A political lawsuit
If there was any doubt that the legislative investigation of Fast and Furious was politically motivated, it has been dispelled by the lawsuit the House of Representatives filed against Attorney General Eric Holder.
This legal action ensures that the subject, which has become very popular among gun enthusiasts, remains alive during the last few months of the presidential campaign.
Fast and Furious was an unfortunate operation by the Arizona branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) meant to fight gun smuggling from Arizona into Mexico.
A detailed Fortune magazine report shows that the actions of the agents were limited to identifying certain gun sales with the cooperation of some gun dealers. The great challenge was prosecuting those who were buying assault weapons to immediately resell them to Mexican cartels, thanks to that state’s permissive gun laws.
The death of a Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry-caused by one of those weapons-and the dissatisfaction of ATF agents from that group lead whistleblowers to talk to House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa. Issa took advantage of the situation by demanding documents and more documents from the Justice Department, until President Obama invoked executive privilege, rejecting the committee’s request.
As a result, the committee declared a sitting attorney general in contempt for the first time in U.S. history, and now they want to bring Holder into court. The investigation was an example of partisanship, failing both to acknowledge that the operation originated in the last Republican administration as well as to call on witnesses who are not in agreement with the party line.
We have already mentioned that it is urgent to stop the guns destined for Mexican cartels, and efforts should focus on this. However, for Issa and the committee, the danger is the White House instead of drug traffickers armed to the teeth.
Impremedia/La Opinion
