuinely bilateral and reflect the level of trust and understanding attained through our political dialogue and intensive technical exchanges. Likewise, we will continue to evaluate jointly our measures against transnational organized crime.
19. With these actions, Mexico and the United States reiterate their friendship, mutual trust and a firm commitment with the security and welfare of their populations, so that our children and future generations live free from violence caused by organized crime, and free from the destructive effects of drug use.
The end of the line is coming. Someone is bound to roll over on Zero to save their skin
>We need a special prosecutor’s office because DoJ is totally corrupt and cannot investigate itself.,
I think that since the Director of Justice has already committed perjury to congress it is a given that there is going to have to be a special prosecutor.
>Why can’t they hang the whole thing on Melson?<
because Melson already implicated Holder among many more
BIG BUMP!
NO not yet. But with corroboration perhaps an arrest warrant. But that also attaches the right to counsel.
Issa knows what he is doing. This is big and he isn’t screwing it up at all.
It is going to take time though.
Watergate took years so did Iran Contra .. this is bigger than either PLUS - this whole thing will be going right back to “The Won” who will scream racism. Knowing that the media will jump on that, they are much better off taking their time.
Let it be done right and the Won can be the the one who did us all a favor. Putting “progressives” out of the limelight for many years to come.
>Watergate didn’t get anyone killed either. Nothing short of treason charges will do for this tyranny.<
Charges against the people involved in scheming this are already being discussed. there was an arms control act that would make this treason.
I forgot to highlight #13.
>My take is Issa already knew that and let the word out so the ATF bastards aren’t willing to take the rap for perjury.<
Ummm .. The ATF Bastards were the ones who blew the lid off of it.
Not the managers.
Not exactly sure ow you consider this “nailing” all of them?
What Am I missing?
What goes around comes around ...
After listening to the hearings with Newell and McMahon dissembling like crazy, it is apparent that at least those two sleazy characters do not know what Melson has revealed to the Issa committee. Eventually, if the questioning is done properly, men like Newell and McMahon will realize that continuing to dissemble under oath will result in their being indicted and the real criminal scum of the obanoccio administration skating over their corpses.
With all the comments I am reading on these threads I often wonder how little people read beyond a headline and how little they really understand before they post on this subject.
After watching Canino testify, it seems likely that certain people at ATF were kept out of the Justice dept. loop, so the weapons could flow to Mexico and the death and mayhem resulting be the crux of new gun legislation in America. The testimonies indicate that Newell was aware of the changed method for dealing with the purchases, but a guy like Canino (who operates in Mexico) were not informed of the particulars thus he was astonished when the truth began coming out. The program changes had to have originated very high up, Justice Dept or above.
Right now, this scandal is growing and growing into the national spotlight. If it becomes big enough, people will well understand what is said, IMHO.
Most of the ATF people were kept out of the loop. The ones who were involved in what they thought was a typical case were outraged when they found the guns were being allowed to walk.
The culprits here are the FBI agents who were using their informants to buy guns, most likely with government money, to traffic to Mexico. The whole time FBI covering tracks that are in place to stop this activity.
If you understand the structure of things in Justice. No agent would have done this on their own.
No Area SAC would have dreamed this up.
No regional director would have cleared this.
This came from justice itself.
A US attorney.
But no District Assistant US Attorney would have dared give approval fr this because it had international implications.
Holder MUST have authorized this. And Holder would not have done it alone either ..again because it has international ramifications. He had to have at the very minimum HRC involved in this as well to cover tracks in Mexico.
Now if you’ll follow one step more, Napolitano ordered the boarder patrol to stop interdictions of people crossing at the same time this was in it’s hight. It didn’t get a lot of attention, but it did make news. The boarder patrol was told to stand down and they were outraged.
Now, do you really think that was a coincidence? Because I sure don’t. She was making sure that the guns made their way into Mexico and that the FBI informants didn’t get stopped with the guns on their way to Mexico.
Now we have three principle players .. Holder, Clinton and Napolitano.
Do you think that the three of them discussed this around the water cooler one day and thought it was a great idea. So they did it without letting Obama know?
NOW you will learn why we have Crazy Joe as a VP. .. Obama is going to make it appear that Biden gave the authorization to Holder, Napolitano and Clinton to do this.
Watch it play out now.
I think you meant to say, hugh and series!!!
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