Gunrunner - Prelude to Fast and Furious

There are very few people who have not heard of John Dodson or the “Fast and Furious” program. But what many people don’t know is that this program was begun during the Bush administration in 2006* as “Project Gunrunner”, which was pretty aptly named, as that was the true purpose of the program; to run guns. The link between these two programs is clear; the United States is engaged in an effort to destabilize foreign governments. We have seen this in Iraq, and also Mexico.

In  May of 2007  I was on my way home from work in Hickory, travelling South on I-77 and passing through Mooresville, N.C. At the time Blackwater was working for the Federal Government in the capacity of providing “support” to the troops in Iraq. Their excesses are widely known and chronicled. But some of the things they were involved in were not related directly to the War in Iraq. Running guns was one of those activities.

It was Memorial Day Friday and it seemed as if everyone had hit the road for the 3 day weekend. I was driving a company provided pick-up truck and thinking about the weekend when I got rear ended by a guy in a BMW. Somehow, in spite of all the traffic, he managed to get around me after hitting me, so that his car was in front of mine on the shoulder when the State Police arrived 20 minutes later.

During that time I was offered cash to take care of the damage and I noticed that the driver was intoxicated. I explained to him that it was a company vehicle and the decision was not mine to make. He then proceeded to show me his identification and asked if I had heard of Blackwater. I replied that I had but that it did not alter the fact that he had hit my vehicle and that no amount of cash; or muscling; would alter that fact.

When the Trooper arrived I explained what happened and that the other driver was drunk and had offered me money if I would allow him to leave the scene. The trooper then went to interview the other driver and what happened next still has me shaking my head in wonder.

He showed the trooper some identification which he had not shown me and the whole atmosphere of the situation changed. The officer was joking and laughing with the other driver and they both went to his trunk, which the driver proudly opened, displaying an array of automatic weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. No boxes, just loose weapons and cartons of ammunition. There were about 20 weapons in all. But it gets even better.

Within a few minutes the trooper was joined by another and they began to play with some of these weapons; unloaded; by the side of the road. The troopers seemed to give no thought to the fact that they were handling these weapons, marking them with their own fingerprints. What a bizarre sight this must have been for all who passed by in their cars. I’m sure they thought they were witnessing a big time “bust.” After all, that’s what should have happened. But wait, it gets better still.

At one point the other driver; who was very well rehearsed in all of his dealings with me; somehow convinced one of the troopers to show him what kind of ammo he used in his state issued 9 MM. The officer actually unholstered his weapon and ejected the clip. Removing a round he passed it freely to the other driver for inspection. At this point I was apoplectic. But there was clearly nothing that I could do about it.

Returning home I related the experience to my wife, as well as a friend who was Lieutenant on the police force in my town. He was hocked beyond belief; as every protocol known to law enforcement had been violated by the actions of the troopers who were clearly enamored of the mysterious other driver. When I asked him what he thought I should do about it all; I did have the man’s name and address etc; he told me quite seriously that the best thing I could do about it was to keep quiet.

Two weeks later my boss called me into his office and thanked me for the $1,200 dollar check which he received as payment for the bumper.

*As related by Agent John Dodson - ATF
He worked on the Fast and Furious project.

"The Unarmed Truth" by John Dodson (2013)

I have wanted to read this book since it came out; and for a very good reason. Many people lay Operation “Fast and Furious”; the government sponsored program in which guns purchased by “straw buyers” are allowed to leave the country, supposedly to track their destination; at the feet of the Obama Administration.

While it is true that the program of that name began under his administration, the same program was already in operation during the Bush Administration’s second term under the name Project “Gun Runner.”  Much to his credit, author John Dodson does point this out on page 146. It was operated by more than one government entity, including the Blackwater Security group which was responsible for security in Iraq. I know about this program because I had a personal “experience” with it in late May 2007. But that’s for later…

John Dodson was working for the ATF in Virginia before he transferred to Phoenix, Arizona to participate in what was being dubbed “Fast and Furious.” He had no way of knowing about the true ramifications of the program. He quickly learned. “Fast and Furious” was; at the best; a vehicle by which the government aided and abetted the sale and transfer of automatic weapons through “straw buyers”, who then transferred those weapons to criminals who were then transferring those weapons to Mexico and the drug cartels in order to “track” them and see where they were bound.

