Operations Fast & Furious

So..what about the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the US lying to Congress under oath?

Maybe he had his fingers crossed behind his back. Yeah, that's it.
 
How's the quest to prove that Obama was behind all this (or even aware of it) going?
 
Sgt. Barack Schultz: "I know NO think!"

Four federal agencies were "full partners" in the Obama administration's bungled Operation Fast and Furious, which allowed guns to wind up in the hands of Mexican drug lords, the man who implemented the program revealed today at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

William Newell, the former head of the Phoenix field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was pressed by Rep. Pat Meehan, R-Penn. to identify all the federal agencies involved in the operation.

In response, Newell identified the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service as "full partners" with the ATF.

The DEA and ATF are both part of the Department of Justice and ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs...st-and-furious-says-4-federal-a#ixzz1TIzJBkLP
 
CBS has put us into the White House...

At a lengthy hearing on ATF's controversial gunwalking operation today, a key ATF manager told Congress he discussed the case with a White House National Security staffer as early as September 2010. The communications were between ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix office, Bill Newell, and White House National Security Director for North America Kevin O'Reilly. Newell said the two are longtime friends. The content of what Newell shared with O'Reilly is unclear and wasn't fully explored at the hearing.

It's the first time anyone has publicly stated that a White House official had any familiarity with ATF's operation Fast and Furious, which allowed thousands of weapons to fall into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to gain intelligence. It's unknown as to whether O'Reilly shared information with anybody else at the White House.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20083772-10391695.html

*chuckle*

It was about some OTHER guns...

Now, they will demand O'Reilly fall on his sword; I wonder if he will?
 
Operation Fast and Furious Probe:
Testifiers Fast on Their Feet, Republicans Furious at Evasive Answers



House Republicans on Tuesday expanded their probe of a botched Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation that allowed thousands of guns to pour over the Mexican border after surprising and often stonewalled testimony that suggested additional involvement by more federal agencies.

A top ATF agent repeatedly evaded intense questions on Operation Fast and Furious, otherwise known as Operation Gunwalker, and initially blamed a field agent for launching the failed investigation before finally admitting that the IRS, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “participated in the investigation” and were “aware of the strategy.”

“President Obama has been keen to talk about who didn’t know about the program and who didn’t authorize it,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, (R.-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“These answers will not suffice. The American people have a right to know—once and for all—who did authorize it and who knew about it,” Issa said.

The admission that more federal agencies were in on the planning angered Rep. Dan Burton (R.-Ind.), who demanded that names be provided to panel investigators.

“I’ll do my best,” replied William Newell, the former special agent in charge of the Phoenix office of the ATF.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Burton shouted, as the hearing entered its fourth hour. “Don’t do your best, get us the names, dates, time and places involved in this investigation so that we can trace it all the way back to its origins … and see whether someone higher up or in the Justice Department are in the food chain.”

Newell finally acknowledged he was also included in the operation’s planning, but accepted limited blame for his role in the gun sting gone wrong.

Obama says that he did not know about the operation, however Newell said he did discuss ongoing gun-trafficking investigations with a White House national security director.

Although the ATF allowed the gun purchases, Newell denied firearms were intentionally allowed to “walk” across the Mexican border and ultimately be used by drug cartels and in the murder of a Border Patrol officer.

“At no time in our strategy was it to allow guns to be taken to Mexico,” Newell said.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R.-Utah) challenged Newell’s contention and read a January 2010 briefing from Newell’s office that said, "Currently our strategy is to allow the transfer of firearms to continue to take place” for the purpose of furthering “the investigation and allow for the identification of additional co-conspirators who would continue to operate and illegally traffic firearms to Mexican [drug traffickers]."

“You facilitated it, you allowed it,” Chaffetz said.

The ill-advised scheme began in 2009 as an effort to crack down on gun smugglers running arms across the border, but resulted in the transfer of thousands of weapons to Mexican drug cartel thugs and used to kill agent Brian Terry.

“It seems like you knowingly allowed weapons to get out of your control,” Issa said. “Now you are telling us you don’t let guns walk. I’ve got to tell you … someone knowingly let guns walk.”

Members on both sides of the aisle lost patience with Newell, whom Issa called a “paid non-answerer” for the Obama administration, after Newell stalled, evaded and deflected questions throughout the five-hour hearing.

