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Title: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., calls President Bush a "disgrace" worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen
Source:
worldnetdaily
URL Source: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/p ... -friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53805
Published: Jan 17, 2007
Author: Art Moore
Post Date: 2007-01-17 14:40:38 by TLBSHOW
Keywords: None
Views: 3505
Comments: 15
Amid protests and a flurry of last-minute efforts by congressmen, two border patrol agents are scheduled today to begin long prison sentences for shooting and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who was granted full immunity to testify against them.
In an interview with WND, an angry Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., called President Bush a "disgrace" for refusing to pardon Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were sentenced to 12 years and 11 years, respectively, in October. With hopes for a presidential pardon dwindling, the lawmakers had requested that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez assist in a motion to keep the agents free on bond during the appeals process. But late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas, ruled the men must surrender to federal marshals at 2 p.m. Mountain Time today.
"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Rohrabacher said of the president. "It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders."
The California lawmaker, who has helped lead efforts to obtain a pardon, charged the Bush administration has been playing a "cruel game." Initially, he said, officials insisted the agents could not be pardoned because they had not filled out the proper paperwork. But Rohrabacher told WND the White House did not explain to the public that the agents were being required – without justification, he contended – to first admit guilt.
(Story continues below)
Then, last Friday, presidential press secretary Tony Snow addressed the issue for the first time, arguing that prior to the shooting, the agents did not know if the smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, was an illegal alien, and they were unaware he had about 750 pounds of marijuana.
Compean and Ramos say they thought the smuggler had a gun, but no weapon was found.
The agents, Snow said, "had received arms training the day before; that said, if you have an incident like this, you must preserve the evidence and you must report it promptly."
"Instead," Snow continued, "according to court documents, they went around and picked up the shell casings. Furthermore, they asked one of their colleagues also to help pick up shell casings. They disposed of them."
'Monday-morning quarterbacking'
TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing 1,500 agents, argued failure to report the discharge of a firearm is an administrative offense that, at the most, merits a five-day suspension.
"How that translates into 11- and 12-year prison terms is beyond me," he told WND. "They fired at someone they believed had a weapon. He resisted their commands, assaulted one of the officers and then wheeled around and pointed something at them. Logic would say it would be a weapon.
"After all the Monday-morning quarterbacking, I would have to come to the same conclusion," Bonner said. "He's a drug smuggler, for God's sake."
The Department of Homeland Security sent an investigator to Mexico to offer the smuggler, Aldrete-Davila, full immunity in exchange for his testimony against the agents. Now, Aldrete-Davila is suing the U.S. Border Patrol for $5 million for allegedly violating his civil rights.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton initially granted immunity to Aldrete-Davila for illegally entering the U.S., drug smuggling and unlawful flight to avoid arrest. Later, Sutton expanded the immunity to cover a second drug offense by Aldrete-Davila – an attempt to smuggle another 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S.
Agent Jose Alonso Compean (Courtesy: KFOX-TV)
Bonner said Ramos and Compean will be incarcerated at the El Paso jail this week then be moved to separate low-security federal prisons. He's concerned about their safety.
"Bad cops are accepted by the prison population, but good cops are not," Bonner point out. "They'll be surrounded by people they arrested."
Rohrabacher suggested Bush was sending the men to prison in order that his immigration policy not be disrupted.
"He talks about being a Christian, but he has shown no Christian charity," the congressman told San Diego radio host Roger Hedgecock after speaking with WND last night.
Asked by WND for a response to Rohrabacher's remarks, White House spokesman Alex Conant deferred to Snows comments on the case.
Rohrabacher told WND he sees a serious residual result of the administration's handling of the agents.
"The word is out that the southern border is undefended," he said. "Border agents won't dare to draw their weapons, and the drug cartel will double their effort to drive a wedge in our border."
Rohrabacher said he has been disturbed by an "arrogant" lack of response from senior Justice Department and White House officials who have "shoved over" their inquiries to lower-level staff.
"I've never seen an administration that does it this way," he said. "In the past, if there is a senior member of Congress calling, it would require a call back directly from the administration official in question."
The Justice Department did not respond to WND's request for comment.
Bush has received a letter about the case from more than 50 Congress members, and yesterday an online petition by http://Grassfire.org with more than 225,000 signatures calling for a presidential pardon was delivered to the White House.
