Critic of ATF gun-trafficking program raised no objection when briefed last year

washingtonpost.com ^ | June 21 2011 | Jerry Markon and Sari Horwitz

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

A chief Republican critic of a controversial U.S. anti-gun-trafficking operation was briefed on ATF’s “Fast and Furious” program last year and did not express any opposition, sources familiar with the classified briefing said Tuesday.

Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.), who has repeatedly called for top Justice Department officials to be held accountable for the now-defunct operation, was given highly specific information about it at an April 2010 briefing, the sources said. Members of his staff also attended the session, which Issa and two other Republican congressmen had requested.

Fast and Furious targeted Mexican gun traffickers but was linked to the killing of a U.S. law enforcement officer. Republicans in Congress have criticized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives over its handling of the operation, with Issa calling it “felony-stupid bad judgment” during a hearing last week in which he grilled a Justice Department official.

At the briefing last year, bureau officials laid out for Issa and other members of Congress from both parties details of several ATF investigations, including Fast and Furious, the sources said. For that program, the briefing covered how many guns had been bought by “straw purchasers,’’ the types of guns and how much money had been spent, said one source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the briefing was not public.

“All of the things [Issa] has been screaming about, he was briefed on,’’ said one source familiar with the session.

[2harddrive]

Government abuses like THIS are another reason why all Americans must now put our 2nd Amendment FIRST!!

[Tucsonican]

Hmm....If my job is to ask Congress for funding for a particular project would I lay it out as "We're letting suspected drug traffickers get their hands on guns which we then figure are going into Mexico to be used in Narco-wars. We figure that some folks might get killed but, hey, it's all worth it in the end......right Congressman?"
I'm going to hazard a guess that the disclosure was more along the lines of "This program is for the purpose of tracking weapons we suspect are being sold to 'straw buyers'. So far we've tracked this many weapons and we need more funding to continue the success of this operation"

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Here is the big media diversion

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Man-Shot-Killed-at-US-Mexico-Border-124347629.html?dr

[fantom]

Whatever was said to congress is on the record. This is a head fake to get the right on the defensive. It will work , it always does. We will spend more time defending against a mystery source than the real issue.

[savedbygrace]

The Washington Post and anonymous sources go together like hay and horses . . .

[Free Vulcan]

And a stupidly executed one. This only opens the door to more questions about timeline and who knew what and when at the DOJ and ATF, and why they drug their feet to Congress on things Congress was already briefed on.

[brityank]

Congress was briefed on an operation Holder and the head of the ATF didn’t know anything about?

Issa should subpoena Jerry Markon and Sari Horwitz along with their editor to the hearing and get all the details. Bet that would be an interesting panel!

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

I really think the reporters are so stupid they don’t know the difference either way they are covering for the dems as normal.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

That is a good idea. I like it.

[GladesGuru]

And, after he was briefed, and checked out the data, he is going medieval on them.

What’s not to like?

This article is just an attempt to mis-direct public opinion.

DO pay attention to the man behind the White Hut curtain.