Posted on 07/07/2011 6:19:09 AM PDT by safetysign
Don't look now, but the real action in Washington this week isn't the parti san wrangling over the debt ceiling but something -- literally -- even more incendiary: Operation Fast and Furious, which seems about to explode right in the face of Attorney General Eric Holder -- and maybe other administration officials, too.
Also known as Project Gunrunner, the Arizona-based operation was supposed to be a sting, under which the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is part of the Justice Department, allowed "straw purchasers" to transfer weapons from gun shops in Arizona to Mexican drug cartels to trace and halt crossborder arms-trafficking.
That's the official version, anyway -- but it's crumbling, fast.
The ATF's acting director, Kenneth Melson, has been singing like a canary to congressional investigators as he pushes back against administration pressure for him to resign and take the fall for something that, at the very least, had to include the US Attorney's Office, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and possibly the Homeland Security Department.
In a letter to Holder released yesterday, Rep. Daryl Issa and Sen. Chuck Grassley accused the Justice Department of blocking their investigation into the burgeoning scandal (which has resulted in the deaths of at least two American agents and countless Mexican civilians), muzzling the ATF and involving other federal agencies, including the FBI and the DEA, in funding the crackpot scheme.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Issa, Grassley blast Holder in letter after secret meeting with ATFs Ken Melson
Published: 10:20 AM 07/06/2011 | Updated: 6:01 PM 07/06/2011
Melson appeared with only his personal attorney at the secret meeting with Congressional investigators. Melson was originally scheduled to conduct the interview on July 13 with Justice Department attorneys and his personal attorney present, but Melson abandoned DOJ representation after learning of a provision in his agreement to testify that allowed him to do so. (Issa staffer: Gunrunner investigation points much higher than ATF director)
What incompetent bunch of jacka$$e$.
Everything looked so easy in the textbook, though. /s
See related article re Operation Causeway, related gunrunner operation out of Tampa.
Manipulation is obviously not Holder’s strong point
This is becoming a snowball rolling downhill.
The Tampa Field Office of BATFE conducted a similar program that assisted the flow of firearms into Honduras.
We can expect to find similar programs in California, New Mexico and Texas.
It is also alleged that such programs were being conducted in cities like Philadelphia, where firearms were allowed to get into the hands of inner city gangs unimpeded.
IF there is a God in Heaven (which of course I do believe there is) the most corrupt, biased, racist, hack Attorney General in my 67 years on Mom Gaia, will get his comeuppance and be (at the very least) forced to resign in disgrace.
“It is also alleged that such programs were being conducted in cities like Philadelphia, where firearms were allowed to get into the hands of inner city gangs unimpeded.”
If that’s the case, someone needs to determine how many American youths have been killed with those weapons. And I want to know if stimulus funds paid for the weapons.
Do not mistake this for incompetence. This was malicious.
Gotta wonder about Chicago.
...the longer he stays in his position, the stupider he looks.
bump for later
Racism trumps common sense - Holder is a prime example.
Incompetent? Naw. They were very successful, insofar as they achieved their goal of exporting thousands of arms thru the most RKBA-damaging way possible. You can’t keep such a large productive project secret indefinitely.
They did exactly what they intended to.
They just forgot one little thing: _somebody_, _someday_, would talk.
(Hence the big problem with most conspiracy theories: they assume that a project that big with that many involved would suffer no whistle-blowing.)
Even tho the focus is on the Barry Soetoro administration we MUST NOT forget the democrat party would approve this if they could keep it quiet. In other words liberals see no problem w/ the means (F&F) given the ends (draconian gun control). The democrats should never ever be allowed to govern again. In fact this applies to much of the republican party as well. Our govt has become so corrupt they believe its OK to abridge our rights via covert operations such as F&F et al. I think for every operation discovered there must be many others that never see the light of day.
Crucify him.
Holder WILL resign soon....
Absolutely!
The media is currently trying to frame this story as "a good program gone wrong" or "incompetence". We know it was far more evil.
If this program was taking place in Tampa and other Field Offices, separated from each other, it becomes clearer and clearer that someone far higher up was orchestrating this.
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