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Well, this is what we get when we allow a bunch of academic pinheads with an experience rating of zero to run the show.
The new information comes from Kenneth Melson, Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who voluntarily testified before congressional investigators on the July 4 holiday. Accompanied by his personal attorney -- not a Justice Department attorney -- Melson told investigators that he would have been more cooperative with them if it weren't for Justice Department officials trying to limit and control his agency's communications with Congress. In a July 5 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said they now consider Melson to be a key witness in the case.
"Acting Director Melson's cooperation was extremely helpful to our investigation," Issa and Grassley wrote to Holder. "He claimed that ATF's senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative with our inquiry much earlier in the process. However, he said that Justice Department officials directed them not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the (Justice) Department wanted us to hear. If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand. That approach distorted the truth and obstructed our investigation. The Department's inability or unwillingness to be more forthcoming served to conceal critical information that we are now learning about the involvement of other agencies, including the DEA and the FBI."
Grassley says Melson made two key assertions to investigators: Contrary to denials by the Justice Department, Melson acknowledged that ATF agents had in fact witnessed transfers of weapons from straw purchasers to third parties without following the guns any further. Melson also said the ATF agents carrying out Operation Fast and Furious had been placed under the direction of the Arizona U.S. Attorney's office.
The Role of DEA, FBI
As part of Operation Fast and Furious, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives knowingly allowed some 2,000 guns purchased in the U.S. to flow to Mexican criminals to see where they would end up. But ATF lost track of many of the weapons. Two of the straw-purchased guns were later found in Arizona, at the scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agents murder in December. On Tuesday, Carney declined to answer whether ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson would testify about Operation Fast and Furious to Congress. A congressional oversight report indicated that people at the highest levels of the Justice Department knew about it.
Jake Tapper of ABC News asked Carney about the Fast and Furious program: I know that theres this investigation going on internally -- weapons from the Fast and Furious program are now showing up in the United States attached to criminal transactions. The ABC station in Phoenix last week reported on several of these weapons from Fast and Furious turning up. How come we know so little -- the public knows so little about this program? And what is the administration doing to get to the bottom of these weapons, which are now showing up in crimes in the United States?
Carney answered, Well, I think theres an investigation going on precisely to get to the bottom of this. And I cant comment further on it, because there is an investigation going on. (Attorney General Eric Holder has referred the matter to the Justice Departments inspector general.) Tapper asked whether ATF Acting Director Melson would be permitted to go to Capitol Hill to testify. Ill have to refer you to Justice on that. I dont have any information on that, Carney responded. Tapper persisted: Is this not something that you guys are worried about and incensed about? This is something--
Carney broke in: Well, Jake, I think its being investigated for a reason. And obviously its a matter of concern and thats why theres an investigation. But it would be a mistake for me to comment further on -- or to characterize further what happened or how to rate our unhappiness about it from here. So I think that I have to refer you to the Justice Department for that. Tapper wanted to know if Obama was upset about the matter.
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We'll never know if this SECRET operation might have worked- its cover was blown. The Obama administration, except possbly Holder, didn't know about it. And I don't care what lyin' spinning Fox Noise and Issa have to say either...
We'll never know if this SECRET operation might have worked- its cover was blown. The Obama administration, except possbly Holder, didn't know about it. And I don't care what lyin' spinning Fox Noise and Issa have to say either...
Wonder if any laws were broken?
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally.
I'm tired of ALL the media taking sides and getting the public all excited (see Anthny trial), instead of practcing journalism- and all for controversy and ratings- see MONEY...
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally
I guess it makes you feel good to say things you know nothing about?
Are you aware that every agency MUST report to the WH as it pertains to any move they make that is out of the ordinary or not in line with exoisting policy.....ESPECIALLY when it involves an international situation.
You are aware that is WHY we have an administration?
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally
I guess it makes you feel good to say things you know nothing about?
Are you aware that every agency MUST report to the WH as it pertains to any move they make that is out of the ordinary or not in line with exoisting policy.....ESPECIALLY when it involves an international situation.
You are aware that is WHY we have an administration?
Like Reagan and the Iran Contra affair in which Reagan denied knowing anything?
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally.
I'm tired of ALL the media taking sides and getting the public all excited (see Anthny trial), instead of practcing journalism- and all for controversy and ratings- see MONEY...
The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.
Total fiasco.....
Do you have any proof that Obama or his staff allowed this?
Or maybe it as the idea of a Department of the US govt.
Obama does not run every agency of the govt. personally.
They all reort to him, as POTUS.
As POTUS, he is ultimately responsible for what goes on in his administration.