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Unbelievable: Operation Fast and Furious Agents...Promoted
Townhall.com ^ | August 16, 2011 | Katie Pavlich

Posted on 08/16/2011 3:36:45 PM PDT by Kaslin

You got our gun control regulations through! Great job! Here's promotion!

ATF agents involved in Operation Fast and Furious who should have been fired by now for putting over 2000 high powered weapons into the hands of ruthless Mexican drug cartels, on purpose, have been promoted. Yes, promoted. Only in government can you have blood on your hands and get a pay raise and moved from the Phoenix Field Office to a cushy office in Washington D.C.

The three supervisors have been given new management positions at the agency's headquarters in Washington. They are William G. McMahon, who was the ATF's deputy director of operations in the West, where the illegal trafficking program was focused, and William D. Newell and David Voth, both field supervisors who oversaw the program out of the agency's Phoenix office.

McMahon and Newell have acknowledged making serious mistakes in the program, which was dubbed Operation Fast and Furious.

"I share responsibility for mistakes that were made," McMahon testified to a House committee three weeks ago. "The advantage of hindsight, the benefit of a thorough review of the case, clearly points me to things that I would have done differently."

McMahon was promoted Sunday to deputy assistant director of the ATF's Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations — the division that investigates misconduct by employees and other problems.


Kenneth E. Melson, the ATF's acting director, said in an agency-wide confidential email announcing the promotion that McMahon was among ATF employees being rewarded because of "the skills and abilities they have demonstrated throughout their careers."

Newell was the special agent in charge of the field office for Arizona and New Mexico, where Fast and Furious was conducted. On Aug. 1, the ATF announced he would become special assistant to the assistant director of the agency's Office of Management in Washington.

Voth was an on-the-ground team supervisor for the operation, and last month he was moved to Washington to become branch chief for the ATF's tobacco division.

William Newell was the agent who lied to Congress by saying ATF never let guns "walk" during testimony on Capitol Hill in July, despite Operation Fast and Furious being an operation that involved giving drug cartels guns from the beginning in order to "track down," cartel leaders.  From July 26, 2011:

“These guns went to ruthless criminals,” Carlos Canino, ATF Acting Attaché to Mexico said in testimony on Capitol Hill Tuesday regarding the scandal-plagued Operation Fast and Furious. “It’s alleged that over 2,000 guns were trafficked in this investigation. To put that in context, upon information and belief, the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment has approximately 2,500 rangers. That means that as a result of this investigation, the Sinaloa cartel may have received almost as many guns that are needed to arm the entire regiment. Out of these 2,000 weapons, 34 were .50-caliber sniper rifles. That is approximately the number of sniper riles a Marine infantry regiment takes into battle.”

Remember, William Newell, who again has been promoted, would not admit Operation Fast and Furious was a bad idea and would not say he wouldn't do it again.


Former ATF Special Agent in Charge William Newell would not condemn Operation Fast and Furious and allowing guns to walk into Mexico during testimony and questioning. In fact, Newell went so far as to say he was unaware of guns walking into Mexico, despite internal emails showing he did know. Newell admitted the agency made mistakes but would not admit the program was a bad idea and exposed that he was in communication with a member of the White House national security team. His testimony also conflicted with previous testimony given by Special Agent John Dodson of the Phoenix Field Division who said on June 15, “Allowing loads of weapons that we knew to be destined for criminals, this was the plan. It was so mandated.”

“At no time in our strategy was it to allow guns to be taken to Mexico,” Newell said, adding that at no time did his agency allow guns to walk.


“You’re entitled to your opinion, not your own facts,” Issa responded.



Chaffetz: When Did ATF Special Agents Know of Guns Walking Across U.S.-Mexico Border?


If you're wondering, Fast and Furious hasn't led to a single arrest of a drug kingpin and has resulted in the murders of two U.S. federal agents and countless murders of innocents in Mexico. Now, Operation Fast and Furious has resulted in the promotion of the very agents who carried out the operation, despite knowing it involved huge risk and would get people killed.

In addition, new gun control measures targeting Southern border states have been implemented by the Obama Justice Department as a result of Fast and Furious, and the operation was designed to promote gun control from the beginning. Seems like these agents did their job to get those new gun control measures implemented and are being awarded by the Obama Administration for doing so. Newell is also the agent who admitted the White House was involved with Operation Fast and Furious.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: atf; bafte; banglist; banlist; batfeisajoke; bootthebatfe; castaway; cia; corruption; dea; democrats; dhs; doj; fastandfurious; fbi; fraud; govtabuse; gunrunner; gunwalker; holder; ice; obama; tyranny
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1 posted on 08/16/2011 3:36:49 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

ATF has its own system of omerta.


