US government openly admits arming Mexican drug gangs with 30,000 firearms - but why?

Homeslice · 08-30-2011, 04:03 PM

ATF head reassigned in wake of 'Fast and Furious' controversy

Washington (CNN) -- Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who came under criticism for the "Fast and Furious" operation involving illegal weapons sales, is being reassigned to the Justice Department as a senior adviser on forensic issues, the department announced Tuesday.

The announcement said that B. Todd Jones, a U.S. attorney from Minnesota, will become the acting director of ATF starting Wednesday.

Operation Fast and Furious allowed thousands of heavy-duty assault-type weapons to be illegally purchased. In the operation, "straw buyers" -- people who buy the weapons for others who might not legally be allowed to buy them -- were allowed to purchase illegally large numbers of weapons, some of which ended up in the hands of cartels in Mexico.

The operation has come under intense criticism since the December killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in Arizona. Two weapons that were allowed to be sold under the Fast and Furious program were found at the crime scene.

Last month, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, sent letters to agencies including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration demanding specific information and documents on the operation.

The letters followed a closed July 4 meeting between investigators and Melson, who sources said implicated FBI and DEA involvement in the controversial firearms purchasing operation.

Federal law enforcement officials familiar with the case said Melson was fighting to keep his job and was unwilling to be a "fall guy" for Operation Fast and Furious.

The letters called for answers to a series of questions about informants, FBI and DEA officials in Arizona and Texas, and the case agent from Tucson in charge of the Terry murder investigation.

The letters also demanded e-mails, memoranda, briefing papers and handwritten notes relating to the operation.

Operation Fast and Furious was "a colossal failure of leadership," Peter Forcelli, an ATF supervisor in Phoenix, has said.

The program focused on following people who legally bought weapons that were then transferred to criminals and destined for Mexico. But instead of intercepting the weapons when they switched hands, Operation Fast and Furious called for ATF agents to let the guns "walk" and wait for them to surface in Mexico, according to a report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The idea was that once the weapons in Mexico were traced back to the straw purchasers, the entire arms smuggling network could be brought down. Instead, the report argues, letting the weapons slip into the wrong hands was a deadly miscalculation that resulted in preventable deaths, including that of Terry.

In Mexico, the case has drawn nationwide attention and sharp criticism from top officials, who have long stressed that U.S. weapons are fueling the country's drug war.

The Mexican attorney general's office demanded a quick U.S. investigation of the matter in March and said authorities must hold accountable anyone who was responsible for the operation.

Melson, who became acting director of ATF in 2009, will focus on policy development in forensic science in his new role with the Office of Legal Policy starting Wednesday, according to a Justice Department statement.

"I want to thank Ken for his dedication to the department over the last three decades," Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement.

Jones, Melson's successor, is a "seasoned" prosecutor and former military judge advocate "who brings a wealth of experience" to his new position leading ATF, Holder said in the statement. Jones will continue to serve as a U.S. attorney as well, the statement said.

08-30-2011, 04:03 PM	#37
Homeslice Elitist Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Moto: Gix 750 Posts: 11,351	ATF head reassigned in wake of 'Fast and Furious' controversy Washington (CNN) -- Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who came under criticism for the "Fast and Furious" operation involving illegal weapons sales, is being reassigned to the Justice Department as a senior adviser on forensic issues, the department announced Tuesday. The announcement said that B. Todd Jones, a U.S. attorney from Minnesota, will become the acting director of ATF starting Wednesday. Operation Fast and Furious allowed thousands of heavy-duty assault-type weapons to be illegally purchased. In the operation, "straw buyers" -- people who buy the weapons for others who might not legally be allowed to buy them -- were allowed to purchase illegally large numbers of weapons, some of which ended up in the hands of cartels in Mexico. The operation has come under intense criticism since the December killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in Arizona. Two weapons that were allowed to be sold under the Fast and Furious program were found at the crime scene. Last month, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, sent letters to agencies including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration demanding specific information and documents on the operation. The letters followed a closed July 4 meeting between investigators and Melson, who sources said implicated FBI and DEA involvement in the controversial firearms purchasing operation. Federal law enforcement officials familiar with the case said Melson was fighting to keep his job and was unwilling to be a "fall guy" for Operation Fast and Furious. The letters called for answers to a series of questions about informants, FBI and DEA officials in Arizona and Texas, and the case agent from Tucson in charge of the Terry murder investigation. The letters also demanded e-mails, memoranda, briefing papers and handwritten notes relating to the operation. Operation Fast and Furious was "a colossal failure of leadership," Peter Forcelli, an ATF supervisor in Phoenix, has said. The program focused on following people who legally bought weapons that were then transferred to criminals and destined for Mexico. But instead of intercepting the weapons when they switched hands, Operation Fast and Furious called for ATF agents to let the guns "walk" and wait for them to surface in Mexico, according to a report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The idea was that once the weapons in Mexico were traced back to the straw purchasers, the entire arms smuggling network could be brought down. Instead, the report argues, letting the weapons slip into the wrong hands was a deadly miscalculation that resulted in preventable deaths, including that of Terry. In Mexico, the case has drawn nationwide attention and sharp criticism from top officials, who have long stressed that U.S. weapons are fueling the country's drug war. The Mexican attorney general's office demanded a quick U.S. investigation of the matter in March and said authorities must hold accountable anyone who was responsible for the operation. Melson, who became acting director of ATF in 2009, will focus on policy development in forensic science in his new role with the Office of Legal Policy starting Wednesday, according to a Justice Department statement. "I want to thank Ken for his dedication to the department over the last three decades," Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement. Jones, Melson's successor, is a "seasoned" prosecutor and former military judge advocate "who brings a wealth of experience" to his new position leading ATF, Holder said in the statement. Jones will continue to serve as a U.S. attorney as well, the statement said.