Monday, February 7, 2011

Big Week for Gunwalker Scandal -- Agents Suggest Witness List. "God have mercy on our agency but please don't give the bad guys another free pass."


Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. . . Big Week bolstered the confidence of U.S. strategic bombing crews. Until that time, Allied bombers avoided contact with the Luftwaffe; now, the Americans used any method that would force the Luftwaffe into combat. Implementing this policy, the United States looked toward Berlin. Raiding the German capital, Allied leaders reasoned, would force the Luftwaffe to battle. -- Wikipedia.


It is perhaps fitting that this week, which I predict will prove in hindsight to be the Big Week in the Project Gunwalker scandal, is happening in the same month as the anniversary of the U.S. Army Air Force's Big Week over Germany in 1944. I will have at least three posts on Gunwalker today. David Codrea will of course have more. The Spanish translation of my letter to the Consul General of Atlanta is ready to go out to the Mexican press and David and I have a joint blockbuster that we're going to drop later today.

First, though, I'd like to draw your attention to some posts by ATF agents over at CleanUpATF.org. You may recall my post drawing attention to ATF agent "1DesertRat's" piece at CUATF ATF Agent: "Unfortunately the objectives usually have nothing to do with the best interest of the Government or the public."

The exchange between ATF agents takes place responding to 1DesertRat's post. Both the heartbreak and the cynicism are evident.

"x1811" writes:

1desertrat's post is interesting and raises an analogy. He states in sum..."Have any of you non-ATF employees reading these posts ever ask yourselves “where is the adult supervision in that organization?” As “gunwalker” continues to gain attention, the guys in the Phoenix Division rumored that the number of “walked” guns could be as high as 3,000." Also..."However, with the recent flooding of guns being “walked” to Mexico by ATF (intended to be future crime guns) there is statistical evidence to demonstrate an escalated flow of guns going South from the US. The solution…….(Part I) take “data” to Congress to get more money, Agents and stuff to battle the flow of guns to Mexico….but actually spend it “wherever”."

The statements by 1desertrat serve to give the public the notion that ATF is fueling the gun problem in Mexico in order to demonstrate to Congress that there is a need for more funding for this investigation. The analogy is like the fire department that sets fires to show that there is an arson problem so they can get more resources.


"abteilung" responds:

Excellent analogy. If more cops/LEO's get killed with guns "walked across the border," we'll be dead as an agency. Only question is, which street agents will get the blame from the self-serving SES's?

Also, we'll never have to worry about ATF setting fires or placing IED's around, because, thanks to Joe Riehl, we've given up our A&E program for all practical purposes.


"apostate" replies:

ATF management will lie under oath like they did after Waco and this fact is well documented. They will then all give each other $50,000 bonuses for a job well-done. Again documented

Don't worry though because word from HQ is that RIF's are in the near future for newer ATF employees.


Finally, "onesparkz" offers this:

Perjury, also known as forswearing, lying under oath or lying on oath, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. Perjury is considered a serious offense as it can be used to usurp the power of the courts, resulting in miscarriages of justice. The perjury statute under Federal law defines perjury as a felony and provides for a prison sentence of up to five years. Subornation of perjury, attempting to induce another person to perjure themselves, is itself a crime.

The people running the Phoenix Field Division and those that supervise them are the masters of deception. They will lie without regard, top to bottom. The ONLY way to get to the bottom of this is for the Senate to put them under oath. This will at least cause them pause when answering direct questions as they balance their freedom and pensions against a career-preserving cover up. It is a risk vs. reward decision for them. Lie and maybe save my career but risk incarceration or answer truthfully, kill my career but maybe save my retirement and stay out of prison.

None of these guys are loyal to each other when the heat is on. They will trample each other for survival. They should be handled no differently than a bunch of crack heads who know of a murder - the first snitch in the door gets the best deal. As soon as one in the conspiracy cracks then watch it all cave in.

If the media and Senate allow these guys to wiggle, they will. The past strategic answer has been to say they thought someone else was paying attention to the problem and therefor they believed it appropriate to defer their responsibility elsewhere. How long will that be acceptable? Make these guys raise their right hand before a subcommittee and we'll see if they are as elusive and arrogant as they normally are. These guys are fine with lying in depositions, etc., because they know they are not going to be walked out in handcuffs. Grassley is raising the stakes if he does this right.

If they say they don't know when they really do - Perjury. If they say they don't recall when they really do - Perjury. If lying to the Senate is good enough to land Scooter Libby, Martha Stewart, Bernie Madoff, Kwame Kilpatrick, Mark Fuhrman, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds in jail then why should the standard be any less for a public servant law enforcement officer sworn to serve and protect?

