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From Los Angeles Times

More U.S. agencies implicated in Mexico gun-trafficking probe

The head of the ATF says the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration never told him they had informant relationships with Mexican drug cartel figures targeted by Operation Fast and Furious.

by Richard A. Serrano, Washington Bureau

July 7, 2011

Reporting from Washington

The embattled head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told congressional investigators that some Mexican drug cartel figures targeted by his agency in a gun-trafficking investigation were paid informants for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Kenneth E. Melson, ATF's acting director, has been under pressure to resign after the agency allowed guns to be purchased in the United States in hopes they would be traced to cartel leaders. Under the gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious, the ATF lost track of the guns, and many were found at the scene of crimes in Mexico, as well as two that were recovered near Nogales, Ariz., where a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed.

In two days of meetings with congressional investigators over the weekend, Melson said the FBI and DEA kept the ATF "in the dark" about their relationships with the cartel informants. If ATF agents had known of the relationships, the agency might have ended the investigation much earlier, he said.

As a result of Melson's statements, "our investigation has clearly expanded," a source close to the congressional investigation said Wednesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry is ongoing. "We know now it was not something limited to just a small group of ATF agents in Arizona."

"This whole misguided operation might have been cut short if not for catastrophic failures to share key information," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) told Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. in a letter Tuesday.

Ronald Welch, assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, responded that Justice Department officials were still discussing how to provide any "sensitive law enforcement information" regarding the FBI and DEA to congressional investigators. Without specifically acknowledging that cartel leaders were paid informants, he said their main focus is "how best to protect ongoing investigations."

"Like you," he told Issa and Grassley on Wednesday, "the department is deeply interested in understanding the facts surrounding Operation Fast and Furious."

Mexican authorities have long complained that most of the guns that fuel the drug wars there are purchased in the U.S.

On Wednesday, Mexican federal police released a videotaped interrogation with recently captured Jesus Rejon Aguilar, an alleged founder of the Zetas gang who is wanted in the slaying of a U.S. immigration agent in Mexico. He brazenly told them that "all the weapons are bought in the United States" and that "even the American government itself was selling the weapons."

He added, "Whatever you want, you can get."

Issa and Grassley said Melson "was candid in admitting mistakes that his agency made."

They said he told them he reviewed hundreds of documents about Fast and Furious, and became "sick to his stomach when he obtained those documents and learned the full story."

Melson said ATF agents had witnessed the transfer of weapons from straw purchasers to others "without following the guns any further," contradicting statements by the Justice Department.

Sources both on Capitol Hill and at the ATF said Melson did not volunteer the information about the FBI and DEA informants. Rather, they said, he "corroborated" it when congressional investigators told him other sources have said the FBI and DEA had a role in Fast and Furious lasting for months.

Issa and Grassley were clearly upset by the revelation.

"The evidence we have gathered raises the disturbing possibility that the Justice Department not only allowed criminals to smuggle weapons but that taxpayer dollars from other agencies may have financed those engaging in such activities," they said in their letter to Holder. "According to Acting Director Melson, he became aware of this startling possibility only after the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and the indictments of the straw purchasers."

Terry was killed when a gun battle erupted in December along a smuggling route in Arizona near the border with Mexico.

Melson's attorney, Richard Cullen, a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general in Virginia, declined to elaborate in an interview Wednesday except to say that the letter accurately reflects Melson's comments to the investigators.

Cullen said Melson volunteered to speak with the committee because "he was anxious to get the facts out about the program." He added that no one "in the leadership" at the Justice Department has told Melson to resign.

"He just wants the facts to be known by people in authority," Cullen said. "He's eager to be as cooperative in any official inquiry as he possibly can."

Sources said investigators had "very real indications from several sources" that some of the cartel leaders the ATF was trying to identify through Fast and Furious were "already known" to the other agencies and apparently had "been paid as informants."

Finally, Melson said, ATF agents along the U.S.-Mexico border realized that the FBI and DEA were running separate operations and that it "could have a material impact on Fast and Furious." Melson said he notified his superiors of this problem in April.

The congressional leaders also noted the pressure Melson has felt to resign, and they warned Holder not to make Melson the sole "fall guy" in Fast and Furious.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-atf-guns-20110707,0,6692919,print.story

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TSA warns of possible airline threat involving implanted bombs

by Christi Parsons

July 6, 2011

The government has warned airlines that terrorists are considering surgically implanting explosives into people in an attempt to circumvent screening procedures, according to U.S. officials.

There is no indication of an immediate plot, but the new information could lead to additional screening procedures at the nation's airports. Existing scanners would not necessarily detect bombs implanted under a person's skin, experts said.

While the information suggests such a threat would come from overseas rather than domestic groups, federal officials are ordering precautions both in the U.S. and abroad, the official said.

The idea of surgically implanting bombs has been examined by intelligence agencies in the past, but new information has suggested that terrorist groups are seriously considering the technique, officials said.

