From over at the House Government Oversight Committee website:
Issa Leads Congressional Investigation of DOJ’s ATF "Operation Fast & Furious"
5/4/2011
What Attorney General Holder Won't Tell on Controversial Gun Operation, Documents Do
WASHINGTON- At a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa confronted Attorney General Eric Holder on the DOJ's Operation Fast and Furious, a highly controversial operation where federal authorities facilitated the purchase of assault weapons for drug cartels and chose not to interdict them before being transported to Mexico.
While Attorney General Holder was unwilling to provide answer about who at the Department of Justice authorized, knew about, and even whether he still defended Operation Fast and Furious, three new documents provide information that Attorney General Holder did not address in response to questions posed by Rep. Issa.
"Two federal agents are dead," said Chairman Issa. "While Attorney General Holder and other top officials at the Justice Department have refused to address the reckless decisions made in Operation Fast and Furious that have created a serious public safety hazard, investigations led by Sen. Charles Grassley and I continue to receive information from deeply concerned insiders who believe those responsible for what has occurred cannot be trusted to investigate themselves."
What the documents say that Attorney General Holder wouldn't:
US Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke was in full agreement with the investigative strategy of allowing the transfer of firearms to continue
A January 8, 2010 memo from the ATF Phoenix Field Division Office on Operation Fast and Furious noting the involvement of US Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke who was in "full agreement with the current investigative strategy." The memo states that "currently our strategy is to allow the transfer of firearms to continue to take place ... in order to further the investigation and allow for the identification of additional co-conspirators who would continue to operate and illegally traffic firearms to Mexican [Drug Trafficking Organizations]."
Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer knew about and even approved a wiretap application for suspects targeted in Operation Fast and Furious over a year ago
A March 10, 2010 memo from Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer authorizing a wiretap application and revealing his participation in and knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious.
As Pressure from Congress has risen, DOJ officials are now scrambling to stop the practice of letting guns walk into Mexico
A March 10, 2011 e-mail referencing a directive from the Deputy Attorney General ordering law enforcement agents not to "design or conduct undercover operations which include guns crossing the border." The e-mail clarifies that this includes "cases where we are working with the Mexican government to have them follow the vehicles once they are in Mexico.
6 comments:
The expendable will now be expended for the greater good of the party.
"As Pressure from Congress has risen, DOJ officials are now scrambling to stop the practice of letting guns walk into Mexico"
Too little, too late for two gov't agents.
I could understand if it was an honest mistake, but this stonewalling and obfuscating is nowhere near honesty.
For the DOJ & BAT-feces upper management -- hang 'em all. And for Mosson & Holder -- hang 'em highest.
B Woodman
III-per
"A March 10, 2011 e-mail referencing a directive from the Deputy Attorney General ordering law enforcement agents not to "design or conduct undercover operations which include guns crossing the border." The e-mail clarifies that this includes "cases where we are working with the Mexican government to have them follow the vehicles once they are in Mexico."
"A Directive" would likely make its' way up the chain of command for memos all the way to the top of DoJ, right? Since it deals with Mexico, Dept. of State would likely be copied in such a memo, right?
This is assuming that the Mexican Gov't & Agents on foreign soil can be trusted to not "become blind" at an opportune moment while all items of interest are hidden or lost. Remember: "Silver or Lead".
Memos are very important for the all-important shifting of blame laterally and upward.
Cheers.
"Two federal agents are dead," said Chairman Issa. "While Attorney General Holder and other top officials at the Justice Department have refused to address the reckless decisions made in Operation Fast and Furious that have created a serious public safety hazard, investigations led by Sen. Charles Grassley and I continue to receive information from deeply concerned insiders who believe those responsible for what has occurred cannot be trusted to investigate themselves."
Not to mention the hundreds of innocent Mexicans that have been killed. How long will it be before we find a mass grave on our side of the river.
Indeed, Robert. I'd like to know just why the death of two "federal agents" is so all fired more important than the death of ANYONE else. If those two had not died... would this simply all be a non event? I would hope not.
In Issa's defense, the Mexican people are not his responsibility.
It IS tragic, and shameful, but our officials must concern themselves with American citizenry first before the citizenry of others. That's what they're elected to do. In theory, anyways.
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