2 posted on 08/16/2011 3:40:36 PM PDT by Melchior
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To: Kaslin

The FBI agents who burned the children at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco alive were all promoted, too. The FBI agent in charge at Ruby Ridge, when they shot a mother and her children, were also promoted.
Killing those whom the government deems bothersome is a career enhancer.
That is why more and more people no longer want a federal government.


3 posted on 08/16/2011 3:41:05 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Kaslin

Someones are getting paid off for keeping their mouths shut. Bring more logs for that fire, I smell someone’s going to be burned at the stake.

HOLDER MUST GO.


4 posted on 08/16/2011 3:41:05 PM PDT by SueRae (I can see November 2012 from my HOUSE!!!!!!!!)
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To: Kaslin

Fail your way forward. Typical.


5 posted on 08/16/2011 3:42:12 PM PDT by 50cal Smokepole (Effective gun control involves effective recoil management)
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To: Kaslin

[...get a pay raise and moved from the Phoenix Field Office to a cushy office in Washington D.C.]

That’s how it works in criminal enterprises, this is assurance that the investigation never reaches Holder.


6 posted on 08/16/2011 3:46:56 PM PDT by RetSignman (It's Summertime...the "Goebbles Warmers" are back from hibernation.)
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To: SueRae

Yeah, and you want to bet the payoff is the promotion


7 posted on 08/16/2011 3:52:18 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Kaslin
Gosh, I wonder who approved this promotion, in writing? It wouldn't lead to the guy who couldn't possibly be the one who perjured himself to Congress, would it?

That's a mighty fine shovel you've got there Mr. Holder, and I am surely impressed with the way you know how to use it. Just keep working at it until you get to six feet deep. OK?

8 posted on 08/16/2011 3:59:19 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (GunWalker: Arming "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as well funded")
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To: Kaslin
was there ever really any doubt???
9 posted on 08/16/2011 4:01:40 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: kittymyrib

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!

All of these guys OBEYED. The followed orders - even when those orders resulted in the deaths of American citizens and law enforcement personnel.

THESE AGENTS OBEYED AND KILLED AMERICANS.

Of course they were promoted; they killed the enemy.


10 posted on 08/16/2011 4:02:44 PM PDT by Darteaus94025
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To: Kaslin

They are rewarded for doing their best to carry out the Obama/Holder agenda.


11 posted on 08/16/2011 4:12:16 PM PDT by Iron Munro (One Trillion seconds = 31,709.79 YEARS / One Trillion dollars = Obama's spending for 3 months)
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To: kittymyrib

Too bad 2 American Law Enforcement agents and over 150 Mexican civilians were “bothersome” to zippy’s anti-gun agenda...


12 posted on 08/16/2011 4:12:28 PM PDT by snuffy smiff (Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.)
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To: kittymyrib

They will get their real reward eventually and they won’t like it


13 posted on 08/16/2011 4:27:19 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Kaslin

... get a pay raise and moved from the Phoenix Field Office to a cushy office in Washington D.C.
++++++++++++
If I was Holder and had 3 guys who could destroy my career sitting out in Phoenix I sure would consider moving them back to Washington where I could keep a closer eye on them. I might even consider giving them a raise as an insurance policy against the possibility of any diminishing of their loyalty to the boss.

But of course Holder would never think of that. ;)


14 posted on 08/16/2011 4:39:05 PM PDT by InterceptPoint (w)
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To: MestaMachine

ping and bump a different article on this


15 posted on 08/16/2011 4:50:41 PM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (It is possible to both promote Palin and support Bachmann at the same time, ya know.)
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To: kittymyrib
Promotions appear to be linked to the length of memory and the quality of the story....

shameful breech of human decency.

16 posted on 08/16/2011 4:50:41 PM PDT by pointsal
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To: vette6387; MetaThought; 60Gunner; XHogPilot; FreedomPoster; Josephat; Prince of Space; ...

FOR REFERENCE:

DAVID CODREA'S PROJECT GUNWALKER

A Journalist's guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part One

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Two

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Three

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Four

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Five

JULY 26 GUNWALKER HEARING & VIDEO


17 posted on 08/16/2011 4:56:24 PM PDT by MestaMachine (Mama always told me if you cain't say something nice/use duct tape. Ever try to ducttape a keyboard?)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

Makes you crazy, doesn’t it? Newell especially. Evil, evil man.


18 posted on 08/16/2011 4:58:04 PM PDT by MestaMachine (Mama always told me if you cain't say something nice/use duct tape. Ever try to ducttape a keyboard?)
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To: Kaslin
"Operation Fast and Furious Agents...Promoted"

A sure sign they did something illegal.

19 posted on 08/16/2011 4:59:57 PM PDT by YHAOS (you betcha!)
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To: Kaslin
Operation Fast and Furious Agents...Promoted

Buying their silence.

The Republicans cannot give up on this one. Those guns are still out there. People need to know, from now on, any deaths associated with American weapons are probably Obomas. His administration practically gave them away.

20 posted on 08/16/2011 5:07:17 PM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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