Monday, February 6, 2012

Is Eric Holder Mastermind or just Absent-minded?

The Examiner
William Holder

Attorney General (AG) Eric Holder admitted lying to Congress May 2011 when he testified he learned of Fast and Furious (F&F) “…last few weeks”. His defenders say he misunderstood the question.

Last Thursday, the 2ndof February 2012, Eric Holder said he made sure F&F was over “as soon as he learned about its tactics…” (Cockerham, 2012)

Note how one Holder testimony reduces the other testimony to nonsense.

The essential question about gunrunning and Fast and Furious (F&F) is:

What did AG Eric Holder know, and when did he know it?

A) On May 3, 2011, Oversight Committee chair, Rep. Darrell Issa, asked AG Holder, "When did you first know about the program, officially I believe known as Fast and Furious, to the best of your knowledge, what date?"

B) AG Holder testified, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."

Attorney General (AG) Eric Holder admitted lying to Congress May 2011 when he testified he learned of Fast and Furious (F&F) “…last few weeks”. His defenders say he misunderstood the question.

Last Thursday, the 2ndof February 2012, Eric Holder said he made sure F&F was over “as soon as he learned about its tactics…” (Cockerham, 2012)

Note how one Holder testimony reduces the other testimony to nonsense.

The essential question about gunrunning and Fast and Furious (F&F) is:

What did AG Eric Holder know, and when did he know it?

A) On May 3, 2011, Oversight Committee chair, Rep. Darrell Issa, asked AG Holder, "When did you first know about the program, officially I believe known as Fast and Furious, to the best of your knowledge, what date?"

B) AG Holder testified, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."
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C) Holder's May 3, 2011 testimony under oath was perjury.

D) Holder’s testimony last Thursday depends on last May’s testimony.

So, what do we know about what Eric Holder really knew?

On October 3rd, 2011, CBS reporter Cheryl Atkisson obtained five Department of Justice (DOJ) memos to and from Holder subordinates detailing various aspects of the F&F smuggling program showing Holder had received weekly briefings on F&F from as early as July of 2010 -five months before Tucson District Border Agent, Brian Terry was murdered in the Arizona desert with an F&F-smuggled weapon.

Reading the DOJ emails in question makes both the AG’s testimonies under oath ridiculous.

One email in particular is specially damning: on Oct. 17, 2010, Deputy Assistant AG/ Criminal Division, Jason Weinstein, emailed Deputy Chief of the National Gang Unit, James Trusty, questioning the wisdom of having Assistant AG, Lanny Breuer, attend a press conference questioning F&F, "…given the number of guns that have walked." http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2011/10/holder-should-fire-his-aides-or-get-fired-himself#ixzz1lLctyGnm

The words show knowledge that walking guns is smuggling guns.

Senior Holder aides were concerned that Lanny Bruer was exposed to the press as early as 2010 because Bruer was present at planning during the “Southwest Border Strategy Group” in October of 2009 - plans for F&F like proxy gun sales, gunwalkings and smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels.

According to Senator Charles Grassley’s Congressional testimony, the “Southwest Border Strategy Group” met on October 27, 2009 to discuss Operation Gunrunner, and smuggling guns into Mexico. Assistant AG, Lanny Breuer was present with heads of seven DOJ Departments, US Attorneys of four Border States and … wait for it… a long drum roll… Todd Jones, Chairman of Eric Holder’s Advisory Committee. http://www.grassley.senate.gov/judiciary/upload/Judiciary-ATF-06-15-11-Documents-Cited-in-Grassley-testimony.pdf

The purpose of a DOJ “Advisory Committee” …was to advise Eric Holder.

The purpose of the “Southwest Border Strategy Group” was in their name: Strategy to smuggle guns across the border for F&F.

Forget about the “misunderstood” questions. Congress should ask:

1) On April 2nd, 2009 was AG Eric Holder aware of the gun-smuggling parts of the “Project Gunrunner” he introduced for the first time in Guadalajara, Mexico?

2) In October 2009 did Holder’s Advisory Committee Chairman advise him about the gun-smuggling "strategies" discussed during a “Southwest Border Strategy Group”?

Smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels is a crime. Smuggling guns that are used in murder is worse - crimes that may fall under the Felony murder rule.

But AG Holder’s defenders say he misunderstood Congress’s questions.

Is the United States Attorney General a Mastermind, or is he just absent-minded?

Cockerham, S. (2012). McClatchy Newspapers. Republicans rip into Attorney General at Fast and Furious hearings. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/02/2621812/republicans-rip-into-attorney.html#storylink=cpy



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