High-level ATF officials knew about Gunrunner, emails reveal
Hearings into the failed Operations Gunrunner and Fast and Furious are underway in Washington D.C. as I write this.
In the opening statements it was revealed ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson and Acting Deputy Director Bill Hoover were intimately aware of the operation.
Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating the case, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) released three emails which show the involvement.
A March, 10 2010 email shows Melson and Hoover were being briefed weekly. Another email, dated March 12, 2010 shows Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations William McMahon was so enthused about the operation he received a special briefing on the program in Phoenix just 45 minutes after his plane landed.
A third email dated April 12, 2010 shows that after a detailed briefing of the program, Melson asked multiple follow-up questions which required additional research to even answer. Melson was apparently interested in the IP address for hidden cameras located inside cooperating gun shops. Melson was able to sit at his desk in Washington and watch a live feed of straw buyers purchase dozens of AK-47 variants.
Just yesterday, Issa and Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a scathing report which shows both agents and gun store owners had been screaming for months the operation needed to be shut down before someone died. Eventually exactly that happened — U.S. Border Control Agent Brian Terry was murdered with a gun which was part of the program.
It continues to beggar belief that Attorney General Eric Holder was unaware of the program, even as he continues to deny knowledge and the Justice Department continues to stonewall the investigation.
More here and over at PJM as it develops.
“Melson was able to sit at his desk in Washington and watch a live feed of straw buyers purchase dozens of AK-47 variants.”
I’m pretty sure you mean to say SKS variants. AK-47s are fully automatic military rifles and aren’t for sale at any gun shop in America. An SKS, on the other hand, is a semi-auto civilian weapon, no more or less dangerous than any other rifle.
We have enough trouble with the gun grabbing left constantly trying to conflate auto/semiauto weapons in the mind of the public. As conservatives/libertarians we shouldn’t be helping them confuse people.
You would be incorrect on that, there are semi-auto AK variants. Look just like the full bore assault rifle, just no select fire. The SKS on the other hand is some what similar in appearance to the AK but with a sporter stock and no detachable magazine. I’m quite familiar with both weapons, having owned one of each at different times in the past.
Sorry, James- semi-auto AK derivatives are common and readily available.
Actually being an owner of both semi-auto AK rifles and SKS’s, the SKS appears less of a menace with it’s short fixed magazine, but is a much more accurate weapon and just as reliable as the AK. The point that is being missed here is that either are medium caliber weapons, good only to about 400 yards, and not nearly as powerful or accurate as a bolt action high powered rifle that never has, or never will be considered in any sort of a ban.
Brian Terry was a Border PATROL Agent. There’s no such thing as a Border Control agent.
Mea Culpa Mean Green, I was thinking of Immigration Control while typing and well…
Yes Border Patrol Agent
Doesn’t it make you wonder, if you grew up in America? Is the world coming to an end? Is this stuff gross stupidity or is it planned for some perverted reason? In either case, with people like this in charge, we are dead.