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Aug-16-2011 22:12
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Men in Charge of ATF Fast and Furious that Left U.S. Agent Dead - Promoted
Tim King Salem-News.comRun a senseless program to arm cartels, get the wrong people killed, get a raise...
 “I share responsibility for mistakes that were made,” said ATF supervisor William G. McMahon about Operation Fast and Furious. (U.S. Congress / August 14, 2011) Courtesy: LA Times |
(SALEM, Ore.) - It's like someone asked the question... what could be worse than knowing your federal government would ship guns to criminals in Mexico?
Three of the ATF&E supervisors involved in the failed 'Fast and Furious' federally authorized gunrunning program that saw deadly firearms from U.S. states delivered to drug cartels in Mexico, and used to kill at least one U.S. Border Patrol agent and a prominent Mexican lawyer... have been promoted.
The Los Angeles Times reports the names of the men who share heavy responsibility for the bizarre as:
William G. McMahon - ATF deputy director of operations in the West where the illegal trafficking program was focused
William D. Newell - Program field supervisor who oversaw the program out of the agency's Phoenix office
David Voth - Program field supervisor who oversaw the program out of the agency's Phoenix office
Newell and Voth have been promoted to new positions at the Washington headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
We have reported this story at length through the efforts of our Photojournalist, Robert Plumlee in New Mexico, who has been monitoring a number of aspects of the cartel explosion for the past three years. He recently encountered unusual treatment that originates from the State Department- a threat of arrest. This seems ridiculous as Mr. Plumlee has been working with a military task force that operates in Mexico battling cartel operations. All of this has been reported in great detail in the past.
A former CIA asset for many years, valuable information from Mr. Plumlee has not been fully utilized. One of his goals prior to the Murder of the Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was to simply expose the ATF gunrunning operation. "From my point of view, it was clear from the beginning the questionable operation was connected to the highest echelons of the U.S. government". Even though the ATF 'Gunrunner' operation began under George W. Bush, the 'Fast and Furious' program-- and its funding, was allowed to continued under Obama's Stimulus Plan and touted by Attorney General Eric Holder.
It was supervised by the men named above, and it was an ATF agent who finally blew the whistle on the operation. There is integrity but at the top end it seems distinctly lacking.
For their part, the ATF&E says they started Operation 'Fast and Furious' to help track guns that ended up in the hands of cartel leaders in Mexico, hoping it would lead them to top gun traffickers.
Almost 2000 weapons were delivered, and those are the ones that the feds have had to admit to. So far a small percentage of the number of weapons delivered have been located at crime scenes in Mexico.
The LA Times wrote:Three Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesmen did not return phone calls Monday asking about the promotions. But several agents said they found the timing of the promotions surprising, given the turmoil at the agency over the failed program.
McMahon was promoted Sunday to deputy assistant director of the ATF's Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations — the division that investigates misconduct by ATF employees and other problems.
Kenneth E. Melson, the ATF's acting director, said in an agency-wide confidential email announcing the promotion that McMahon was among ATF employees being rewarded because of "the skills and abilities they have demonstrated throughout their careers."
Newell was the special agent in charge of the ATF's field office for Arizona and New Mexico, where Fast and Furious was conducted. On Aug. 1, the ATF announced he would become special assistant to the assistant director of the agency's Office of Management in Washington.
Voth was an on-the-ground team supervisor for Fast and Furious, and last month he was moved to Washington to become branch chief for the ATF's tobacco division.
It is an utterly amazing story, considering the history of U.S. military operations in Central and South American over the last fifty years. These deadly wars and efforts to overthrow elected governments not specifically friendly to the U.S. government and economy, were supposedly designed to keep the U.S. population safe.
Now, the most powerful cartels in Mexico are already in charge of entire regions, and collectively the cartels are responsible for more drug war related deaths
According to Wikipedia, ATF Project Gunrunner has a stated official objective to stop the sale and export of guns from the United States into Mexico in order to deny Mexican drug cartels the firearms considered "tools of the trade". However, since at least Feb., 2008 under Project Gunrunner, Operations "Fast and Furious", "Too Hot to Handle", "Wide Receiver" and others (all together satirically dubbed "Operation Gunwalker"), are alleged to have done the opposite by ATF permitting and facilitating 'straw purchase' firearm sales to traffickers, and allowing the guns to 'walk' and be transported to Mexico. This has resulted in considerable controversy.
Sources:
ATF promotes 'Fast and Furious' supervisors - KOLD News 13
ATF promotes supervisors in controversial gun operation - LA Times
Mexican Drug War - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
_________________________________________________________Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 82 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com
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Anonymous August 17, 2011 8:46 pm (Pacific time)
You all asked for it, and you all got it. You voted Obama for President. It's his Administration, it's his work, he was involved in the deal. I like to see impeachment for that deal
The CIA's Forest Gump August 17, 2011 1:49 pm (Pacific time)
Why want the MSM ask the President about this failed Gunwalker/Fast and Furious, operation, once AGAIN!