The other side of this equation is that nobody ever got arrested and, in effect, the government was deputizing Federal Firearms Licensees to sell the weapons to the suspected straw buyers. In most cases the firearms dealers were the first to approach ATF about the bogus sales, which they wanted to stop. But the ATF responded by enabling more and more weapons to leave the country for Mexico with no tangible results to show. This infuriated Agent Dodson, who was under the impression that the program was designed to stop the trafficking of the illegal weapons.

On December 15, 2010 all of Agent Dodson’s fears about the program were realized when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in a shootout with criminals whose weapons were traced directly back to “Fast and Furious.” This was the straw which broke the camel’s back; the camel in this case being Agent Dodson, who felt almost responsible for Brian Terry’s death. At that point he teamed up with a journalist from CBS and embarked on a phase of his life he had never even dreamt about. He was about to become a “whistle-blower.”

From the very first page of this book, and through the last paragraph, this book chronicles the insanity that passes for intelligence at the highest levels of our government. It is a world of acronyms and agencies with strings of letters that never really identify their true purpose. With a sharp pen Agent Dodson enumerates the times he tried to make his superiors realize that they were actually legally culpable for the weapons they were allowing to flow freely across the border. His superiors; concerned more with statistics rather than actually fighting crime; continuously ignored his concerns; at least until December 15, 2014 when it all “hit the fan.”

The story which follows is typical of the bureaucratic cover my ass  syndrome which plaques the entire government, rendering it ineffective. And when someone like Agent Dodson does take steps to right the wrong, they are cast aside and sometimes even dismissed for their efforts. 

The rest, as they say, is history. Mr. Dodson does a credible job of chronicling the whole sordid affair, and does it in such a manner that you can’t wait to get to the part where he has had enough. The trials of being a whistle blower become evident to him immediately as he is systematically ground up by the powers that be, placing his entire career in jeopardy for telling the truth. Just like Anthony Snowden, Agent Dodson becomes a pariah.

There are those who would argue that Snowden’s revelations might lead to the unintended death of one of our operatives overseas by an agent of an enemy government, and that’s a valid point, though those “assets” are fully aware of the risks that they run. This is not the same when it comes to people like Brian Terry, or any of the other law enforcement personnel who go to work each day expecting not to be killed with a weapon provided to the criminal by their very own government.

This is the end of the review. The following is my own story concerning "Project Gunner." 

And now, let’s go back to the beginning of this post and the story I have to tell about Project “Gunrunner.”

There are very few people who have not heard of John Dodson or the “Fast and Furious” program. But what many people don’t know is that this program was begun during the Bush administration in 2006 as “Project Gunrunner”, which was pretty aptly named, as that was the true purpose of the program; to run guns. The link between these two programs is clear; the United States is engaged in an effort to destabilize foreign governments. We have seen this in Iraq, and also Mexico.

In  May of 2007  I was on my way home from work in Hickory, travelling South on I-77 and passing through Mooresville, N.C. At the time Blackwater was working for the Federal Government in the capacity of providing “support” to the troops in Iraq. Their excesses are widely known and chronicled. But some of the things they were involved in were not related directly to the War in Iraq. Running guns was one of those activities.

It was Memorial Day Friday and it seemed as if everyone had hit the road for the 3 day weekend. I was driving a company provided pick-up truck and thinking about the weekend when I got rear ended by a guy in a BMW. Somehow, in spite of all the traffic, he managed to get around me after hitting me, so that his car was in front of mine on the shoulder when the State Police arrived 20 minutes later.

During that time I was offered cash to take care of the damage and I noticed that the driver was intoxicated. I explained to him that it was a company vehicle and the decision was not mine to make. He then proceeded to show me his identification and asked if I had heard of Blackwater. I replied that I had but that it did not alter the fact that he had hit my vehicle and that no amount of cash; or muscling; would alter that fact.

When the Trooper arrived I explained what happened and that the other driver was drunk and had offered me money if I would allow him to leave the scene. The trooper then went to interview the other driver and what happened next still has me shaking my head in wonder.

He showed the trooper some identification which he had not shown me and the whole atmosphere of the situation changed. The officer was joking and laughing with the other driver and they both went to his trunk, which the driver proudly opened, displaying an array of automatic weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. No boxes, just loose weapons and cartons of ammunition. There were about 20 weapons in all. But it gets even better.

