For the record: Babeu Q & A on Fast and Furious

Via Sipsey Street Irregulars

My story today on Operation Fast and Furious is print-only, so you'll have to pick up a copy of the paper to read it. Or wait till Tuesday afternoon, when it will be available at azstarnet.com.

In the meantime, suffice it to say that some of the story analyzed statements that Sheriff Paul Babeu has been making about Operation Fast and Furious. I asked the sheriff some questions about Fast and Furious via email. Here are the questions and answers.

Q: When you says that those officials who carried out Fast & Furious should be considered accomplices or accessories to murder, are you serious, or is that a rhetorical point, that they could be charged? If serious, who in the ATF/DOJ chain of command should be investigated as possible accomplices or accessories to murder and other crimes? The line agents? Their supervisors? The U.S. Attorney's Office or Justice Department officials involved?

A: The American people deserve a thorough, impartial, and independent review of what happened here. Nothing short of that will ever be acceptable. The Justice Department has a serious conflict of interest in policing itself. So no more scapegoats--let's find out just how this happened, exactly who is responsible, and hold them accountable.

This is why the Sheriffs of Arizona both Republicans and Democrats are demanding a Special Counsel to investigate Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice for their roles in Operation Fast and Furious.

The Sheriffs are demanding the truth from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and believe that those responsible should be held criminally accountable for allowing 2,000 guns including assault weapons and 50 caliber rifles to be purchased on U.S. Soil and then turned over to the drug cartels of Mexico. As a result of their reckless facilitation and distribution of these weapons, our deputies and American citizens may now face the barrel of a gun that was placed in the hands of criminals by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Citizens of the United States and Mexico have already been murdered by cartel members who now posses these weapons. There is no doubt more bloodshed will occur on both sides of the border, since over 1,500 weapons still remain unaccounted for.

Q: What, if anything, could you and your office do to pursue an investigation (and possible criminal charges) against those who carried out Operation Fast & Furious? Are you considering doing that, or already doing it? Would you do it if a criminal suspect were caught with a F & F weapon in Pinal County?

A: At this time we are assisting the Congressional Committee investigating this matter by providing information records regarding weapons we have seized to see if any of them are linked to Fast and Furious. As stated above we agree with the other Sheriffs’ of Arizona that a Special Counsel should be appointed to investigate this matter.

Weapons from Fast and Furious have already been recovered during one of our drug smuggling investigations.

Q: You have said repeatedly that you think Operation Fast and Furious was designed to lead to gun-control measures. What evidence of this have you seen? How can I find it?

A: This administration has repeatedly stated in the media that “90% of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.” They have used this argument in their support of tougher gun control measures. If you google search the quoted information, you will see numerous stories about it. Here is one such story link regarding the quote:

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