MexicoHolder: Repercussions of Fast and Furious will be felt for “years to come”

Holder forsees program's failure providing weapons for years of crime // Source: foroactivo.mx

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress last Thursday that guns lost as a result of the botched “Fast and Furious” operation will be found at crimes scene on both sides of the border “for years to come.”

Fast and Furious was an operation orchestrated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) in which authorities intentionally allowed buyers from Mexican criminal organizations to purchase hundreds of weapons with the intention of tracking the guns across the border. ATF lost track of the weapons and two guns from the operation were eventually used to murder Customs and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010.

“Although the department has taken steps to ensure that such tactics are never used again, it is an unfortunate reality that we will continue to feel the effects of this flawed operation for years to come,” Holder told lawmakers. “Guns lost during this operation will continue to show up at crime scenes on both sides of the border.”

Holder also defended the Justice Department’s investigation and rebutted claims that senior Justice officials were aware of the operation.

“The documents produced to date also belie the remarkable notion that this operation was conceived by department leaders, as some have claimed,” Holder said. “It is my understanding that department leaders were not informed about the inappropriate tactics employed in this operation until those tactics were made public and, as is customary, turned to those with supervisory responsibility over the operation in an effort to learn the facts.”

Holder’s explanation did not satisfy Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), who threatened impeachment if Congress’ concerns were not sufficiently addressed.

“You know, the thing is, is that if we don’t get to the bottom of this — and that requires your assistance on that — there is only one alternative that Congress has, and it’s called impeachment,” he said. “It is an expensive and messy affair. And I don’t want to go this far.”

Holder also said that the ATF suffers from “lack of effective enforcement tools” and hit back at Republicans for supporting legislation which he says hurts law enforcement ability’s to track the most dangerous types of firearms.
“Earlier this year, the majority of House Members voted to keep law enforcement in the dark when individuals purchase multiple semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, long guns like AK 47’s, in Southwest border gun shops in four states,” he said.

In response House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-California) said the Obama Administration is using the Fast and Furious controversy to advocate for stricter gun control laws.

“Very clearly, they’ve made a crisis and they’re using this crisis to somehow take away or limit people’s Second Amendment rights,” Issa said on Fox News’ “Hannity” program.