Fast and Furious Timeline and News Links - Apr. - May. 2011

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April 2011

April 1, 2011 – BATFE refuses to provide requested information to Rep. Issa’s oversight committee. Issa's committee issues subpoenas.

April 9, 2011 – It is revealed that the Phoenix office Special Assistant Agent in Charge, George Gillett, is cooperating with Senator Charles Grassley’s and Rep. Issa’s investigation into the scandal. The majority of the guns smuggled south with the help of BATFE came from the Phoenix office. CBS Report here.

April 20, 2011 – Rep. Issa warns the acting head of BATFE the if he does not provide the requested information, he will be charged with contempt of congress.

April 26, 2001 - The left wing website Huffington Post reports the story, calling it, "Obama's Mexicogate".

May 2011

May 3-4, 2011 - Eric Holder finally testifies before Congress. He denies that he, or Asst. AG Lanny Breuer had any knowledge of the operation. Fox News reports that his testimony was FALSE.

The new Charges:
1) ATF agents actually BOUGHT THE GUNS that went to cartels
2) U.S. Attorney AZ Dennis Burke knew and approved of the operation
3) As did Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer- Holder is his immediate supervisor

May 4, 2011 - CBS confirms HOLDER"S IMMEDIATE SUBORDINATE KNEW ABOUT THE ROUGE OPERATION. They have copies of documents that directly contradict AG Holder's congressional testimony.

May 5, 2011 - NPR finally breaks the story - focusing upon ATF letting guns across the border, while repeating the dis-proven 90% lie the operation may have been created to support.

May 16, 2011 - Congressional investigators are back on the ground in Arizona, according to CBS news. They are not only interviewing ATF agents, they are interviewing gun shop owners and employees.

May 17, 2011 - CBS news reports ATF management has appointed a new special agent in charge (SAC) of the Phoenix office, part of a major shake up in that office.

May 17, 2011 - According to an interview the Daily Caller, Rep. Issa, reports that investigators have proof that "Operation Gunwalker" was planned "in Washington", and key decisions were made administration officials there. Remember that his many sources within ATF have provided hundreds, if not thousands of internal agency documents - and he has the testimony of the former head of the Phoenix office. Rep. Issa is quoted as saying that this scandal is looking more and more like Iran-Contra.

May 19, 2011 - CBS News reports that DEA agents recovered 50-60 AK-47s in a drug raid in Phoenix on April 13th. At least some of these firearms were part of "Operation Fast and Furious". The local CBS affiliate reports that DEA has refused to turn any of these rifles over to BATFE.

May 22, 2011 - Fox News /William La Jeunesse has interviewed a Federal confidential informant. He states the Following: Drug flow into the US is increasing. Cartels have corrupted federal agents from several agencies. In his opinion, corruption on the US side is worse then on the Mexican side - he cited "operation gunrunner" as an example. He believes that this corruption goes 'all the way to the top". He obtained the name and location of Boarder Patrol Agent Brian Terry's killer, he was told to "ignore that, other agencies are working on that, that information isn't necessary." He confirms the Wikileaks information that the cartels are receiving large amounts of weapons from Central America. Weapons are flowing in both directions. Not only are guns going into Mexico, but also military weapons that cannot be purchased legally in the US are flowing north. The informant ultimately decided to quit working for US law enforcement.

May 24, 2011 - World Net Daily, which was the first source outside the "gun media" to report the Gunwalker story, publishes an article entitled: "White House 'strategy' on Project Gunrunner documented - Is report the 'smoking gun' in controversy over guns-to-Mexico?" In an unclassified September 2010 report obtained and posted on the net by MSNBC the ATF stated, "The analysis of trends based on seizures and human intelligence have provided some meaningful insights into the methods of acquisition and transportation utilized by the Mexican cartels. Furthermore, over the past few months enforcement strategies (and other guidance) that address firearms trafficking to Mexican cartels have been developed and released by the White House and the Department of Justice. It is essential that ATF efforts support strategies promoted by the White House and Department of Justice. An examination of these and other strategies reveals similarities among the strategies, but also suggests that some revisions to ATF’s current strategy are necessary." The WND article further reported accusations that the motivation for this "strategy" was to justify gun control in the US.

May 25, 2011 - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is vows to block President Obama’s nominations until he gets detailed answers on the Gunwalker scandal. Additional coverage HERE.

May 31, 2011 - Fox News reporter William La Jeunesse, citing Wikileaks data, reports that the vast majority of guns used in the cartel wars in Mexico are diverted from sales to the Mexican and other governments. Guns sold through US retail channels are a small fraction of the total - not 90% as claimed by the Obama Administration.

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