A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, Nicholas Kimball, said that passengers flying to the United States are likely to face additional screening measures.

"These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same activity at every international airport," Kimball said. "Measures may include interaction with passengers, in addition to the use of other screening methods such as pat-downs and the use of enhanced tools and technologies."

Existing scanners cannot detect certain explosive materials like PETN under the skin. They would have to rely on explosive trace detection swabs to detect bombs under the skin, and those are only conducted on a fraction of the passengers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-pn-tsa-implants-20110706,0,3733493,print.story

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From Google News

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Videotaped street attack divides Chicago's Boystown

A videotaped stabbing and beating of a man in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood has torn wide some rifts in that community.

At a community policing, or CAPS, meeting Wednesday night, it was standing-room only for hundreds in the auditorium of the Inter-American Elementary School in Lakeview. All came because of a common concern about the latest high-profile and violent attack in their community. The recorded images of the attack show a crowd beating, stabbing and jeering at a 25-year-old African American man Sunday night on Boystown's busy Halsted Street.

Police see early signs of success in summer crime suppression plan in West Willow

On a recent bicycle patrol through Ypsilanti Township's West Willow neighborhood, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department deputies Jim Roy and Nick Krings stopped a car driven by a known drug-dealing suspect. The man fled and ran out of view. Roy and Krings temporarily lost his trail until a resident pointed to where the man was hiding behind two houses and said, “He went that way.”

The man, who was wanted on several felony warrants, was then apprehended, thanks in part to the resident's assistance.

“A couple years ago, that never would have happened and we would have gone right by the houses,” Roy said. He said residents in the past didn't trust police enough to offer them assistance, but that is changing this summer.

With a two-pronged summer operation that includes a violent crime squad and a more visible neighborhood unit dedicated to addressing neighborhoods' quality of life issues, the Sheriff's Department hopes to reduce crime in several problematic Ypsilanti Township areas over the summer.

As part of the community policing team Roy, Krings and other deputies are out on foot and bike almost daily in the West Willow, Sugarbrook and Ecorse- Harris Road neighborhoods of Ypsilanti Township. The area lies between Michigan Avenue and Ford Lake, east of the City of Ypsilanti. It's bounded by Harris Road on the west and McCartney Avenue on the east.

The approach helps the deputies regularly meet and interact with residents and improve what some say was a formerly strained relationship between the neighborhood and Sheriff's Department. Those improved relationships, police officials say, will help deputies fight crime.

Another strategy officials are testing this summer is using five public surveillance cameras that can be moved throughout the West Willow neighborhood. The plan is to have the cameras face public parks and streets, but never directly into or at anyone's home. Several of the cameras are up but haven't been used as township officials resolve logistical issues.

Although it's still too early in the operation to fully determine the new measures' effectiveness, Lt. Jim Anuszkiewicz is encouraged by some trends he sees in his weekly reports to Ypsilanti Township officials.

Weapons offenses have increased by 23 percent this year, which Anuszkiewicz said is due in large part to officers making an extra effort to enforce gun laws and get guns off the street.

One of the primary concerns over the last nine months has been an increase in gun violence. Lt. Anuszkiewicz said there were two murders in 2010, but four in the first three months of 2011, and the township also saw a spate of attacks with firearms in the early part of the year.

From January 1 through April 30, which marked the beginning of the summer operation, assault crimes were up 37 percent over last year. Assault crimes include everything from shootings to assault to armed robbery. Weekly reports indicate those crimes have decreased by 9 percent since May 1, despite that they traditionally increase during summer months.

Officials declined to provide details on how the violent crime unit operates except to say that it is targeting West Willow and several other neighborhoods where violent crimes are a problem.

Although the community policing team's impact on crime may be less tangible, its work is just as important, officials say.

On a recent afternoon, as Roy and Krings rode their bikes through West Willow, residents waved and thanked the deputies for their efforts, and several approached them with concerns.

Roy and Krings, who were picked for the beat because of a spotless track record in interacting with the community, said people are a lot more open with officers on bikes than they are with officers in a patrol car. The patrol car presents a literal and figurative barrier.

“People are a lot more forthcoming with us out here on bikes,” Krings said. “Being on a bike instead of in a patrol car breaks that barrier down and people are more willing to approach us. They see our faces a couple times and they're much more willing to help us out.

“But for the most part we're just trying to be as visible as possible.”

The officers said they receive more tips on issues large and small. When some kids were recently knocking down tree branches and throwing them in the street, a resident stopped the deputies as they rode past and reported the behavior.

They give out their cell phone numbers to residents so residents can call them directly instead of having to dial 9-1-1 and speak to someone they don't know. Often Krings and Roy deal with quality of life issues — vicious dog problems, vandalism, loud music — and pay close attention to the area's juvenile population.