Within a few minutes the trooper was joined by another and they began to play with some of these weapons; unloaded; by the side of the road. The troopers seemed to give no thought to the fact that they were handling these weapons, marking them with their own fingerprints. What a bizarre sight this must have been for all who passed by in their cars. I’m sure they thought they were witnessing a big time “bust.” After all, that’s what should have happened. But wait, it gets better still.

At one point the other driver; who was very well rehearsed in all of his dealings with me; somehow convinced one of the troopers to show him what kind of ammo he used in his state issued 9 MM. The officer actually unholstered his weapon and ejected the clip. Removing a round he passed it freely to the other driver for inspection. At this point I was apoplectic. But there was clearly nothing that I could do about it.

Returning home I related the experience to my wife, as well as a friend who was Lieutenant on the police force in my town. He was hocked beyond belief; as every protocol known to law enforcement had been violated by the actions of the troopers who were clearly enamored of the mysterious other driver. When I asked him what he thought I should do about it all; I did have the man’s name and address etc; he told me quite seriously that the best thing I could do about it was to keep quiet.

Two weeks later my boss called me into his office and thanked me for the $1,200 dollar check which he received as payment for the damaged bumper. And I have never written this story down until now. But, I assure you, every word of it is true.

Without a Draft - A Culture of Violence

Major Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman for the Marines at Camp Pendleton, wants you to believe that the Marines pictured above in 2010 posed with what they thought was a flag denoting their status as Sniper Scouts. "I don't believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated with the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in World War II," Chapin said. "It's not within who we are as Marines." Bullshit.

I resent her implication that Marines are stupid. Almost every American has seen films of the Nazi's and the attendant World War Two atrocities. And most have heard of, or seen, the logo used by the dreaded SS as they stormed across Europe, murdering millions.

Compare the two images for yourself, the one above is identical; save for the blue background; from this photo of a real Nazi SS flag used in World War Two. The Major’s explanation does not wash clean. It would seem that I hold the Marines in more respect than the good Major does, because I expect more of them as Americans.

Yes, their job is tough. Yes, the battlefield is not always the place for political correctness; a doctrine in which I do not believe anyway; but this photo, and these men in it, are not representative of real American values. And that is why we so desperately need to re-instate the draft. Only by having a cross section of Americans involved in defending her interests abroad can our nation accomplish anything for the better.

When you take a culture of violence, as we have here in America, and combine it with a bad economy and two wars, you get only the bottom feeders in the lower ranks. Highly impressionable young men; some with only high school and some video games behind them; make up the bulk of those who enlist. This brews a culture of acceptable violence, and when coupled with a severe lack of responsible and intelligent leadership, the result can only be what you see above.

This is not the first time in which the symbol has appeared in recent years. It has even been used in training of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines sniper group based in Twentynine Palms, California as far back as 2004. This is further evidence of Major Chapin's obfuscation, and evasion of the issue. The fact that this symbol is even used for training should enrage all Americans. And, if you had a relative in World War Two, this should disgust you.

I am a Navy Veteran, and I served alongside many Marines in my enlistment. And later, as a member of Military Sealift Command, I sailed with many more. They were all fine young men, doing their duty. None of the Marines I knew would have ever posed with that Nazi flag, the difference in color notwithstanding. I'm afraid that Major Chapin needs to go back to school and learn how to more appropriately perform what is clearly "Damage Control" on behalf of the United States Marines.

"Comic Art Propaganda" by Frderik Stromberg

This is a fun book. It contains a collection of comic art that spans over 100 years, from the Anti-Chinese "comics" of the early 1900's, to the latest editions of "Spiderman", fighting the Islamic threat in Iraq. In between, the comic book art genre has been used to villify everyone, and everything.

Some of the most loathsome were, of course, the Anti-Semetic cartoons, which were so popular during Stalin's reign of power. Make that his reign of terror. Part of his arsenal to dehumanize an entire group of people was comic book propaganda. Hitler did the same. The Chinese under Mao brainwashed an entire generation, or two, with their own type of art form.

As Americans, we have been no less guilty of this form of slander. The cartoons of World War Two, with their depictions of the Japanese as buck toothed, sub humans, wearing Coke bottle glasses, and later, the Anti-Communist cartoons of the 1950's, along with the "Step and Fetch It" series of the 1930's, which depicted African Americans as shuffling, boot lipped creatures, are no less appalling than any of the cartoons previously mentioned. As in the the former, the latter is just one more tool of dehumanization in the pursuit of often dubious goals.

