The Ulsterman Report: "Colossal Failure of Leadership"

Border agent Brian Terry died upon the dirt of the U.S. Mexican border, fatally wounded by weapons knowingly allowed by the American government to enter into the hands of drug cartel criminals.  On Wednesday, June 15th, the story of Brian Terry was told by his fellow border agents and family members to members of Congress.  The testimony was both stunning in its emotion, and damning in its condemnation of an ill-conceived government program and failure of an Obama Department of Justice that put border agents and citizens in direct danger on both sides of the border.

The testimony of Agent Peter Forcelli was particularly damaging to ATF supervisors and the Obama Department of Justice.  With determined directness, Agent Forcelli created a clear depiction of a government-sponsored Gunrunner plan gone horribly wrong, proving ultimately fatal to those whose duty it is to protect the American border.  It was no accident then when Democratic Party participants of the Congressional hearing directed the brunt of their own questions against Agent Forcelli.  Agent Forcelli in turn remained resolute in his determination to lay blame where it belonged – with ATF and Obama Department of Justice officials.  Agent Forcelli and others repeatedly expressed confusion and outrage over a plan that allowed guns to be sent to known criminals – a plan that ignored the concerns of border agents and state law enforcement officials.  A plan that, according to ATF agent Olinda Casa, required agents to “stand down” and not arrest known criminals purchasing weapons.  A plan that saw agents who raised concerns over law enforcement officials and citizens being put at direct risk due to those allowed gun sales being disciplined for doing so.  A plan that saw little interest in oversight by the Department of Justice.  A plan that even as border agents and private citizens were murdered, saw little significant and related legal prosecution.  And now a plan that continues to receive defense by Democratic Party members such as Representative Elijah Cummings, who worried that open discussion of the failures of Project Gunrunner might somehow endanger future prosecutions involved in the case.  Congressman Cummings persisted in this defense of a continued cover-up even as the border agents’ testimony made clear that the Obama Department of Justice had shown little interest in attempting to prosecute anyone involved in the operation. 

Agent Peter Focelli perhaps summed up the Gunrunner scandal by describing the failed policy as “A colossal failure of leadership.”  This failure of leadership directly led to the death of border agent Brian Terry, and hundreds more across the Mexican border.  Roberty Heyer, who is both the cousin of Brian Terry, as well as a current member of the Secret Service, pleaded with members of Congress to help ensure that “all those involved in Project Gunrunner that facilitated the death of Brian Terry be prosecuted.”  Agent Heyer had also earlier indicated his concern that FBI officials appeared “hesitant” to involve themselves in the still ongoing Gunrunner investigation.

Ronald Weich, Assistant Attorney General at the Obama Department of Justice, was the final witness at Wednesday’s hearing.  Weich represents at present the strongest link between the Gunrunner scandal and the Obama administration.  In his introduction, Weich indicated the DOJ was in fact cooperating with the Congressional committee, while simultaneously indicating the DOJ would be unable to fully cooperate with the Congressional committee, a statement that clearly left Congressman Issa and others both perplexed and angry.  Representative Issa ripped into Assistant Attorney General Weich, admonishing Mr. Weich for his declaration of cooperation.  Issa went on to accuse both Mr. Weich and “the executive branch” of dismissing repeated Congressional requests for information – as well as wanting to know how high up the authorization for Project Gunrunner went.  Several times Congressman Issa demanded of Mr. Weich – “Who knew?”  Assistant Attorney General Weich refused to answer, indicating an “ongoing”  internal investigation was underway.  It is interesting to note that the response by Mr. Weich is an updated version of executive privilege utilized by the Nixon administration during Watergate.  Upon questioning by Republican Congressman James Lankfield, Assistant Attorney General Weich was then caught in a clear contradiction of earlier statements where he indicated no illegal guns were knowingly crossing into Mexico.  The testimony of border agents that same morning made clear such gun crossing was both known and happening to such an extent it represented thousands of such weapons  -weapons used to murder border agents and citizens.

Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz then aggressively challenged Mr. Weich on whether or not Attorney General Eric Holder was aware of the Gunrunner Project – and later more involved in an apparent cover-up.  Congressman Chaffetz also indicated potential involvement of President Barack Obama himself when declaring, “The administration knew”  while also questioning “has someone willfully and knowingly lied to Congress?”  Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle later indicated to Mr. Weich regarding the Obama Justice Department’s unwillingness to fully cooperate with the Congressional investigation of Project Gunrunner, “We have been stonewalled.”

In an interview with FOX News earlier Wednesday morning, Republican Senator Charles Grassley, speaking to the Fast and Furious/Gunrunner scandal, remarked with certainty,  “Heads need to roll.”  Senator Grassley’s comments mirrored those of Congressman Issa, who himself declared the Project Gunrunner scandal as “felony stupid“.

Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz raised the stakes for the Obama White House even further, hinting during an interview a short time after the Congressional hearing concluded that contempt charges against the Obama Department of Justice and high ranking ATF officials were possible.  Chaffetz described the Gunrunner scandal as, “…the most serious investigation I’ve ever seen.”