“What’s your definition of walking guns? Maybe that’s part of the problem,” asked an exasperated Rep. Elijah Cummings (D.-Md.), ranking committee member.

Walking, Newell said, would be putting the guns in the hands of suspects without following up to determine where the guns were going.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R.-Ariz.) said Newell’s responses were spinning like a “merry-go-round.” “We can’t get any answers,” Gosar said.

Republicans said that as many as 2,000 guns were smuggled across the border and only about 600 have since been recovered. Tracking devices were placed on only three of the weapons, but the batteries quickly died, agents confirmed.

As for his role in the operation, Newell only acknowledged that he “should have conducted more risk assessments as to whether it was a prudent strategy.”

Newell also blamed the failure of the operation on a lack of resources, and estimated the cost of the operation at about $200,000.

Other former agents testified they have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation as to why such an operation was approved, or how it got so out of control.

Carlos Canino, the ATF’s acting attaché to Mexico, called the operation “insane.”

“I can say with authority that walking guns is not a recognized investigative technique,” Canino said.

“These guns went to ruthless criminals. U.S., law enforcement and our Mexican partners will be recovering these guns for a long time to come as they continue to turn up at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States,” Canino said.

“It infuriates me that people, including my law enforcement, diplomatic and military colleagues, may be killed or injured with these weapons,” Canino said.

Jose Wall, ATF senior special agent in Tijuana, said the weapons smuggled as a result of the operation quickly resulted in an “arms race between the various cartels.”

“I could not believe that someone in ATF would so callously let firearms wind up in the hands of criminals. But it appears that I was wrong, that hundreds and quite possibly thousands of guns have been allowed to reach the hands of organized crime,” Wall said.

“And that this activity has seemingly been approved by our own Justice Department and ATF management in the misguided hope of catching the big fish,” Wall said.

Added William McMahon, ATF deputy assistant director for field operations: “However good our intentions, regardless of our resource challenges, and notwithstanding the difficult legal hurdles we face in fighting firearms traffickers—we made mistakes.”

While panel Republicans said they plan to use their findings to push for reforms in future investigations, Democrats expressed their desire to seek more gun-control laws.

Reaction from ATF agents was mixed. Some said stiffer criminal penalties were needed for those who make straw purchases, such as the gunrunners in the Fast and Furious Operation, others were more cautious.

“We do have Second Amendment rights,” said Lorren Leadmon, an ATF intelligence operations specialist.
 
Operation Fast and Furious Probe:
Testifiers Fast on Their Feet, Republicans Furious at Evasive Answers



House Republicans on Tuesday expanded their probe of a botched Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation that allowed thousands of guns to pour over the Mexican border after surprising and often stonewalled testimony that suggested additional involvement by more federal agencies.

A top ATF agent repeatedly evaded intense questions on Operation Fast and Furious, otherwise known as Operation Gunwalker, and initially blamed a field agent for launching the failed investigation before finally admitting that the IRS, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “participated in the investigation” and were “aware of the strategy.”

“President Obama has been keen to talk about who didn’t know about the program and who didn’t authorize it,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, (R.-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“These answers will not suffice. The American people have a right to know—once and for all—who did authorize it and who knew about it,” Issa said.

The admission that more federal agencies were in on the planning angered Rep. Dan Burton (R.-Ind.), who demanded that names be provided to panel investigators.

“I’ll do my best,” replied William Newell, the former special agent in charge of the Phoenix office of the ATF.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Burton shouted, as the hearing entered its fourth hour. “Don’t do your best, get us the names, dates, time and places involved in this investigation so that we can trace it all the way back to its origins … and see whether someone higher up or in the Justice Department are in the food chain.”

Newell finally acknowledged he was also included in the operation’s planning, but accepted limited blame for his role in the gun sting gone wrong.

Obama says that he did not know about the operation, however Newell said he did discuss ongoing gun-trafficking investigations with a White House national security director.

Although the ATF allowed the gun purchases, Newell denied firearms were intentionally allowed to “walk” across the Mexican border and ultimately be used by drug cartels and in the murder of a Border Patrol officer.

“At no time in our strategy was it to allow guns to be taken to Mexico,” Newell said.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R.-Utah) challenged Newell’s contention and read a January 2010 briefing from Newell’s office that said, "Currently our strategy is to allow the transfer of firearms to continue to take place” for the purpose of furthering “the investigation and allow for the identification of additional co-conspirators who would continue to operate and illegally traffic firearms to Mexican [drug traffickers]."

