Today, we (the people of the United States) find ourselves in a predicament. The predicament is that less than twenty-four hours ago we learned that various federal agencies, including the alphabet soup under the jurisdiction of the US Justice Department, had arrested two Muslims extremists and foiled a terrorist plot that was more intriguing than any Hollywood movie. We were told that the two extremists, both with ties to Iran (one rumoured to be a member of the Iranian secret police, the other a naturalized citizen of the United States), had attempted to secure the assassination of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, and the Israeli Ambassador as well, with the help of the Zeta Drug Cartel of Mexico. On top of that, some type of bombing plan was thwarted as well. Praise and accolades are due the men and women of our various federal agencies that stopped this horrible plot in its tracks. Except that in the back of my mind, I wonder if we are being told the truth about this incident. I want so badly to believe the employees of the Justice Department in regards to this great victory over terrorism. Why can't I accept this information without a nagging feeling of suspicion in my gut?
On the very same day that we learned about the thwarted terrorist plot, we find that the United States Congress is up in arms because the very same United States Justice Department has been caught in several lies about the now infamous Operation Fast and Furious, the gun-running sting in Mexico that went awry. The top person caught in these lies is in fact the top person in the Justice Department, Attorney General Eric Holder. He clearly told the Senate investigation panel that he had no knowledge of the facts etc, etc, etc, but then memos were located that indicate Mr. Holder was fully aware of Operation Fast and Furious, and aware that that operation had mushroomed out of control. In fact, and unfortunately, the very guns that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tax, and Firearms (BATF), along with cooperating members of the DEA, had "smuggled" into Mexico as part of Operation Fast and Furious, had been "lost" after getting into the hands of known Mexican drug cartel members. Even MORE unfortunate, the lost guns turned up in crimes, including the murder of an unarmed United States federal agent in Mexico, and the attempted murder of his partner. The investigation into this disaster continues. Equally tragic, Mexican police officers and other Mexican officials have also been killed by these "bait" weapons.
The investigation into Operation Fast and Furious continues, as does the investigation into the plans of the two terrorists mentioned in the opening paragraph. And my point is that on the one hand, we (the People) are called upon to believe that the two terrorists embarked on the assassination and bombing attempts with the full knowledge and aid of the Iranian government. After all, the Justice Department told us so. At the same time, we are called upon to believe that the Attorney General and those high up in the Justice Department WERE NOT aware of Operation Fast and Furious and the fact that guns were lost to the drug cartels and were now being used to kill Mexican and American law enforcement officials. The Justice Department told us so. Unfortunately, I do not believe we can believe anything the Justice Department has told us about the Iranian-sponsored terrorist plot. This really bothers me, because I want to think our government is as honest with us as is possible in light national security concerns.
You ask why I do not simply accept the word of the Justice Department that the terrorist plot was thwarted? First, because as I have already demonstrated, getting the truth from the Justice Department is not easy. You might even say it takes "an Act of Congress" to get at the facts.
Second, I would like to point out that the terrorists have been successfully completing their "plots" for decades, and have NEVER involved the Mexican drug cartels. But we learned yesterday that the Iranian plotters were not able to carryout more or less "routine" assassinations, but now have to turn to the Zetas for their help.
Third, I would also like to point out that the United States has been growling at Iran for some time now. Maybe there are justifiable reasons. In fact, I think the BIG justifiable reason would be that Iran is just a year or two away from coming up with a viable nuclear weapon. We are all aware of the very unstable personality of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the nut-case ruler of Iran. I think that our own president could make a case for a legal declaration of war against Iran based on self-defense of the entire "rest of the world." Even the Russian and the Chinese governments do not want a maniac like Ahmadinejad to have his finger on one of those terrible little red buttons. So there really is no need for dishonesty in regards to Iran.
I am deeply concerned that we as a nation cannot trust the word of our government officials. We cannot trust their word when they say they are not involved in some crime. Neither can we trust the word of the government when they tell us that thus and such is plotting against the United States. In fact, it is pretty damned hard to believe anything that comes to us from "official sources." Maybe Attorney General Holder is not lying to Congress. And maybe our government would not make up an incident to provoke a war with Iran. Unfortunately, I find myself to be a reluctant semi-skeptic who wants to believe.
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