Obama: Holder ‘Would Not Have Ordered’ Gun-Running Operation

President Barack Obama, at his press conference, spoke carefully about an emerging scandal over a federal gun-running probe. But he said Attorney General Eric Holder “would not have ordered” the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives operation known as Fast and Furious, in which federal agents monitored — but didn’t stop — firearms sales to suspected smugglers in hopes of making a big trafficking case. So far, Mr. Holder himself has only said he didn’t know about the operation until controversy erupted about the ATF tactics earlier this year. Mr. Holder said he would withhold comments until a Justice Department inspector general probe of the ATF operation is complete. “My attorney general has made clear that he certainly would not have ordered gun-running to be able to pass through into Mexico,” Mr. Obama said. “I’ve made very clear my views that that would not be an appropriate step by the ATF, and we’ve got to find out how that happened. As soon as the investigation’s completed, I think appropriate actions will be taken.”...more