Operation Fast And Furious - WHOOPS

[ginscpy]

The Obama admin sells guns to drug dealers so they will be able to track them down.

Total fiasco.....

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Well, this is what we get when we allow a bunch of academic pinheads with an experience rating of zero to run the show.

 

[ginscpy]

Wonder if any laws were broken?

 

[blastoff]

Well, this is what we get when we allow a bunch of academic pinheads with an experience rating of zero to run the show.

Agree, although I'd probably peg the experience rating as a negative number.

 

[waltky]

Obama gonna replace Holder over this?...

DOJ 'Distorted Truth and Obstructed Our Investigation' in Guns-to-Mexico Probe, Lawmakers Say
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - Members of Congress investigating the ATF's botched gun-tracking operation say it now appears that the Justice Department "obstructed" their attempts to find out what happened. They also expressed deep concern about the possibility that the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency already knew about -- and may even have been working with -- the people who were smuggling weapons to Mexican drug cartels.

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

See also:

Obama Takes ATF Gun-Running Operation ‘Very Seriously,’ Spokesman Says
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 – White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday deflected questions about a botched ATF sting operation that allowed guns to “walk” to Mexico, but he did tell reporters, “You could assume that the president takes this very seriously.”

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 agent’s 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 there’s 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 there’s an investigation going on precisely to get to the bottom of this. And I can’t comment further on it, because there is an investigation going on.” (Attorney General Eric Holder has referred the matter to the Justice Department’s inspector general.) Tapper asked whether ATF Acting Director Melson would be “permitted to go to Capitol Hill to testify.” “I’ll have to refer you to Justice on that. I don’t 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 it’s being investigated for a reason. And obviously it’s a matter of concern and that’s why there’s 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.

MORE

 

[hellofromwarsaw]

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...

 

[Conservative]

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...

You actually think a branch of the governemtn sold weapons to MExican drug lords, and did NOT get an OK from the administration?

Really?

Just.... wow.

 

[Jarhead]

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...

So you are OK with a Commander in Chief who is completely unaware of what is going on around him?

If you are correct, then he has a serious leadership issue. This was not the CIA...the was the DEA.

As a side note.....please cite how Fox News spun the story.

Or are you just another person who posts on here negative things about Fox but with absilutely no basis for it.

SO back it up or be considered another charleton.

 

[xsited1]

Wonder if any laws were broken?

Doesn't matter. Eric Holder is in charge.

 

[Moonglow]

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.

 

[hellofromwarsaw]

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...

 

[Jarhead]

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?

 

[Jarhead]

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.

Let me put it to you this way Moonglow....

You should want to find out if he DID NOT know about this and push to get his ass kicked out if he did not as that means he is not doing his job.

But instead, you want to protect him by saying "prove he knew"..

I find that quite ironic.

 

[Jarhead]

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...

Please answer my question....how did Fox News spoin the story?
What exactly did they do other than report on it?

 

[Moonglow]

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?

Like Reagan and the Iran Contra affair in which Reagan denied knowing anything?

 

[Jarhead]

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?

I am not the one who is excusing a president for a failure....so why are you comparing to a past president?

Truth is, there are failurews associated with every president we have had...and I will never make excuses for any of them.

My question to you is WHY are you OK with Obama NOT knowing of this situation? Yoiu should be fuming mad as it means he has his lower agencies doing things behind his back.

DId you vote for that agency...or did you vote for a President to oversee that agency?

 

[Conservative]

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 report to him, as POTUS.

As POTUS, he is ultimately responsible for what goes on in his administration.

 

[Robert]

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...

Yes god forbid that the media report and let the American people see what an incompetent bunch of idiot are running the White House ohhhhhh the horror of it

 

[Steelplate]

Ok...I am not defending this operation, so please don't think I am. It was a stupid operation and one that will be part of Obama's Presidential legacy.

but, Iran/contra wasn't an impeachable offense... so why would this be? Because you Liked Reagan and hate Obama? not good enough.

EDIT: someone beat me to it with the Iran/Contra thing. However, I am not making excuses for Obama.

 

[Moonglow]

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.

Yes he is responsible, but even Truman did not know about the atomic bomb until the military decided to use it.