To get a feel for what the rank and file of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives thinks about Project Gunwalker, there is no better place to go than CleanUpATF.org.
Vincent Cefalu, an ATF agent and supervisor who has a reputation for being a straight shooter, and who blew the whistle on illegal wiretaps, had this to say:
Starting Tomorrow, The Chairman of the House oversight committee in conjunction with Senator Charles Grassley begin the process of long overdue and much needed oversight of the actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. These hearings are just the beginning of the review of a broken Bureau and broken leadership at the HIGHEST levels. It is imperative that if this Bureau, OUR Bureau is to see 2012, that EVERYBODY weigh in, disclose the widespread incompetence and abuses heaped upon our employees, the firearms industry and the American people. There is NO dispute ATF Agents and inspectors are THE MOST highly skilled and dedicated and courageous Law Enforcement Agents in the world. CLEAN UP ATF. Sidenote: Fox news did an interview with a former Homeland security/ CIA official this morning regarding Mexico violence and firearms trafficking and suggested that the absence of a Director at ATF is why this has and is happening. With all due respect to that officials opinion, WE HAVE A DIRECTOR. Who do you think Ken Melson is? Who was Michael Sullivan? Lets be clear, another POOR Director wont fix this. The same executive leadership that has tanked this agency will be advising any NEW Director. An agency’s efficiency does not rest SOLELY on the Directors shoulders. Without SERIOUS accountability across directorates and and house cleaning, we are doomed to revisit similar “Tragic Outcomes” in the future. OUTSIDE strong Law Enforcement leadership is the only way to cleanse this pool. WATCH THE HEARINGS. WRITE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TALK TO THE MEDIA. DEMAND TRANSPARENCY
“Epic Failure” responded to this post saying:
Well stated Vince. I guess the stratagy was to get to the cartel’s by climbing over the dead bodies they caused. Genius! Word is they are still going to hang their hat on ATF Agents never actually watching a gun physically cross into Mexico. That has to be a Pellitier or Sarnacki defense stratagy. It is the invention of the next era of dufuses thinking that gets them off the hook. Has there ever been a greater collection top to bottom of cowards, idiots, self-rightous, arrogent db’s ever at one place at one time in a LE agency than there is in ATF HQ?
“Cool Hand” expects that the current senior executive management of ATF will try to discredit those ATF Special Agents like John Dodson who will be testifying tomorrow.
Some very brave special agents are going to testify before congress this week. They will simply report the facts like good criminal investigators. My guess is that 70% of senior executive leadership will try to discredit them. Even worse, the other 30% of the executive club will say nothing hoping they will land on their feet when this scandal “blows over”. Their mentality? “If those disgruntled malcontent trouble makers had just keep their mouths shut everything would be just fine. It’s just a hand full of rebel rousers stirring things up. Don’t they know how lucky they are to have a job in this economy? When I am Director some day, I’m gonna’ let them know who is boss!” My opinion? There are no bad followers, only bad leaders.
“Doc Holliday” who is one of the more prolific posters on CleanUpATF as well as a moderator agreed with “Cool Hand”.
Yes its true they will try to discredit honorable and loyal Agents, remember; These Agents didn’t have to be forced to testify or hide, duck and dodge questions. I predict Melson and Senior managers (will) “Take the Fifth”. If this happens they should be immediately removed from any Law Enforcement positions. They cant tell the truth or they get fired, sued and possibly prosecuted. They cant lie or the get fired, sued or prosecuted. Not too many options left. If they refuse to testify, It will be a sad day for ATF and the entire Law Enforcement community.
Finally, “The Original Ralph” predicts that politicians like Sen. Chuck Schumer will attempt to discredit these ATF agents who will be testifying.
I’ll give you odds chucky schumer will discredit them, and even call them liars while they’re testifying – same as he did in the waco hearings with the two retired marine corp colonels turned attorneys that testified, one of them reporting what happened with his client, david koresh’s grandmother at the command hut at waco
I think we have already started to see the counter-attack on these hearings as being mounted by Senators Feinstein, Schumer, and Whitehouse with the release of their misleading report yesterday which touts as a “fact” that 70% of guns captured in Mexico are traced to the United States.
Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee parsed the numbers today on this. By his estimation, less that 5% of the recovered guns in Mexico actually came from border state gun shops. Putting this into perspective, Bob says “that translates to less than one gun per shop in the region.” That sure doesn’t sound like crates and crates of AK’s and AR’s streaming across the border from gun shops and gun shows in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.
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