U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) removed a 95-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard to Germany,” a Sunday ICE press release reported. “Friedrich Karl Berger, a German citizen, participated in Nazi-sponsored persecution while serving in 1945 as an armed guard of concentration camp prisoners in the Neuengamme Concentration Camp system (Neuengamme).”
What they could pin on him was basically that he guarded prisoners, under horrible conditions where many died, to keep them from escaping, and that he never asked for a transfer. He’s not accused of killing anyone or torturing anyone. Left unsaid is that a 20-year-old who refused would have expected a firing squad as his “reward,” and that the only places to transfer to, like the Russian front, would have more than likely been suicide assignments.
It’s easy to judge, but it’s not clear that those who are quick to do so would have made more selfless choices under the same set of life experiences and circumstances. More likely, our latter-day Bolsheviks and brown shirts that we see setting fires and bullying intimidated diners into raising fists and taking knees would have assumed such camp duties — and more — with sadistic relish.
But I’m not here to rally a defense for the hapless Herr Berger, whose fate now rests with the heirs to the Third Reich in a new government headed by a former “almost comfortable” East German.
The reason I picked this story is that it opens the door to, if not “war criminals,” then to “war on guns” criminals.
“Berger’s removal demonstrates the Department of Justice’s and its law enforcement partners’ commitment to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for those who have participated in Nazi crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses,” Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson beamed.
Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. And there’s a name that could have shed much light on DOJ’s “commitments” to get to the bottom of uncounted human rights abuses and literal violent deaths a lot closer in time and to home.
“Emails Show How ‘Fast And Furious’ Ambush News Unfolded At Justice Dept.,” NPR reported in January 2012. Things were happening quickly. “Top men” were being informed to get a handle on things, to find out what happened, and to make decisions on what to do. Of special interest:
The email messages show the former top federal prosecutor in Arizona, Dennis Burke, notifying an aide to Holder via email on Dec. 15, 2010, that agent Brian Terry had been wounded and died. “Tragic,” responds the aide, Monty Wilkinson. “I’ve alerted the AG, the acting Deputy Attorney General…” Only a few minutes later, Wilkinson emailed again, saying, “Please provide any additional details as they become available to you.” Burke then delivered another piece of bad news: “The guns found in the desert near the murder [sic] … officer connect back to the investigation we were going to talk about — they were AK-47s purchased at a Phoenix gun store.”
Here’s the takeaway:
“I’ve alerted the AG…”
That and Wilkinson asked for details from the DOJ official who later, per Sen. Chuck Grassley, leaked and lied to undermine Fast and Furious whistleblower John Dodson.
So what is it “the AG,” that is, Eric Holder testified under oath to the Senate in May 2011?
“I’m not sure of the exact date but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.”
Here’s how the Office of Inspector General report recalled things:
At approximately 11:00 that morning, Holder e-mailed Grindler, Wilkinson, and three other staff members to ask whether more details about the shooting were available. Wilkinson informed Holder that he would “look into it,” and a few minutes later sent an e-mail to Burke asking him to “provide any additional details as they become available to you.” Holder told the OIG that he did not recall receiving more information other than the basic fact of the shooting, though he said it was possible he may have had a conversation with Wilkinson about it. Wilkinson told us that he did not recall having any such conversations with Holder. We found that Wilkinson forwarded to Holder during the afternoon of December 15 three emails from the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office that furnished additional information about the shooting and Agent [Brian] Terry. These e-mails provided further details about the circumstances surrounding the firefight that resulted in Agent Terry’s death and law enforcement’s efforts to find and arrest the suspects.”
And per Sharyl Attkisson, back before CBS News decided the truth she brought to their reporting was not what they wanted to share:
“New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.”
So how is Holder testifying that he “probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks” in May of 2011 not in-your-face perjury?
Why was that not pressed back when Republicans had a modicum of control over things? And what are the chances Democrats, now in power and out for vengeance against all things “conservative,” will be interested in resurrecting it?
