Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358927n&tag=contentMain;contentBody
Documents point to ATF "gun running" since 2008
Undercover ATF photo shows display of high-powered weapons put out for suspected Mexico drug cartel gun buyers
A controversial operation in which U.S. agents were allegedly ordered not to intervene as American guns flowed to Mexican gangs may have been going on for many years, reports CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
A photograph obtained by CBS News shows an astonishing display of high-powered weapons put up for suspected Mexican drug cartel gun buyers. It's a rare glimpse into ATF's controversial undercover operations.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly let gun runners walk off with weapons - thousands of them - to see if they'd end up in the hands of the cartels. The Justice Department and ATF have denied it ever happened.
Special Agent John Dodson works in ATF's Phoenix office and has blown the whistle on the controversial strategy, known as letting guns "walk."
Dodson believes there are other ATF operations going on that have done the same thing.
Multiple sources now tell CBS News the questionable tactics were used in more than one operation, and date back as far as 2008 in the Tucson area. One case was called "Wide Receiver."
Sources tell CBS News licensed gun dealers often wanted no part of selling to suspicious characters who could be supplying the cartels.
But, sources say, ATF enlisted the gun dealers as paid Confidential Informants and encouraged them to sell even more.
"ATF has asked me to assist in an official investigation," reads one agreement.
Gun salesmen closed the deals, and ATF watched and listened with recording devices.
"ATF Special Agents conducted surveillance...and identified the dates and times that the conspirators... crossed the international border," says one court document.
Dodson argues that something that should never be done. "A lot people are going to get hurt with those firearms between the time we let them go and the time they're recovered again in a crime."
Sources tell CBS News these ATF operations involved about 450 weapons. Despite the risk, two years later the same strategy was expanded to include thousands of guns.
Hmm. Tucson, 2008. William "Gunwalker Bill" was SAC in Tucson then. On the surface this conflicts with a part of what my uh, spook, told me, specifically that there was no "gunwalking" during the Bush administration. Small demo project later fleshed out into agency wide policy by headquarters when the new administration came in? Am seeking more info from sources via desert telegraph. When I know more, you will, gentle readers.
9 comments:
Wow. Obama comes in, they have a litle gunwalking "demo" then go full bore. "Project Gunwalker" is sounding more and more like Matthew Bracken's novel, "Enemies Foreign and Domestic", except instead of shooting up a stadium as a "demo", they supplied Mexican drug dealers with poodle shooters and WASR-10's. When do we get to impeach the jugheaded community organizer?
Operation Wide Receiver - first purchase in indictment, Feb. 2008.
February 2008, William Hoover, Assistant Director for Field Operations of ATF testified before Congress that over 90% of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States (A false statement).
May, 2008 - William (Bill) Newell, Special Agent in charge of the Phoenix ATF Office quoted by ABC News "When 90 percent-plus of the firearms recovered from these violent drug cartels are from a U.S. source [a false statement according to the DoJ IG], we have a responsibility to do everything we can to stem the illegal flow of these firearms to these thugs."
Anybody see a little duplicity here?
Michael Savage finally locked onto the story in his radio show tonight! No mention of you or David, but at least he hit on the "thousands" of guns walked, the info from Dodson, the murders of Agents Terry and Zapata, and the stonewalling Holder and Melson have given Grassley.
It'll be interesting to see if the WaPo zombie ever rises from the grave.
-JRM III
Makes one wonder if, since 2008, most of the traceable guns seized in Mexico didn't, with the assistance of ATF, come from the USSA???
Damn if some people won't do anything for money, the lying filthy sons of whores.
[W3]
Multiple sources now tell CBS News the questionable tactics were used in more than one operation, and date back as far as 2008 in the Tucson area. One case was called "Wide Receiver."
That's still the Mexican border.
Is there any evidence for encouraging suspect straw sales into the crime hotspot cities in the US itself?
Is the stratergy operating nationwide?
Masshole land is always complaining about the lack of state level gun laws in Vermont.
What about the states around the other restrictive hell holes, like Maryland, Rhode Island, DC, NYC, Ohio and Illinois, and last but not least, Kalifonistan?
Is there anything similar going on along the borders with Canukistan?
Prisoner's Dilemma applies:
Agents who sing first might not get to spend long years using prison showers, but get singing, before someone else sings all about you!
High power? ! What high power? I don't see any high power in those pictures.
A Ma Deuce is "high power".
Everything else is medium.
B Woodman
III-per
Thanks for the GD commercial.
"Operation "Wide Receiver" ?
Lots of opportunity for sarcasm there.... "
No kidding. Here's one I heard in high school: A Texan wanted to divorce his wife, so he went to a lawyer, who asked him WHY he wanted to divorce such a beautiful young woman.
The Texan said he was married under false pretenses. THe lawyer didn't get it, so he asked what was false, and the Texan replied " I thought I was getting a tight end, and what I got was a...
"Wide Receiver" ?
Bada boom, bada bing!
"Makes one wonder if, since 2008, most of the traceable guns seized in Mexico didn't, with the assistance of ATF, come from the USSA???"
3W, that's a GOOD question, one they can probably answer fairly easily. Since they know who the first sellers and buyers were, what are the locations of those stores, and WHEN were the buys made?
"Damn if some people won't do anything for money, the lying filthy sons of whores."
Take that back. It's insulting to honest whores everywhere!
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