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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
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1 posted on 06/16/2011 5:13:57 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

Defund the BATFE.


2 posted on 06/16/2011 5:14:47 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
“How dare you make an opening statement of cooperation!” Mr. Issa shouted at Mr. Weich. “You’ve given us black paper.”

Good for him.

3 posted on 06/16/2011 5:17:28 AM PDT by Fido969
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
I sound him hold up not just blank papers but papers that were entirely "blacked".

This has to go back to Holder and Obama. It's just to big.

4 posted on 06/16/2011 5:18:16 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Paladin2

TWO FACTS REMAIN at this stage AG Holder and the Assistant AG both are stonewalling and saying I DON’T KNOW

June 15, 2011 Hearing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfN_wenulE

Issa Grills Attorney General Holder on Operation Fast & Furious and Project Gunrunner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NqH88cSBqI


5 posted on 06/16/2011 5:22:40 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: Sacajaweau

Interesting article. very interesting. the Times states unequivokally that the top people in BATFE knew all about it, but are we to assume that they didn’t run this by the DOJ? Of course they did..it’s just a questio of if Issa can show it goes all the way to Holdr, or there will be a cut-out, a fall guy, to take the blame.


6 posted on 06/16/2011 5:24:44 AM PDT by ken5050 (Save the Earth..It's the only planet with chocolate!!!)
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To: ken5050

we are beyond your scenario....the question is, will holder and napalitano BOTH be willing to fall on the sword for fubo......


7 posted on 06/16/2011 5:28:55 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)
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To: Fido969
UPDATED BREAKING NEWS

ATF Agent Expresses Fear that DOJ Inspector General has a Conflict of Interest in “Fast and Furious” Probe

RELATED VIDEO

8 posted on 06/16/2011 5:33:13 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: ken5050
From the news last time, it looks like Holder's assistant at least is gonna get the hook. Congress may actually get this right. I hope so....people died.

This operation had to be "big"...I think it was to be proof that Obama was doing something about the border.

9 posted on 06/16/2011 5:33:41 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: joe fonebone

I understand what you’re saying, and where you’re going, but there is no way that TWO Cabinet secs walk the plank without it blowing back to the WH


10 posted on 06/16/2011 5:34:29 AM PDT by ken5050 (Save the Earth..It's the only planet with chocolate!!!)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

First, we should refer to this program as “Fast & Furious”, not Gun Runner.

Gun Runner goes back to the Bush years and this administration (and media) have a nice way of twisting things to blame everything on Bush.

By focusing on “Fast & Furious”, it is clear that the program was started in 2009 under Obama.

The NY Times article just stops short of clearly explaining why agents questioned the program from the beginning. I think they could have been clearer that once the firearms left the store, they were incapable of being tracked except at a crime scene.

It would be like poisoning the marijuana supply in order to track the dealers.


11 posted on 06/16/2011 5:37:35 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: ken5050

Also: At the end of yesterdays testimony the Assistant AG SLIPPED UP BIG TIME. Issa wanted him to provide a list of names of who at DOJ authored a Jan.2010 document which is a direct lie; proven yesterday. The Assistant AG said the Executive Branch has to be notified and or it was unclear if he said they authored it.

Would any attorneys please watch the testimony and comment.


12 posted on 06/16/2011 5:37:43 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: Erik Latranyi

FastandFuriousGate


13 posted on 06/16/2011 5:39:01 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

ranking Democrat, apologized to Mr. Weich for Mr. Issa’s hostility. “You don’t deserve that,” Mr. Cummings, said, adding that the committee needed to uphold “a certain level of integrity.”

That’s odd coming from the party that doesn’t know the meaning of “integrity”.


14 posted on 06/16/2011 5:43:08 AM PDT by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
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To: ken5050

As well as there are a lot of people at this very moment very high in these agencies that should (at the very least) not have jobs. The Assistant AG could not even answer that the DOJ even knew if this ludicrous operation was still underway!
Immunity can be offered to higher ups in gov departments.


15 posted on 06/16/2011 5:44:20 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: Fido969

Weich is the greasiest lawyer I have seen in quite some time. He obviously was picked for his job because he knows how to avoid answering a direct question. For someone who represents the Department of Justice before Congress, he comes across as the quintessential shyster lawyer.


16 posted on 06/16/2011 5:48:22 AM PDT by Melchior
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

Lets remember this whole mess would still be under a rock with its cockroaches if it hadn’t been for someone in LE getting offed as a result. Little People wouldn’t have counted. At a minimum the ATF needs to be put on a short lead. The right thing to do tho is completely disband them. In the end gun walker/fast and furious was all about giving guns to criminals so the law abiding could be disarmed. All this courtesy of the fed govt! Someones need to go to jail for a long long time b/c of it.


17 posted on 06/16/2011 5:48:37 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: joe fonebone
DHS Chief Napolitano says she was not aware of agency's link to ATF "gun running"

Holder:Fast and Furious

Obama-Fast and Furious

Obama,Holder and Napolitano all claim they know nothing.

18 posted on 06/16/2011 5:54:49 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: 556x45

The crucial point is: It is a no brainer that the agencies were obeying orders from the AG and POTUS Admin. Whether Obama and Holder want to play dumb or not: No same individual thinks they knew nothing about this.Logic prevails... this big of an operation (rogue or not) does not happen without them knowing it.They are at the end of the responsibility stick PERIOD. Enough whistle blower agents had the courage to speak out. Research the news from 09-10 Obama had one agenda other than golfing and constant campaigning-Mexican Drug lords buying AK’s at US gun shows therefore he wanted gun legislation passed.

Do people realize people died, federal laws were broken ALL for a democratic/Obama political policy of anti-gun gun grabbing? It has come out that when the Az. shooting happened ALL of them crapped their pants wondering if it was one of their rogue guns.


19 posted on 06/16/2011 6:06:55 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (Allen West 2012 Make it happen!)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

Implausible Deniability.


20 posted on 06/16/2011 6:21:59 AM PDT by savedbygrace (But God.)
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