'We both yelled out for him to stop'
As WND has reported, a federal jury convicted Compean, 28, and Ramos, 37, in March after a two-week trial on charges of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a civil rights violation.
Ramos is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year.
According to the agents, Ramos responded Feb. 17, 2005, to a request for back-up from Compean, who noticed a suspicious van near the levee road along the Rio Grande River near the Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles east of El Paso. A third agent also joined the pursuit.
Aldrete-Davila stopped the van on a levee, jumped out and started running toward the river. When he reached the other side of the levee, he was met by Compean who had anticipated the smuggler's attempt to get back to Mexico.
"We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn't stop, and he just kept running," Ramos told California's Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
"At some point during the time where I'm crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired," Ramos said. "Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler."
At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.
"I shot," Ramos said. "But I didn't think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn't look like he had been hit at all."
The U.S. government filed charges against Ramos and Compean after giving full immunity to Aldrete-Davila and paying for his medical treatment at an El Paso hospital.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas issued a statement in September arguing "the defendants were prosecuted because they had fired their weapons at a man who had attempted to surrender by holding his open hands in the air, at which time Agent Compean attempted to hit the man with the butt of Compean's shotgun, causing the man to run in fear of what the agents would do to him next."
The statement said, "Although both agents saw that the man was not armed, the agents fired at least 15 rounds at him while he was running away from them, hitting him once."
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Poster Comment:
MORE LIKE A FUCKING TRAITOR POS TRASH IS WHAT BUSH THE COMMIE LOVER WAR LOSER IS...and that is a fact
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"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Rohrabacher said of the president. "It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders."
Damn!! Dana was defintely pissed off...MUD
Question Conventional Wisdom!!
#2. To: TLBSHOW, continental op, Neil McIver, JHoffa_, A K A Stone (#0)
"A FUCKING TRAITOR POS TRASH IS WHAT BUSH THE COMMIE LOVER WAR LOSER IS"
Teeheehee...a classic example of Bush Derangement Syndrome...MUD
Question Conventional Wisdom!!
#3. To: Mudboy Slim (#2)
You are a disgrace.
She said, hey cowboy, where's your horse I said, I lost everything but this saddle in my second divorce...
#4. To: Mudboy Slim (#2)
Weren't you the Republican whore pimping for George "Macaca" Allen not long ago?
-Wad-
#5. To: continental op (#3)
Yer a pussy.
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States, Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
#6. To: Johnny Wad (#4)
Allen's a proud ReaganConservative and wouldda been a great candidate fer POTUS. Look for him to become Governor of Virginia again and challenge fer the Presidency in 2016...MUD
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States, Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
#7. To: Mudboy Slim (#6)
challenge fer the Presidency in 2016...MUD
"fer"
Do you live in a trailer, down by the river?
-Wad-
#8. To: Mudboy Slim (#5)
Lame.
She said, hey cowboy, where's your horse I said, I lost everything but this saddle in my second divorce...
#9. To: Johnny Wad (#7)
Johnny "Shot His" Wad? What if I do?
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States, Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
#10. To: continental op (#8)
LOL...yeah, like yer a judge?
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States, Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
#11. To: TLBSHOW (#0)
Poster Comment:MORE LIKE A FUCKING TRAITOR POS TRASH IS WHAT BUSH THE COMMIE LOVER WAR LOSER IS...and that is a fact
What a very Christian comment - it goes so well with your tagline (although I disagree with the wording of said sentence - I do not disagree with the point you tried to make).
#12. To: Mudboy Slim (#10)
Thas right.
She said, hey cowboy, where's your horse I said, I lost everything but this saddle in my second divorce...
#13. To: Mudboy Slim (#10)
-Mud-
Would you kiss Allen's ass if it would ensure his victory?
-Wad-
#14. To: continental op (#12)
"Thas right."
Only in yer mind, co-op, only in yer mind...MUD
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States, Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
#15. To: Johnny Wad (#13)
"Would you kiss Allen's ass..."
Sorry, Mr. Shotyer...MUD don't swing that way...MUD
However, Allen will make a great second-term Governor and presidential candidate in about 8 years.
"Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan and Back to the States,
Localities, and Individuals as Prescribed in the US Constitution."
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