U.S. attorney general Eric Holder made another perfunctory appearance today before a House of Representatives committee which is investigating the Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious arms sales scandal. He's been required to do a lot of bowing and apologizing lately.
Holder essentially said nothing new or different from what he told a Senate committee conducting a companion investigation into the now defunct ATF and DEA operations. The Senate hearing was in November. http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/11/us-ag-to-congress-furious-and-furious.html.
Holder admitted the programs were "inexcusable" and "should never have happened." He acknowledged that some of the "guns gone walking" would continue to be used in crimes for many years. Holder also agreed that at least 64,000 U.S. firearms have found their way into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Most of those weapons, it should be noted, were not acquired from the secret government-run arms deals, but were private sales by individuals -- although that's of little consolation to authorities here. Mexico says that the true weapons count is far higher. It claims that at least 80% of the firearms it has seized from narcotics traffickers and organized crime groups in recent years came from the U.S.
Some representatives have called for Holder's resignation or firing, saying he misled investigators about when he first learned of the secret arms sales. The hearing got more than a little tense at one point. A Republican congressman told Holder, "Lying to Congress is a federal felony, and while I don't want to say that you have lied to us . . ." OUCH.
At least 200 deaths directly attributable to Fast and Furious: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/at-least-200-died-from-fast-and-furious.html.
George W. Bush authorized arms sales to drug cartels under Wide Receiver: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/11/64000-us-made-weapons-have-been-used-by.html.
Heads roll in wake of Fast and Furious: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-us-officials-quit-over-fast-and.html.
A.G. Eric Holder in the cross-hairs over Fast and Furious: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/us-attorney-general-in-cross-hairs-over.html.
In drug war, boundaries and "national sovereignty" mean nothing: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-drug-war-national-sovereignty-is.html.
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