Sheriff's department spokesman Derrick Jackson said deputies are also paying closer attention to homes where they respond to more calls or where repeat offenders live. Deputies are knocking on their doors, talking to those residents and letting them know the police are there and watching, he said.

Jackson said the more personal service and proactive policing is a better all-around approach for the community and the department.

“We're not just out there arresting people, but addressing the root causes of crime,” he said. “Ultimately we're still trying to solve crime, but we're trying to do it in a little smarter way by becoming an integral part of community. That is the impetus for this summer plan.”

Jackson also said the community policing strategy helps with safety perception. West Willow accounts for 5.5 percent of the Township's population and about 7.5 percent of its crime. Jackson said that isn't particularly disproportionate, but the perception is that it is an unsafe neighborhood historically. A visible community policing team helps make residents feel safe. Linda Mealing is a member of the New West Willow Neighborhood Association and has lived in West Willow since 1971. She said she has seen deputies biking through the community this summer and believes the community policing team is an effective idea for the neighborhood.

“I'm feeling positive about some of the changes being done,” she said. “I think (the sheriff's department) is listening to us at our neighborhood meetings, listening to the complaints, and I feel that they've had made a lot of good changes that have needed to be done since the new sheriff has been there.”

She said her biggest concern remains home invasions, which officials say are down 8 percent in the township overall this year. But she said the neighborhoods' residents have a responsibility to remain alert and vigilant.

“It's our neighborhood and we have our part to do and we have to do what we can to help them be more effective,” she said.

http://www.annarbor.com/news/sheriffs-department-ypsilanti-township-see-early-signs-of-success-in-summer-crime-plan/

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From the White House

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The Administration Celebrates New Citizens on Independence Day

On the 4th of July, I joined a wide array of leaders ranging from the Department of Homeland Security's Chief of Staff of the Office of General Counsel to the 2010 Miss America in welcoming and congratulating our nation's newest citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the historic George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens on our nation's 235th birthday.

This moving and meaningful ceremony is part of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' annual celebration of Independence Day. More than 24,000 candidates will become citizens at approximately 350 ceremonies held across the country from June 27 to July 4.

At Mount Vernon, we welcomed 100 candidates---hailing from 41 countries---to United States citizenship. While this was an especially important day for these new citizens coming from every corner of the globe, it was also a special day for our nation and its future prosperity. The naturalization ceremony reaffirmed the deeper meaning of citizenship and the American dream. New citizens continue to renew and enrich the American dream as well as contribute to our cultural, spiritual and intellectual richness.

Each of the candidates has their own unique journeys. Their stories remind us that America is both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws, and if we are to remain true to that ideal, we must build a 21st century immigration system that reflects our traditions and meets our diverse economic and security interests.

America is a promise to the world. It's a place that welcomes everyone. It doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, or what faith you worship. What matters is that you believe in and embrace the ideals on which we were founded. That you believe that all of us are created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and deserve our freedoms and our pursuit of happiness.

That's the promise of this country – that anyone can write the next chapter in our history. And I am confident that our newest Americans will add important contributions to our nation's history.

We Will Honor All Those Who Have Fallen

I commend the decision of our Commander-in-Chief, President Obama, reversing the long-standing policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide while deployed to a combat zone. The greatest regret of my military career was as Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq in 2004-05. I lost 169 Soldiers during that year-long deployment. However, the monument we erected at Fort Hood, Texas in memoriam lists 168 names. I approved the request of others not to include the name of the one Soldier who committed suicide. I deeply regret my decision.

The brave individuals who wear the cloth of this great Nation in combat deserve our deepest gratitude. It is remarkable all they have accomplished. I am incredibly proud of them and of their families. That said, they are tired. The persistent high operational tempo of this war, the terrible things some have seen or experienced in combat, have undoubtedly taken a toll on them. Many are struggling with the ‘invisible wounds' of this war, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. Any attempt to characterize these individuals as somehow weaker than others is simply misguided.

Unfortunately, the long-standing stigma associated with these and other behavioral health conditions continues to preclude some from seeking or receiving available help. The United States Army is working very, very hard, in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and our sister services, to better understand the challenge of suicide and to do everything we can to effectively reduce the incidence of it across our Force. We remain committed to raising awareness, helping individuals increase their resiliency, while ensuring they have access to the right support services and resources. That said, if we hope to truly have an impact we must continue to do everything we can to eliminate the stigma.

The policy change instituted by President Obama directing that letters of condolence be written to the families of service members who commit suicide while deployed to a combat zone represents a monumental step in this direction. It acknowledges that the service rendered by these individuals, as well as the service and sacrifices made by their family, deserve the same recognition given to those men and women who die as a result of enemy action. Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan nearly a decade ago, over 6,000 men and women have paid the ultimate price for freedom. Every day we have honored those fallen in combat… now, in accordance with our Commander-in-Chief, we will honor all those who have fallen in service to our great Nation.

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