Weekly Report - 8 September 2011 (WR-11-36)

MEXICO| Fast & Furious. On Wednesday, Senator John McCain (R, AZ) called for Senate hearings into the controversial federal operation, Fast & Furious that allowed more than 2,000 high-powered weapons to flow into Mexico. At least one of these weapons, which were supposedly being monitored by US government agencies, was used to kill a US Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry, and several others have been recovered from other crime scenes. Altogether the US authorities are reckoned to have lost track of almost all the weapons in the sting operation. Fast & Furious began in 2009 under the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Terry was killed on 14 December 2010. The US government has also changed the jurisdiction of the investigation from Arizona, where most of the Fast & Furious operation took place, to San Diego, California. The Republicans hope that the congressional investigations will force Eric Holder, the Justice Secretary, to take responsibility for Fast & Furious’s failures (and its apparent cover-up) and resign.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 165 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial