Former US Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke, blames Senator Charles Grassley’s staff for creating falsehoods, calling them the willing stooges of the gun lobby that distracted the public away from the successes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms programs.
The Brian Terry murder has become a flashpoint for every policy and tactic that has failed in the drug war.
Besides rules of engagement issues, Fast and Furious weapons found at the scene, an informer’s missing gun, resignations at high levels of the ATF and DOJ, and denials of criminal activities from nearly everyone in the Bush/Obama administration, this Mystery of the Desert is a tragedy of policies that militarize rather than medicalize the enormous illicit drug markets.
“The fact of the matter is that the men who killed Brian Terry were armed with brand new military grade assault weapons and ammunition. The weapons were allowed to be purchased with the full approval of ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona…”
The emails, regrets and testimony regarding ATF gunwalking scandals, known as ‘Fast and Furious’ (the Blame Obama version), and ‘Operation Wide Receiver’ (Blame Bush version) have begun to provide details of a longterm policy to allow firearms to proliferate into Mexico.
Besides the Bush era ‘gun walking’ operation known as ‘Wide Receiver’, emails that detail a second Bush era program of watching guns flood Mexico have been released.
Former U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton represents the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, slain last year in a firefight near Arivaca. He is preparing legal action concerning the incident.
Tim Stellar, of the Arizona Daily Star, interviewed Mr. Charlton concerning the discovery of a Bush era ‘gunwalking’ operation that allowed hundreds of firearms to be smuggled into Mexico.
Chart of blood red tracks obtained from CBS News indicates the rivers of blood that flow from the ATF guns that ‘walked.’ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Phoenix Field Division Special Agent William Newell wrote this to his personal friend, Kevin M. O’Reilly of the White House National Security staff.
