The preponderance of questions without answers is reaching critical mass in the Fast and Furious scandal. In an October 20 letter addressed to FBI Director Robert Mueller, Congressman Darrell Issa and Senator Chuck Grassley addressed the "limited information officially released surrounding the circumstances" of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's murder on December 14, 2010.
Two AK-47's linked to the Fast and Furious gun walking operation were retrieved at the crime scene. But taped conversations between an ATF agent and a gun dealer as well as private utterances between border patrol agents and Brian Terry's mother at his funeral suggest a third gun was also found.
In the letter Issa and Grassley submitted a list of 16 questions centering on which gun killed Brian Terry, how many guns were actually carried by the illegal aliens shooting at the agents and why the ballistics report on the two acknowledged AK-47'S remain inconclusive.
2) Despite the inconclusive ballistics test, are there other indications from the evidence or circumstances that would suggest that one of the Fast and Furious guns recovered at the scene was likely the murder weapon?
3) Despite the inconclusive ballistics test, are there other indications from the evidence or circumstances that would suggest that one of the Fast and Furious guns recovered at the scene was not likely the murder weapon?
4) Can the FBI conclusively rule out the possibility that Specimens K-2 or K-3 killed Agent Terry?
5) Does the FBI believe that a third weapon killed Agent Terry? If so, what steps has the FBI taken to locate that weapon and what is the status of the FBI's search?
Issa's letter is a breath of fresh air in what appears to be a stifling cover-up emanating from two huge bureaucracies. The Justice Department's reaction speaks volumes. Responding to Issa's inquiry they specifically challenged the third gun issue and called it a "false accusation" that "maligns dedicated agents
Representative Elijah Cummings, senior Democrat on Congressman Issa's committee, parroted the DOJ and blamed the messenger by attacking Issa for "making false accusations about the FBI." Using the same talking point, Cummings cited the letter as an assault on the "integrity and credibility" of earnest law enforcement personnel.
Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) also denounced Chairman Issa's "politically motivated attacks" as "a merciless distraction from the important work of the Department of Justice, and the many men and women who work every day to make America safer." Schiff insisted Eric Holder has been "forthright throughout" and is personally "shocked Congressman Issa would continue to spin this conspiracy theory."
Gun walking is no "conspiracy theory." In an October 5, 2011 CBS report, Sharyl Attkisson stated "We have found allegations of gunwalking in at least 10 cities in five states, so this apparently was not isolated to Arizona."
What was advertised in 2008 as the "anti-Bush" administration didn't stop Project Gunrunner in its tracks. Instead, someone gave the order to maximize its potential resulting in the "untimely demise" of Brian Terry, Jaimie Zapata and Mexican civilians. On his first full day in office President Obama, whom the worldwide media had declared the "anti-Bush" months earlier, pledged "a new era of openness for the country" "transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this administration."
Issa has his work cut out for him with the major players in this new "transparent" government. FBI Director Mueller has not yet responded to the 16 questions or his request for all communications and documents "among FBI employees in Arizona and the FBI Laboratory."
Americans have some questions of their own. Will Mueller come clean on his role in allowing felons to purchase weapons, walk them into the hands of drug cartels and eventually murder scores of people? Will Issa get to the bottom of the third gun controversy? Will we ever know which gun killed Brian Terry? Is Justice for Brian Terry possible when the nation's top cops continue to stonewall the investigation?
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