Is the Fast and Furious BATF Scandal Being Covered Up?
by Jeff Davis
A recent news article reports that “CBS News has obtained secretly recorded conversations that raise questions as to whether some evidence is being withheld in the murder of a Border Patrol agent. The tapes were recorded approximately mid-March 2011 by the primary gun dealer cooperating with ATF in its ‘Fast and Furious’ operation: Andre Howard, owner of Lone Wolf Trading Company in Glendale, Arizona. He’s talking with the lead case ATF case agent Hope MacAllister. The tapes have been turned over to Congressional investigators and the Inspector General.”
“As CBS News first reported last February, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to ‘walk’ onto the streets without interdiction into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels in its Operation Fast and Furious.”
The alleged object of this exercise was to “see where the weapons ended up.” They ended up in the hands of Mexican drug gang members, who then used the guns to shoot people, including a US Border Patrol Agent.
Where did they think the guns would end up? And was this really intended to arrest drug dealers or was it some liberal-designed program that wanted to “prove” that Mexican drug cartels were arming themselves with US guns?
The article notes “The conversations refer to a third weapon recovered at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
“Court records have previously only mentioned two weapons: Romanian WASR AK-47 assault rifles. Both were allegedly sold to suspects who were under ATF’s watch as part of Fast and Furious. Also, a ballistics report turned over to Congressional investigators only mentions the two WASR rifles. The ballistics report says it’s inconclusive as to whether either of the WASR rifles fired the bullet that killed Terry.”
This is pretty much horse dung. Ballistics has become such an exact science that these tests are never “inconclusive” anymore. Even a flattened slug can now be used to determine the rifling of the weapon that fired it.
CBS goes on: “Law enforcement sources and others close to the Congressional investigation say the Justice Department’s Inspector General obtained the audio tapes several months ago as part of its investigation into Fast and Furious. Then, the sources say for some reason the Inspector General passed the tapes along to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, a subject in the investigation. It’s unclear why the Inspector General, who is supposed to investigate independently, would turn over evidence to an entity that is itself under investigation.”
It’s called corruption. The United States government thrives on it.
CBS: “In the audiotapes, ATF Agent MacAllister tells Howard that a third weapon recovered at the Brian Terry murder scene last December is an SKS assault rifle. Agent MacAllister claims to know that the SKS ‘had nothing to do with’ the Brian Terry murder and, unlike the WASR’s, did not trace back to the Lone Wolf gun store. It’s unclear why a weapon would be, in essence, missing from the evidence disclosed at the crime scene under FBI jurisdiction.”
“Agent MacAllister and Howard (the gun dealer) also discuss various Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are investigating Fast and Furious. They express concern that whistleblower ATF special agent John Dodson has further evidence that could be damaging to the government.”
I would suggest Agent Dodson make sure his affairs are in order and start wearing a bulletproof vest. There’s a major cover up underway to protect Eric Holder (and the man who appointed him, Barack Obama). Mr. Dodson may be “expendable” in the eyes of the Obama regime, which doesn’t want this scandal getting any bigger and influencing the 2012 election.
