WASHINGTON -- FBI Director Robert Mueller is forming a study group to review the law that let suspected terrorists buy guns in the United States after they cleared background checks.
Mueller unveiled his plan to form the Justice Department working group, which will include the FBI, in a letter sent Wednesday to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. The group will also review the government report issued earlier this month that said more than 40 terror suspects were able to buy firearms in the United States last year because background checks showed they had no felony convictions and weren't illegal immigrants.
The day the Government Accountability Office report was released, Mueller told a House subcommittee that perhaps the law could be altered. In his letter to Lautenberg, Mueller said "I believe a review of the law regarding the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is warranted given the findings of the GAO report."
The DOJ's Office of Legal Policy will spearhead the review, and will make recommendations to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, (who is anti-gun) Mueller wrote.
Lautenberg, who requested the GAO report, said Thursday that the "FBI knows that terrorist access to guns in our country is a real problem.
"Hopefully the FBI can talk some sense into the rest of the Bush administration and put the safety and security of the American people ahead of the interests of the gun lobby," Lautenberg said.
When the report was released, the National Rifle Association had said the law protects Americans from terrorists while allowing citizens the freedom to own guns. On Thursday, NRA spokeswoman Kelly Hobbs said the NRA worked last year with the Justice Department to ensure that people on the FBI's internal terror watch lists are cross-checked.
"We will certainly work with the Department of Justice, the (Bush) administration, and congressional leaders to review the information and address terrorism concerns while remembering our core mission to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans," Hobbs said.
The GAO report said that from Feb. 3 through June 20 last year, 35 known or suspected terrorists bought guns in the United States. From July 1 to Oct. 31 last year, 12 more were allowed to buy firearms.
"Hopefully the FBI can talk some sense into the rest of the Bush administration and put the safety and security of the American people ahead of the interests of the gun lobby," Lautenberg said.
Somehow those words roll so easily off a forked tongue.
I thought, that only at us in Russia such officials silly. It appears not only at us.
In Russia the pistol can have only a policeman. Experience of an interdiction on the weapon that does not give..
The income of criminal business of sale of the weapon and only grows. 100 %
In Moscow houses with the help of powdered sugar and fertilizers were blown up.
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The GAO report said that from Feb. 3 through June 20 last year, 35 known or suspected terrorists bought guns in the United States. From July 1 to Oct. 31 last year, 12 more were allowed to buy firearms.
Maybe they should fix their immigration policies that allow non-americans to buy guns inside the U.S. in the first place. Or is Fox complaining about that also???[:@]
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So what's wrong with simply enforcing existing law? Doesn't the FBI have anything better to do than form committees to discuss the obvious? Perhaps Mueller should spend the money to be wasted on this effort in doing something to upgrade the quality of the computer systems they have that are today nearly completely ineffective due to mismanagement and incompetence. The FBI recruits and trains some of the best talent available in the country today, intelligent, dedicated, highly trained and resourceful agents that are then duly castrated and made impotent by a managements system so highly politicized and steeped in bureuocratic BS that they may as well not exist.
The 170 million dollars they pissed away on a computer system that is scrap should be a sign of how safe we are with these people in charge. Maybe another 9/11 will get them on track.
The only thing I have to add (other than profanity) is a question. What kind of "terrorists" bought guns? Are these alledged al Qaeda members or some gun nuts who happened to check out the wrong web page?
All the FBI or anyone else in government has to do is cry "terrorist" and half the country flips out and starts compromising on rights.
I understand that the people in question were on a terrorist watch list of some sort. Recall that Ted Kennedy was on a terrorist watch list. Because of his power, Kennedy was able to remedy the situation quickly, but not everyone would get off quickly. In fact, it seems to me that once on a list it might be quite difficult to get off. Also, I can imagine being refused the opportunity to buy a gun and being told, when asked why, "that is classified, I can't tell you, or the computer doesn't tell me, all I know is that you have failed to pass the background check." These computer systems are not failsafe, people. I say this as someone who designed computer systems and computer programs for 15 years in aerospace, defense, and telecommunications. They are only as good as the effort -- translate that as $$$$ invested -- put in to develop them. Do a low-grade, everyday Wal-Mart low price job and you can't expect perfection.
Remember, the 40 people who bought guns and were suspected (1) had no prior felonies and (2) were in this country legally. What makes them "suspected" terrorists? Seems there ought to be a lot more questions about this matter. The 2nd amendment is the poor step child of rights. Let a terrorist suspect have their first amendment rights infringed and holyhe[[ would break out!!!
FBI director forming group to study gun laws