The book also explores some of the counter culture comics of the 1960's, such as "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" and "Mr. Natural." The whole Zap comics era was one of great satire, along with a return to the tradtional style of comic drawing from the 1930's. This shift can also be seen in the cartoons of the 1950's, when production costs made it more profitable to skimp on the artwork. Think of the old Max and Dave Fleischer "Popeye" cartoons from the 1930's, and then compare those to the King Features Syndicate "Popeye" cartoons of the 1950's and you will see what I mean.

Overall, this was an entertaining romp through the world of political cartoons, and the stereotyping they sometimes engender. From the Revolutionary comic books of Cuba and Che Guevara, yes, they actually had them, to the more traditional "Peanuts", it's all represented here in a colorful and educational way.

"The Messenger" with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster with Samantha Morton

Human relationships are complicated affairs. Throw in a war, injury, death, morals and ethical decisions, along with passion, and things can get really dicey. Such is the quandry faced by Will Montgomery, played by Ben Foster, in this soul searching film, which explores an often overlooked facet of war. Who tells the families when their loved ones are not coming home? And how does it affect, and even alter, their own lives?

When Will returns home from Iraq, he is assigned to the Casualty Notification Unit, informing the next of kin that their husbands, sons, daughters, or wives will not be coming home. While still battling his own demons from the war, he must face these new challenges. While working under the command of Captain Tony Stone, played by Woody Harrelson, a hard ass "by the books" officer, Will is tested beyond anything he has ever imagined.

When he is tasked with notifying a woman named Olivia, played by Samantha Morton, that her husband has fallen in combat, the two are drawn to one another. This sets off a battle of ethical and moral proportions, as Will struggles through the pain of what he has been through in war, and the battle he must now face concerning love.

With a great script, credible direction and laudable acting, this is a good, solid film that looks beyond "Rambo", and will have you hurting for all of the people involved. Sometimes life is like that. There are no good guys, there are no bad guys; just people struggling to come to terms with whatever has been thrown at them.

"Lions for Lambs" with Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Tom Cruise

This is a political drama starring Robert Redford as an idealistic and patriotic University Professor with a penchant for helping his students find "greater meaning" to their lives. He is a Vietnam Veteran who protested the war upon his return and has deep misgivings about the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But, through his lectures, concerning the "meaning of life and" and the individuals "responsibility" to society, he has already had 2 students join the Army and go to Afghanistan. Their story is told in seperate vignettes that all take place at the same time as the main story, with time zones noted. He is now, once again, counseling one of his more gifted students to think about giving more "meaning to his life."

At the same time, Tom Cruise, playing a powerful Senator, is granting an exclusive interview to Meryl Streep, who plays a powerful newswoman. He "leaks" the story to her outlining the new "Win At All Cost" Strategy that is unfolding in Afghanistan. This story is also told alongside of the 2 soldiers in Afghanistan, who are by now fighting just to remain alive.

On the surface it is an overtly political story, but beneath that there are sub currents much more meaningful. Exploring the lies and deceptions that are perpetuated by those in power, and spread by the ever hungry media, enables the viewer to make the comparison to those who live, and die, by these questionable decisions.

But the true, and more central meaning of this film concerns our common state as fellow human beings. In every way, we are responsible for one another. Whether for good or for bad, the influences we choose to have upon one another, are the very things that connect us.

With outstanding performances by all, and directed with great clarity by Robert Redford, this is a film worth watching. And as an added incentive, it will also make you think.

"A Time To Betray" by Reza Kahlili

This memoir, written by a former member of Irans notorious Revolutionary Guard, illuminates the oft misunderstood period of the Iranian Revolution. He has used a "pen name" to protect the identity of his family. They now live in the United States.

Iran was, prior to the First World War, primarily a vassal state of Russia and England. The stakes were high, as the region is rich in oil. This vast reserve of oil has made Iran a pawn to many nations, including some of her own Arab neighbors. The 1980 war between Iran and Iraq is a prime example of the latter.

