Holder Thumbs His Nose at Brian Terry’s Family, Says We Need More Gun Control

by AWR Hawkins

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Nov. 8th, Attorney General Eric Holder continued to claim he knew nothing about guns being walked into Mexico until after the fact, and that he knew nothing about operation Fast and Furious until earlier this year. With little worry that he had given a completely different answer to the House Oversight Committee on May 3rd, a non-repentant Holder told the Senators:

I first learned about the tactics and the phrase “Operation Fast and Furious” at the beginning of this year — I think when it became a matter of all of this public controversy. In my testimony before the House Committee, I did say “a few weeks.” I probably could have said “a couple of months.” I don’t think that what I said in terms of using the term “a few weeks” was inaccurate, based on what happened.

Come on Mr. Holder, this is getting ridiculous.

What makes it worse is that neither timeline is honest: In other words, he neither found out about it a few weeks ago or earlier this year. Rather, he was briefed on Fast and Furious in mid-summer 2010 and three months later was sent memos which dealt with specifically with gun walking into Mexico.

And who can forget Holder’s own speech in Mexico on April 2, 2009, wherein he boasted of operation Gunrunner:

Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels.  My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our ongoing Project Gunrunner, DEA is adding 16 new positions on the border, as well as mobile enforcement teams, and the FBI is creating a new intelligence group focusing on kidnapping and extortion.  DHS is making similar commitments, as Secretary Napolitano will detail. (emphasis mine)

By the way, what does the name “Gunrunner” signify if not the intention to run (or walk) guns?

In addition to refusing to come clean on exactly when he first knew of Fast and Furious (and what he knew), Holder also had the gall to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that the real issue they needed to focus on was “the battle to stop the flow of illegal guns to Mexico.” In other words, what we should be focusing on here is the need for gun control in order to keep the Southern border safe. To that end, Holder said the ATF should receive increased powers via the increased “resources and statutory tools it needs to be effective.”

Note to Eric Holder: One way the ATF could be more effective is if it would quit forcing gun store owners to sell guns to straw purchasers who turn around and pass those guns to criminals.

Lastly, and most sickening of all, Holder said he hasn’t apologized to Border Agent Brian Terry’s family and that he doesn’t plan on doing so. When Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) asked Holder why he refuses to do so, the AG responded: “It is not fair…to assume that the mistakes that happened in Fast & Furious directly led to the death of Agent Terry.” This is outrageous because the ties between Terry’s death and Fast and Furious are not based on assumption, but on fact. At least three weapons from Fast and Furious were discovered by Terry’s body: two of which U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke tried to cover up and one of which the FBI tried to cover up. We even know which straw purchaser purchased them.

Holder must be prosecuted. When he appears before the House committee next month Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) should wait till the cameras are rolling then have Holder handcuffed and frog marched out of the hearing for his ongoing contempt of the Senate, the House, and the people of the United States.


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Posted Nov 9th 2011 at 6:27 am in Justice/Legal, Politics | 141 Comments