Posted on 09/20/2011 8:06:59 AM PDT by yoe
Summary: We must demand answers and consequences for those responsible in Operation Fast and Furious.
One year ago, the phrase “Fast and Furious” would conjure images of a terrible movie franchise with fast cars, hot chicks, guys with big muscles and dreadful plot lines. Now, that phrase has morphed into an entirely different image.
It’s an image of the “straw purchases” of assault-style weapons from firearms dealers that are sometimes resold to criminal elements in Mexico. Straw purchasers are people who buy guns to resell to other parties, often members of cartels and gangs.
And before you lay blame on the dealers, you need to understand that they were given lists of ‘straw purchasers’ by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a branch of the Justice Department, and told to allow the sale of the firearms to ‘straw purchasers’ to go through.
The Justice Department has been accused of not only knowing the operation was active, but endorsing and arranging the operation through the ATF.
Under normal procedures, the “straw purchaser” would be arrested and the firearm confiscated before being sold to the intended target.
Under Fast & Furious, they bypassed this procedure, arrested the purchaser after the sale, and then attempted to “flip” them to give up the names of cartel members. The intent was to create a nexus between cartels and straw purchasers.
According to an article in The Huffington Post, this operation turned over approximately 2,000 firearms to violent cartels headquartered in Mexico, and as many as 1,400 of these are unaccounted for.
Now, it’s been discovered that the firearms have been used in the deaths of two Americans, and almost 200 firearms have been recovered from crime scenes in Mexico, according to The Los Angeles Times. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was murdered in Southern Arizona, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata, who was murdered in Mexico, were the two Americans killed.
Where is Attorney General Eric Holder? Where is President Barack Obama? Why aren’t there more people marching around the White House and calling their legislators demanding answers?
And where is the media? Major newspapers and media outlets are attempting to minimize the exposure and discussion, and the Obama administration is certainly using this to their advantage.
While Holder is furiously working on reassigning agents to various posts and hanging Dennis Burke, the U.S. attorney in Arizona, out to dry, the administration is still avoiding the topic and diverting attention to other, albeit important, issues without addressing this deadly one.
I find it curious that instead of focusing on the idiocy of the government enabling criminals to get their hands on guns, they are focusing on firearms in this country.
This administration has broken federal law in allowing the sale (against many dealers’ wishes) and transport of weapons across the border. It has now been revealed that White House staff members and advisors have received numerous briefings and emails on the status and function of the operation.
If this administration can’t see how their actions have not only escalated the violence of cartels on both sides of the border, increased the distrust felt by Mexican officials, and also caused the deaths of countless American and Mexican citizens, then I think it’s time for voters to seriously think about how incompetent the current administration really is.
The sins of the Obama administration should not be thrust upon unsuspecting law enforcement officers, Mexican citizens and law-abiding firearm dealers and owners in this country.
It’s time for the American people to stand up and demand answers, and perhaps the rolling of a few highly-ranked heads.
Reach the columnist at Page at Page.Gerrick@asu.edu
Fast and Furious must not be swept under the rug....Eric Holder and president Obama must be investigated further at to their part in this crime. We have a Drug War happening on United States land and only a few brave men, women, and sheriffs are doing anything about it. Janet Napolitano is MIA for the most part on this. Call your elected and call the offices of Issa and Grassley to give them your support. Don't let the Obama Class Warfare over shadow this crime.
Heads should roll?
Yes.
BUT, this goes all the way to the top. To the “Resident”at 1600 Penn. Ave.
Any other conclusion is illogical.
“It’s time for the American people to stand up and demand answers”,
...there are so many criminal incidents from this WH, and so many times we have to “stand up” we need knee replacement. 2012 is/should be the answer to righting the countless wrongs. The time to stand up will be in election season. When everyone needs to man phones, knock on doors and donate “until it hurts”! Nothing else will work. These thieves that are in office don’t care about our “standing up”.
there are no illegal guns. just undocumented guns we haven’t met yet.
Bzzzzt! Wrong.
The intent was to create a pool of "legally purchased" semiautomatic weapons in Mexico to have an excuse to impose harsher laws on firearms purchases in America. So what if a few Americans and an untold number of Mexicans are killed with the BATF-run guns. There's a Constitution to make war against and this was supposed to be the casus belli for that war.
You are right. Nothing will gain any traction until the Senate is back in the hands of GOP. Issa and Grassley are making a valiant effort and I hope it continues. The drum beat will be faint until others recognize that the stench is unmanageable and something drastic must be done. That time is coming, but help is needed. No counting on the State Sponsored media to help, although Drudge has finally picked up the CBS reporting.
Wonder who Obama will select for Special Prosecutor?.
The guillotine is due for a revival.
,,,,,, never happen with this corrupt justice dept .
I prefer public hangings, with the bodies left for the crows. Either way, the Mall in DC would be the most fitting venue.
This is, in addition to a great many lessor crimes, treason. That so many are complicit, including the stonewalling and the silence from the media and from both sides of the aisle, tells me they are all involved in the coverup as part of an overall effort to subvert our Constitution and the inalienable rights it is founded upon. Treason. The stakes are high, and they know it.
This is not a sex scandal the Dims can;t hide under the whole “it is just a sex scandal thing” I’ll bet they are wishing for Barry to have a sex scandal about now.
Like Ken Starr?
He sure busted that Clinton crime cartel.
Those of us who remember the 90s know what a pathetic joke all of these hearings are.
"The Dog that Did Not Bark" Sherlock Holmes
AND in Solyndra AND in Light Squared AND in Gibson Guitar.
If anybody else other than Obama was in the White House, there would be a special prosecutor working on impeachment papers for a President who has nothing but contempt for the Constitution.
In the long run, its to our advantage as they are campaign issues, I suppose, but it would be nice to see that racist bastard Holder sweating before a special Prosecutor over all this crap.
As has been stated on here before, the investigation will continue. Obama will lose. His administration and those in it, that are responsible for this catastrophy will leave their positions. And then everyone will meet for happy hour and laugh about how they got away with it.
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