“You facilitated it, you allowed it,” Chaffetz said.

The ill-advised scheme began in 2009 as an effort to crack down on gun smugglers running arms across the border, but resulted in the transfer of thousands of weapons to Mexican drug cartel thugs and used to kill agent Brian Terry.

“It seems like you knowingly allowed weapons to get out of your control,” Issa said. “Now you are telling us you don’t let guns walk. I’ve got to tell you … someone knowingly let guns walk.”

Members on both sides of the aisle lost patience with Newell, whom Issa called a “paid non-answerer” for the Obama administration, after Newell stalled, evaded and deflected questions throughout the five-hour hearing.

“What’s your definition of walking guns? Maybe that’s part of the problem,” asked an exasperated Rep. Elijah Cummings (D.-Md.), ranking committee member.

Walking, Newell said, would be putting the guns in the hands of suspects without following up to determine where the guns were going.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R.-Ariz.) said Newell’s responses were spinning like a “merry-go-round.” “We can’t get any answers,” Gosar said.

Republicans said that as many as 2,000 guns were smuggled across the border and only about 600 have since been recovered. Tracking devices were placed on only three of the weapons, but the batteries quickly died, agents confirmed.

As for his role in the operation, Newell only acknowledged that he “should have conducted more risk assessments as to whether it was a prudent strategy.”

Newell also blamed the failure of the operation on a lack of resources, and estimated the cost of the operation at about $200,000.

Other former agents testified they have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation as to why such an operation was approved, or how it got so out of control.

Carlos Canino, the ATF’s acting attaché to Mexico, called the operation “insane.”

“I can say with authority that walking guns is not a recognized investigative technique,” Canino said.

“These guns went to ruthless criminals. U.S., law enforcement and our Mexican partners will be recovering these guns for a long time to come as they continue to turn up at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States,” Canino said.

“It infuriates me that people, including my law enforcement, diplomatic and military colleagues, may be killed or injured with these weapons,” Canino said.

Jose Wall, ATF senior special agent in Tijuana, said the weapons smuggled as a result of the operation quickly resulted in an “arms race between the various cartels.”

“I could not believe that someone in ATF would so callously let firearms wind up in the hands of criminals. But it appears that I was wrong, that hundreds and quite possibly thousands of guns have been allowed to reach the hands of organized crime,” Wall said.

“And that this activity has seemingly been approved by our own Justice Department and ATF management in the misguided hope of catching the big fish,” Wall said.

Added William McMahon, ATF deputy assistant director for field operations: “However good our intentions, regardless of our resource challenges, and notwithstanding the difficult legal hurdles we face in fighting firearms traffickers—we made mistakes.”

While panel Republicans said they plan to use their findings to push for reforms in future investigations, Democrats expressed their desire to seek more gun-control laws.

Reaction from ATF agents was mixed. Some said stiffer criminal penalties were needed for those who make straw purchases, such as the gunrunners in the Fast and Furious Operation, others were more cautious.

“We do have Second Amendment rights,” said Lorren Leadmon, an ATF intelligence operations specialist.

No surprise there.
 
ATF official apologizes for mistakes in gun probe

Well that's ok. Case closed. :rolleyes:

Appearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, McMahon said he was committed to dismantling criminal networks on both sides of the border and that "in our zeal to do so, and in the heat of battle, mistakes were made. And for that I apologize."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/2...izes-for-mistakes-in-gun-probe/#ixzz1TKslB5F8

Both sides of the border? They had no way of tracking the guns in Mexico. Till they turned up as evidence in murders.
 
OFF & PG are simply examples of how the executive branch does its sometimes treasonous and many times deadly business...

...they are no different than the "operations" arming to the teeth known al Qaeda killers and enemy combatants of Americans in Afghan and Iraq who are now no longer considered by this administration to be allied rebels, but recognized as the legitimate government of Libya.

That those American arms will be used in the deaths of Israelis and Americans is merely a matter of when...

They are also no different than the Obama administration's current "project" of paying the Taliban millions to join a peace table there, while the Taliban gleefully take the cash and use the politically naive connection to further infiltrate and finance the murder of even more Americans and Afghanis.
 
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