We have no idea how many lives have been lost on both sides of the border (which is still ongoing, by the way) ever since ATF decided to “pad statistics” (those are the actual words of an agency insider) by encouraging guns to “walk” to Mexico, under the impossible lie that they were performing a “sting” without making any attempt to physically follow the guns. Instead, credible evidence points to recovering guns that could be traced back to U.S. gun stores next to bodies at crime scenes. And that perversely supported the “assault weapon” ban goal AG Holder prematurely let slip back in 2009 and then had to backpedal for political reasons.
One wonders if Holder will be 95 before a full accounting of what he knew and when he knew it, and what his active part in things was, or if that will be forever buried along with the survivors of all the lost souls who never received justice or closure.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
Eric Holder should be charged, tried and convicted and hung for treason . He committed murder also with Fast and furious and should be held accountable . The Obama administration as a whole should be charged and convicted of murdervcd and treason and hung for Fast and furious. These criminals were suppose to uphold the laws not break every one they could ! Time for justice for the families who’s family members died as a result of thier negligence and criminal acts with Fast and furious ! Justice awaits these scumbag criminals !
That’s why Politicians want the death penalty ended.
I personally know of a family who owned and operated a gun store in Deming, New Mexico and because they refused to “cooperate” with the BATFE during Fast & Furious, when asked by BATFE agents to illegally sell guns to Mexican citizens, fearing a BATFE set up for them, had their lives destroyed by BATFE, US attorneys, Federal judges and the Federal government, including the IRS and US Marshalls. The mother, father and both sons, one of whom was severely handicapped, both mentally and physically were place is separate jails across the state of New Mexico and held without bond… Read more »
I was one of the few who reported extensively on the Reese family of Deming NM. That’s the problem with being in a niche while the rest of the media ignores things — even most gun owners are unaware of this. Unfortunately, most of the internal links no longer work because Examiner.com closed down, so most of them need to be looked up over at the Internet Archive/Wayback Machine.
David, I wish everyone knew the truth about Rick and Terri and the boys and how they were abused and destroyed by the U.S. government agents and the courts. Thanks for the link and their tragic story, the criminal actions of the government, needs to be kept alive and told again and again
.
David Codera,
Thanks for the links.
Are you aware of any Republican politicians who helped the Reese family in any way or even spoke publicly on their behalf to show support?
I assure you it is true.
JPM,
Thank you for posting this information.
Almost every one of them are members of the SWAMP and are all in the pockets of Soros, Bloomberg, Gates, and that kind of person. IMHO
ARM UP and CARRY ON
What else do you expect from a hood? These clowns have made the perfect browns shirts. Stazi and GRU agents for decades.
Lawyers, and politicians are SCUM, and politicians who are lawyers are the devil’s spawn.
hoss . . . You hit the nail on the head, hoss!
Let’s not forget a few kind words for Republicans Grassley and Issa, who investigated the heck out of Fast and Furious while the heat was on, then quietly dropped it down the memory hole once the heat was off.
Let’s remember Issa in particular, who reportedly was briefed on F&F at the very same meeting that Holder originally was, and apparently let it slide until it all went pear-shaped.
Grassley is certainly no Pro 2nd Amendment powerhouse. He always sounds confused:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?441884-1/president-trump-calls-comprehensive-gun-bill
That meeting was a great opportunity for just one Republican politician who is “fighting for our 2nd Amendment rights” to make calm, factual, logical arguments to destroy the arguments of the Democrats. Not only did they completely fail to do that, they all made their own pleas for yet more gun control. Disgusting.
This is par for the course. I laugh when people use the term RINO. This is literally the whole Republican Party. The Republican Party hasn’t stood for constitutional rights in almost a generation. These aren’t a few turncoats. In fact, there are less than a handful of Republicans who you can count on to vote against ANY and ALL arms control and fully support the 2A. The Republican Party is the problem and has been for a very long time. Until people start realizing that they’ll continue voting for anyone just because they have a R next to their name.
I just use the term “establishment” Republican since so few act in alignment with the Party platform.
