Thursday, February 6, 2014

Obama’s Banana Boy Runs Guns



Obama’s Banana Boy Runs Guns

Brian Terry's Brother Rips Holder on Fast and Furious: 'Where Is the Accountability?'
by Matthew Boyle 5 Feb 2014, 7:22 PM PDT
In a blistering letter to Attorney General Eric Holder delivered Wednesday, Kent Terry – the brother of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry – questioned why, years later, the Terry family still does not have the truth about Operation Fast and Furious.

“Mr. Holder I am going to get right to the point of this letter,” he wrote. “I am not pleased with your behavior as America's Attorney General. Simply denying that you had no knowledge about Operation Fast and Furious is troubling in itself, but for you to not comply with Congress is even more troubling. It is shocking to know that the Attorney General of the United States had no knowledge or was not made aware of Fast and Furious until after the death of my brother, Brian Terry.”

Terry continued his letter by writing that he questions why – if Holder really did not know about Fast and Furious – he has not held anybody in the Department of Justice or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives accountable for the scandal.

“For you Mr. Holder to be so ill served by your own advisers on your watch is unbelievable,” he wrote. “If that is the case, then you would think there would be accountability to your so called advisers who did not inform you," Terry wrote, adding, "Where is the accountability Mr. Holder?”

In 2009, at the beginning of the Obama administration, ATF agents employed a strategy in which they allowed about 2,000 AK-47s and other high-powered rifles to be smuggled to Mexican drug cartels. The controversial law enforcement tactic used in Fast and Furious – known as "gunwalking" – involved allowing guns suspected to be purchased for smuggling to escape law enforcement surveillance.

At Terry’s murder scene in Peck Canyon in Arizona, about 17 miles inside the U.S. border with Mexico, law enforcement officials recovered two rifles connected to the operation. Fast and Furious was also connected to the murder of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jaime Zapata in Mexico, and numerous other murders of innocent civilians throughout that country.

After Terry was murdered in late 2010, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent John Dodson stepped forward as a whistleblower. Dodson testified before Congress and has since published a book on his experiences.

His testimony sparked a congressional investigation that has lasted since early 2011. Initially, the DOJ denied the allegations from Dodson and other whistleblowers in a Feb. 4, 2011, letter to Senator Chuck Grassley, but was ultimately forced to withdraw it. Holder himself failed to comply with a series of subpoenas from Issa’s committee, which resulted in a claim of executive privilege from President Barack Obama himself, and criminal and civil contempt of Congress votes censuring Holder. The civil contempt vote launched a still-ongoing House lawsuit against the administration’s failure to comply with the subpoena and Obama’s executive privilege claim. More than a hundred members of Congress called for Holder's resignation over the matter leading up to the 2012 elections.

In the next parts of his letter, Terry cites the investigations from the House Committee on Oversight and Government and the DOJ’s own Inspector General to note that “more than a dozen officials” at ATF and DOJ were responsible for Fast and Furious, many of whom have seen no level of accountability whatsoever for their actions.

“Mr. Holder, answer me this, why are ATF agents and other agencies that were involved in Operation Fast and Furious still actively holding jobs and actively working?” Terry wrote. “Why are they allowed to carry a gun and a badge? Why are these Agents that were originally involved still making decisions on behalf of the American people which can put Americans in harm’s way?”

Terry then cited the oath of office that government officials, including Holder, take before they take office – that they “do solemnly swear” they will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic” and so on. Terry argued that Holder’s refusal to comply with the congressional investigation is a violation of that oath.

“Mr. Holder, why not [abide] by this?” Terry asked about the oath. “Why hide behind executive privilege? It's your job to uphold the law and hold those accountable for such an illegal crime as Operation Fast and Furious. You need to release the documents to show who is responsible for such an act that led to the deaths of two federal agents who gave their all to their country. They were both brave and protected their country with honor and integrity. What has their country given them in return? Is this really your all Mr. Holder?”

Terry continued by calling Holder a “coward of an attorney general” and questioning his integrity.

“Somewhere deep inside you must have some conscience; do the honorable thing and have some integrity as an attorney general,” Terry wrote. “You have children, wouldn't you want... justice for your children? Of course you would. These guns will continue to show up at murder scenes in the future, and I am sure you don't want more blood on your hands. So I ask you: stop misleading my family and the American people. Stop obstruction of justice. My family has been through enough grief with the loss of my brother, and to have no answers for why [his blood was spilled] on this soil is upsetting to me and my family; our lives are shattered for the rest of our lives and will never be the same.”