That war was largely the result of a power vacumn created when Ayatollah Khomeini returned from 12 years of exile in France to overthrow the government of the Shah. With promises of freedom and democracy, Khomeini was able to take over Iran in an Islamic Revolution that left the country in worse shape than before. Seemingly overnight, all freedoms of assembly, dress, speech and even the type of Islam practiced were affected. The death squads of the deposed Shah (SAVAK) paled in comparison to the new regime and it's Revolutionary Guards. When his own Air Force tried to oust him in a coup, Khomeini had every military officer in the country executed. This left his military in the hands of amateurs and gave great hope to Saddam Hussein in his desire to conquer Iranian oilfields. The war lasted 8 years with no clear winner.

The author spends his boyhood years in Iran with two close friends, Kazem and Naser. In this phase of the book he gives us a good bit of background on the political turmoils that led to the overthrow of the Shah. When the author goes abroad to study at USC in America he returns to an Iran that is vastly different than the one he left. He finds himself enthralled with the return of the glory of the Persian Empire. Under the leadership of Khomeini he is moved to join the Revolutionary Guards, planning to use his computer skills to further the Revolution.

Through a series of events, one of his boyhood friends, Naser, becomes a Mujahedin and therefore an enemy of the Ayatollah. He is executed. His other friend, Kazem, becomes a powerful member of the Revolutionary Guards. Kazem, like the author, is a true believer.

When their boyhood friend, Naser, is arrested and his sister and brother taken to the notorious Evin Prison, the author begins to feel his first doubts about the Revolution. He has been exposed to the intellectual freedoms of America and cannot understand the harsh treatment of human beings for "thought crimes." His education is just beginning.

When Naser's sister is raped in Evin before being executed (this is done to keep her from being allowed to enter Paradise) Reza vows to do something to alter the course of events in Iran. Under cover of his Aunt Gitta's illness in the United States, Reza is able to return there to help her. While in California he contacts the FBI and the CIA. He is then trained in London, where he goes on the pretext of visiting his in-laws, before returning to Iran.

Once back in Iran he begins his assignment, which consists of writing seemingly innocent letters to a relative in London. He is actually providing important information concerning the political situation in Iran, as well as laying out the power stucture of the Ayatollah's government.

When the author comes under suspicion he sends his wife and child to London to live with her parents. Eventually he joins them there and continues to work for the CIA. Tensions with his wife begin to mount and he realizes that he can never go home again. With this realization comes the knowledge that he is caught between two worlds. One is the world of terrorism, in which he is forced to play a part in order to keep his cover. The other world is one in which he is forced to betray his past and some of his family and friends. He comes to a conclusion; he is going to the United States with his family to live.

This book is an eye opening account of the forces that led to the Iranian Revolution and it's violent aftermath. It is also an insight into the dangerous games played by both sides in order to garner and retain power. A must read for those wishing to understand just how we got ourselves to where we are currently in the Middle East, particularly concerning Iran.

Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah with Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon

This movie will leave you thinking about the pre-conceived notions which divide us all.

Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon play the parents of a young man who has just returned from Iraq but is nowhere to be found. His father (played by Jones) makes the trip to his son's base to find out what has happened to his son. As an ex military man he was largely responsible for his son enlisting and going off to war.

When he arrives at the base no one seems willing to go the extra step it will take to find his son. The military says it's a Police matter and the Police say it's a military affair. The only Detective that seems willing to take an interest in the case is played by Charlize Theron. At first skeptical, she is gradually drawn into the case, largely because she is frustrated by the treatment of her fellow, all male Detective Squad.

Following the path of his son the father begins to see the underbelly of the War on Terror. Quick sex, strip clubs and drugs offer the father a rare glimpse behind the New Militarism that has followed in the wake of 9/11. And he begins to realize how different that world is from the one he remembers.

When the sons' cell phone is downloaded and the images from the camera are made clear the suspicion arises that the son may have been involved in drug smuggling. The images of an argument between the son and an Hispanic platoon member lead Jones and Theron to believe that the boy was killed by a Mexican Cartel that has employed soldiers to smuggle Heroin back home. When the body is found hacked up and burned in a field near the base it appears that all loose ends have been tied up. Or have they?

What is in the unopened package that has arrived at the boys home and addressed in his own handwriting?

The lessons learned in this film are timeless. We all want the answers to our questions. Sometimes the answers are not what you expect. And sometimes the answers can really hurt.