Without a bunch of explaining and double talk ask the President three simple questions:
1. Mr. President. Does the United States sell, or provide, military grade heavy duty weapons to Mexico and its Army?
2. Have these weapons been inventoried by joint US and Mexican military personal as being received, "in place", or "shipped" via US shippers, with US approval.
3. Does the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) program sell military grade weapons to State Department approved Mexican private security companies and other State Department approved contractors?
Anonymous August 17, 2011 12:38 pm (Pacific time)
I wish it was a simple minded as incompetency...Man do I wish that. Same as 911, I soooo much wish it was incompetence. But it is not. It is planned. Those naive to believe they ATF made a mistake are seriously naive, and are too afraid to face the truth. Our government has been taken over by bankers..People think I am tin foil hat, but the facts are all there!! obama's cabinet is nothing but goldman sachs, and monsanto for goodness sakes! Listen..I dont know the particulars about 911 even after 10 years of research, and anyone who tells you they know, I would disregard. But i do know it was not 19 cavemen, and I do know the official story is nothing but lies. Until people realize this, they will continue to live in their matrix.
Anonymous August 17, 2011 12:28 pm (Pacific time)
I would also like to remind people, that wachovia and wells fargo banks got caught laundering the drug money. they got a slap on the wrist. And, its not just mexico the ATF is giving guns to..Its in the states also. Florida is the only state I have confirmation on, but its obvious there are many other states. When drug dealers do not go along with the bankers, the rules and the money laundering, the ATF gives guns to rival gangs that will go along...Standard M.O. Afghanistan had eliminated their opium fields in 2000. Since the U.S. military went in, afghanistan is now the capitol of the heroin trade, sending cheap and potent heroin all over the world, including the U.S. This is the ONLY reason why drugs are legal, the bankers dont want the competition. And we are talking hundreds of billions of dollars. Think about it...oxycotin is legal, and marijuana isnt? Give me a break. Its obvious. Go to youtube and type in "Ibogaine"..a cure for addiction, totally organic, no deaths, 90% cure rate, but illegal in the U.S. Getting this now? All of the above are facts that can be easily researched. We are not in Kansas anymore, sometimes I wonder if we ever were.
Marv August 17, 2011 11:14 am (Pacific time)
Who is the Boss of the U.S. Government? Let's be real people, if Bush was in office, or any Republican when this crime went down, and his Attorney General was behind this operation, we would not be discussing lower level employees, but impeachment and prosecution. Even with all the failed polcies and promises of this administration, many of you will vote to keep in the same bad characters, now that is the real treasonous crime to America. By the way when you look at criminal convictions of congressional members who went to prison, the democrats are many times ahead of the republicans. We have a pattern going on, and when you look at the people involved in this crime, look at their history, and the people they associated with. We warned you in 2008, listen to us now, we need to remove these criminals. Time grows short. Look at actions, not the bs talk.
patriot76 August 17, 2011 9:47 am (Pacific time)
Illegally deliver thousands of guns to Mexican drug lords. Have the operation go FUBAR. Get caught. Agree to be the patsy. Get promoted!!! Your tax dollars at work.
Anonymous August 17, 2011 8:42 am (Pacific time)
Fast and furious had two outcomes in mind. Have the drug cartels take over the mexican government, and to stomp on the 2nd ammendment rights by blaming the guns in mexico on gun dealers in the states..the globalists do NOT want an armed population when their plans of evil, theft and lies are found out. Ron Paul is exposing them. Thats why the banker owned media ignores Paul. And israel hates him.
Anonymous August 17, 2011 8:35 am (Pacific time)
The FBI agents that spoke up about information regarding 911, before it happened, were shut up and demoted...This is how the globalists work. Got a heads-up for ya, we do NOT have R's and D's, we have globalists and non-globalists, and this is standard MO for the globalists. Along with dumbing down america, the endless wars for empire building, and an engineered economic collapse to bring in their world currency, world bank, right on the heels of a word government...the whores in D.C. are on board with the globalists, but Ron Pauls momentum is growing leaps and bounds because people are waking up to the lies, and Ron is the only one that wont be bought by the bankers..sorry for eloborating and going on here, but we are in the 11th hour. These agents getting a promotion irks me to no end. More people are waking up, and they are getting very angry.
COLLI August 16, 2011 10:51 pm (Pacific time)
There is an old saying that individuals tend to be promoted until they reach the level of their incompetence. Our government appears to believe that saying and carries it further still. They seem to believe in rewarding incompetence and placing incompetent individuals in positions where they can be even more damaging. Well, I guess all we had to do to know that was to examine who we tend to elect to the highest offices in the land. So make out a new resume and simply say "I excel at GREED and INCOMPETENCE" and submit that resume to the Federal Government . . . you will be virtually guaranteed a position in the Whitehouse or Congress as a highly paid dolt!
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