House Committee on Oversight and Government
Charles O. Prince III testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, a director at the United Negro College Fund, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Note: Linda Johnson Rice is a director at the United Negro College Fund, a friend of Desiree G. Rogers & Valerie B. Jarrett, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Desiree G. Rogers is a friend of Linda Johnson Rice, Valerie B. Jarrett & Michelle Obama, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a board member for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, and was the White House social secretary for the Barack Obama administration.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois is a member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Healthcare the Chicago Way (Past Research for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois is a division of the Health Care Service Corporation.
Center for American Progress was a funder for the Health Care Service Corporation.
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was the lobby firm for the Center for American Progress.
Valerie B. Jarrett is a friend of Linda Johnson Rice, Desiree G. Rogers & Michelle Obama, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and her great uncle is Vernon E. Jordan Jr.
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was the chairman & CEO for Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a senior counsel for the counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a supporter for the Center for American Progress, is a board member for the International Crisis Group, and the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Alliance for Justice, and the American Constitution Society.
Ernesto Zedillo was a board member for the International Crisis Group, and the president of Mexico.
Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration, a principal at the Raben Group, and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.
Raben Group was the public relations firm for Mexico, and the lobby firm for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
Robert Raben is the president for the Raben Group, a director at the Alliance for Justice, was a director at the American Constitution Society, and the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Eric H. Holder Jr. was an intern at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a board member for the American Constitution Society, and is the attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice for the Barack Obama administration.
Janet Reno is a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society, and was the attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.
John T. Morton was the acting chief, domestic security section for the U.S. Department of Justice, is a director at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the assistant secretary for immigration & customs enforcement for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Customs Service merged into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Raymond W. Kelly was the commissioner for the U.S. Customs Service, and is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.
Lee H. Hamilton is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, the co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a director at BAE Systems Inc., and was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was a member of the Iraq Study Group, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Michael Chertoff is the chairman for BAE Systems Inc., a senior of counsel at Covington & Burling LLP, the co-founder & chairman for the Chertoff Group, and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Covington & Burling LLP was the lobby firm for BAE Systems Inc.
Eric H. Holder Jr. was a partner at Covington & Burling LLP.
Charles E. Allen is a principal at the Chertoff Group, and was the under secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Jay M. Cohen is a principal at the Chertoff Group, and was the under secretary for science & technology for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Debbie Eng is a senior director at the Chertoff Group, and was an associate executive secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Katy Montgomery is a senior director at the Chertoff Group, and was the deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Paul A. Schneider is a principal at the Chertoff Group, and was the deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Chad C. Sweet is the co-founder & CEO for the Chertoff Group, and was the chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Jayson P. Ahern is a principal at the Chertoff Group, and was the acting commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
R. Gil Kerlikowske is the commissioner nominee for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the drug czar for the Barack Obama administration, and was the deputy director for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Alan D. Bersin was the commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. attorney for Southern District of California for the U.S. Department of Justice, and secretary of education for the California state government.
Kathleen Brown was the California state government treasurer, is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Jerry Brown’s sister, and
Jerry Brown is Kathleen Brown’s brother, and the California state government governor.
Linda Johnson Rice is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a friend of Desiree G. Rogers & Valerie B. Jarrett, and a director at the United Negro College Fund.
Charles O. Prince III was a director at the United Negro College Fund, testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was the chairman & CEO for Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
Obama's banana problem
Eric Holder's defence of Chiquita suggests he is a poor choice to be the next US attorney general
Jason Glaser    
theguardian.com, Tuesday 25 November 2008 10.30 EST       
Representing Chiquita, Holder brokered a deal for the banana giant to pay $25m over five years to the justice department. This arrangement was made after Chiquita admitted in 2003 to providing $1.7m over six years to the paramilitary group The United Self Defense Forces of Colombia. This group was listed as a terrorist organisation by the state department. Chiquita also allegedly provided a cache of surplus Nicaraguan army AK-47s through their own transport network. The payments continued unabated for months after Chiquita's admission.
Covington & Burling LLP is the lobby firm for Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
Eric H. Holder Jr.’s client was Chiquita Brands International, Inc, and a partner at Covington & Burling LLP.
Michael Chertoff is a senior of counsel at Covington & Burling LLP, the chairman for BAE Systems Inc., the co-founder & chairman for the Chertoff Group, and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Covington & Burling LLP was the lobby firm for BAE Systems Inc.
Lee H. Hamilton is a director at BAE Systems Inc., a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, the co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group.
Michael V. Hayden is a principal for the Chertoff Group, and was the   deputy director for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Robert J. Callahan was the director of public affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. ambassador for Nicaragua.


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