Didn’t George Soros admit to the same ? Where’s his deportation ? The real Nazis (daughters & sons of Nazis) have been in our Govt. When will someone report on the nefarious scheme to the lack of ammo ? I want to see if anyone will pick up the hint. Where are Primers produced ? How did Remington go out of business after many years of Govt, contracts ? Will Winchester be next ? Where’s the imported ammo ? Why allow lawsuits against gun manufacturers ? Where’s everyone getting money to buy ammo when facing foreclosures soon ? Jobs being… Read more »
Arny, ATK does not continue to seek additional sources of supply for primer mix chemicals. ATK does not exist. They spun-off their ammo/sporting goods business as a separate company (Vista Outdoor) and merged their aerospace and defense business with Orbital Sciences Corporation. This all happened about six years ago. The Lake City operation is government owned, but managed by private industry. After ATK was split apart, Vista Outdoor had the contract for a while, but I believe Olin Corporation (Winchester) now runs Lake City. Another poster did a lot of work on powder producers, maybe she can comment on those… Read more »
By the way, I would be a little cautious in using Guns & Ammo as a source for business information. In the article you linked they said that Federal, CCI, Remington and Winchester were the four “firms” making primers.
Those four brands are owned by two corporations:
The above information is all readily available through publicly filed documents.
For over two years in Germany, circa ’73-’76 the maintenance management office I was in was right next to the quality control office for our Exclusion Area. In QC there was a CW4 Mr. Lee. He was the one who issued Lt Calley and his men their ammo for that mission. I remember him mentioning that fact twice and it was as a millstone around his neck even though he had no active participation in the operation. Mr. Lee, a Black man, had one of the two longest security clearance notations after his name in the Company. It was said… Read more »
Only when the sleeping sheeple awaken enough to demand it. Criminals seldom confess and then ask for punishment from themselves. They DO, however, love to “investigate” themselves for years… or decades… However long it takes for the sheeple to forget about it!
Knute . . . YUP!!!
I find it somewhat humorous that everyone thinks that every German that wore a uniform in WW2 was a member of the Nazi party. But hey, you do you.
Why do you think “everyone” believes that?
A.G/ Holder a consummate leftist (commuNAZI MarxIslamofascist) was held in contempt by the congress, and his charge given to the D.C. D.A, a consummate leftist, and no charges were ever brought. Bought off? Deep State? Political allies?
A big part of the answer to the problem in Washington is to impose TERM LIMITS ON MEMBERS OF CONGRESS! Until we take away the “Career Path” opportunities for U.S. Representatives and Senators, we will continue experiencing the problems we have now!
Money is the driver of politics these days. Declared political speech (how money is speech, short of bribery has been a bone of contention of mine since I could vote, if not before) money buys politicians, their votes, etc. Remove the money, and there will be fewer driving forces. Also, salaries should be reduced to expenses. You serve because you wish to serve. Congress should not be a full time job. In fact, short of repealing some laws on the books, about the only thing necessary these days is for congress to craft a budget. Why we have people wasting… Read more »
It was good they caught Berger and shipped him back to Germany AS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN AND NOT because he was A NAZI. Although I believe that most of the reason was because he apparently he was briefly a concentration camp guard during WWII!
Why on earth you would choose to open an article on Fast’n’Furious Part 3217 with a specious argument about a Nazi is beyond me. Friedrich Berger chose to work as a concentration camp guard. If a 20 yr old German woman had the courage stand up to the Nazis (Sophie Scholl), or a shipyard worker could have the courage to not kowtow with the rest of the sheep (August Landmesser), Berger could have done the same…screw him and all Nazis. If you want to make a complaint about the idiocy of Fast’n’Furious and the Antis, focus on the the facts.
miller . . . Who really gives a shiite what Berger’s motivations were! The United States of America is far more occupied right now with staying a Constitutional Republic instead of devolving into a Communist State!
Perhaps because the “war ceimes'” comparison is quite apropos. Fact is, after our derelict D.C. A.G. had prosecuted Holder, he should have been sent to Mexico to face charges there, as should his butt buddy, Soetoro, aka, Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., and any ATF agents involved, including those under G.W. Bush watch,. Probably should have sent G.W.B with them.