This would be my witness list:

Melson, Carter, Hoover, Chait - did you know of these strategies and did you approve them? Who from DOJ and the White House helped you develop your plan? Explain.

ATF Chief Counsel Attorneys - what was your role in developing this investigative stratagy? Explain.

McMahon, Newell, Gillett - what EXACTLY did you do or not do in the management of this investigation? How closely were you monitoring this significant case? Explain.

Gil, Canino, Ortiz, Kumar, Rowley - did you protest the actions being taken in this investigation and what was the result of your complaints?

Case Agents and Supervisors - who, to the best of you knowledge, was approving and supporting this investigative path? What was your plan?

ATF Phoenix Division Agents - is there a track record of retaliation, mismanagement, reprisal, hostile work environment, cover-up, lying and blind defense of such in your job? By whom? Explain.


I got the feeling that the arrogance and 'above the law' mentality of those involved is about to be exposed. Let's see how quick Rubenstein and Loos are to defend the mismanagement and corruption of their boys when Senator's are asking questions instead of an agent trying to defend himself/herself against these known repeat offenders. In the coming weeks, maybe months, the country is going to learn of how truly corrupt the management of ATF is. God have mercy on our agency but please don't give the bad guys another free pass.


To which I would add: Are you listening Senator Grassley?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Passes have been issued before. That tends to happen however only if the pass givers have at least as much to hide. I suspect they did in the past. The question is do any of them currently?

Ever wonder just how deep that rabbit hole is?

Mark Matis said...

Does ANYBODY really believe that The One and his toadies will pay ANY attention to the hearings? Do you REALLY think they will send ANYBODY to testify under oath, or that they will not RETALIATE massively against any agents who DO the honorable thing and tell the truth?

If they blow off the hearings, just WHAT do you think Congress has the guts to do about it? The Administration is ALREADY defying the injunction on Obamacare as well as the THREE court rulings against the Obamatorium and the contempt of court citation therefrom. And the God Damned pigs aren't doing shit!

How can you possibly believe that "Law Enforcement" would actually do ANYTHING if THEIR OWN defy Congress? May they rot in hell for what they have done to this country!

Dedicated_Dad said...

"...If they say they don't recall when they really do - Perjury..."

And there's the rub.

How does one prove what these vermin "really do" recall?

This is the ultimate CYA response - second only to pleading the 5th Amendment - and the refuge of vermin at all levels of our society.

Had Martha simply stuck to "I do not recall" she'd never have seen the inside of a cell.

Closer to home, I've witnessed similar phenomena during an especially brutal (for her) morning - where literally hundreds of counts of perjury were proven against my Ex.

My Atty would ask her a question, she'd lie, then my Atty would pull out a transcript from a deposition or previous hearing, proving her lie. Often her current lie, a deposition and 2 previous hearings would total 4 separate liesa -- it was among the most satisfying experiences of my life.

When we broke for lunch, my Atty and I (along with everyone else in that wing of a large building) couldn't help but hear my ex's attorney SCREAMING at her in the "law library":

"YOU STUPID B***H! IF YOU CAN'T
KEEP YOUR LIES STRAIGHT, THEN SAY
'I DO NOT RECALL!." LET ME HEAR
YOU SAY IT! LET ME HEAR YOU!
AGAIN!
AGAIN!
GOOD! NOW, IF YOU OPEN YOUR G*D-D@**ED MOUTH,
THAT BETTER BE THE *ONLY* THING THAT COMES OUT OF IT!


Upon our return from lunch, the first question my Atty asked was
"OK... when we broke for lunch, you were sitting in that chair -- is that correct?"

"I do not recall."

"You don't recall where you were sitting and what we were doing just over an hour ago?"

Even the bailiff did a spit-take -- heck, Hizzonner was obviously struggling to maintain a suitably proper demeanor...

"I do not recall."

"But you claim to remember - verbatim - what you allege Mr. Dad said to you in a conversation over 3 years ago??"

"I do not recall."

"OK... Do you remember the last question I asked before...?"

"I do not recall."

"Madame Reporter, would you please read...
...
Now -- does that refresh your memory?
"

"I do not recall."

It would have been funny if it weren't so sick and stupid. Worst of all, even with undeniable proof of literally hundreds of counts of perjury, she was never punished at all in any way.

I've no doubt it would be the same with these mokes.

Personally, I figure that if we ever see any of them say anything else (other than the verbiage necessary to plead The Fifth) we'll know that the fix is in.

Even so, I can't wait...

Anonymous said...

I guess we'll find out in due time.

Anonymous said...

One would expect the democRATs on the oversight committees will do their absolute best to protect their fellow travelers in the ATF.

Mark Matis said...

For Dedicated Dad:
They didn't seem to have much trouble deciding that with Scooter Libby. But once again, here the stench is overwhelming. And it smells like pig.