More on ATF and Gunwalker
The straw-buyer bought the guns with the FBI’s money. A counter-terrorism informant, supposedly.
Update: More:
Contrary to the Justice Department’s denials, according to Melson, ATF agents specifically witnessed transfers of weapons from straw purchasers to third parties without taking any further action. Melson claimed that it was not until the public disclosure of the operation that he personally reviewed the “hundreds of documents” related to the case. He said he became “sick to his stomach” when he learned the full story.
And the DEA?
July 6th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Yah, the FBI, they aren’t our friends.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
According to Melson the DOJ was aware of Gunwalker, which should put this at Holders dooorstep.
Maybe the comment made to Sara Brady about the White House working on gun control “under the radar” was actually a comment about the gunwalker program.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Gunwalker was certainly an attempt to get under the radar… The only way they could get lower would be to use the drug-smuggler’s own underground tunnels.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
I have a strange feeling that if this goes all the way up to the Oval Office, the Anointed One will just look at the Media and say “It can’t be Illegal. I authorized it, and so it’s Legal.” And he’s so Narcissistic, he believes anything he says is Legal just because he said it.
Any bets Panetta has told the National Command Authority to ignore any Launch Orders from the White House unless he okays it? We all know how Dangerous it is to have Children (no matter what their age) playing with weapons.
July 6th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
The conspiratorial side of me suspects that this lack of inter-agency coordination was part of the plan at some higher level (1600 Pennsylvania). The government was acting as a “market maker” in illegal firearms, providing both the buying and the selling side of transactions as needed. At the same time the ATF was strong-arming sellers to make them deal with obvious straw purchasers, the FBI was separately funding and encouraging particular buyers to arrange straw purchases. In this case the ATF’s lack of awareness that the buyer is an FBI informant becomes not a bug but a feature (plausible deniability).
July 6th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
The purposeful lack of inter-agency coordination (and actual stealth inter-agency attacks) reminds me of the current situation in Pakistan – there are two sides fighting under the rug. There is no trust, and a Truther is as good as the Truth itself, when the blind are following the commands. The Left has always been very good at charming-up a mirror-world of Security Apparatus apparatchiks droning away in a bureaucracy, experts in fact – it’s STASI like.
July 6th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
“If ever the Time should come, when vain and aspiring Men shall possess the highest Seats in Government, our Country will stand in Need of its experienced Patriots to prevent its Ruin.” –Samuel Adams
It has come.
July 6th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
According to Wikipedia, this started in 2005.
If that is the case wouldn’t this go back to the previous AG? I’m not a fan of the current Adnim. by any stretch. But if this has been going on for 6 years how is the current AG or Admin. culpable?
July 6th, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Chris L., because while the investigation has been going for that long, but the actual coercion of gun shops to sell to strawbuyers, and the active cooperation with smuggling over the border has not.
Read the staff report. And don’t trust Wikipedia.
July 6th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
I don’t trust Wikipedia. I did just have a long discussion with a hardcore Dem. and she was Screaming the “it’s Bushes fault” Meme. Gunrunner has been going on since 2005.
Fast and Furious started in 2009.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Maybe it was a lack of coordination on the ground but the top was fully informed. They’ve got an email now that shows the top brass of DOJ was onboard, attendees: