The Waco, Texas Massacre

by Ben Best

On April 19th, 1993 the Branch Davidian religious community of Waco, Texas was the victim of an attack by a paramilitary unit of the United States Federal government. All the Davidians died as a result of this attack. I think it is wrong to say that the deaths of 86 Davidians -- including at least 17 children -- was only due to government stupidity and incompetence. If I really believed that, I would not feel the rage I feel. My anger is a specific response to the fascism and disregard for human life that lay behind the two attacks. It has taken me a while to appreciate the meaning of the first attack. I admit that I had only a marginal interest in the siege and little sympathy for Koresh at the time. But my reaction to the sight of the final attack was gut-twisting and instantaneous.

The Davidians were subject to two different attacks which involved very different issues. Attack #1 on February 28th, 1993 was justified on the grounds of child-abuse and accumulation of automatic weapons. Attack #2 on April 19th was a different matter, however. Koresh had already demonstrated his willingness to allow Davidians (male, female, adult, child) to leave the compound. Chances are good that more would have left, and that negotiations could have saved more lives in exchange for the media attention that Koresh craved. But the standoff was egg-in-the-face of the FBI, and the lives of the children meant NOTHING in the face of that. So they attacked with tanks and tear-gas. When Clinton dismissed the fire, saying a "bunch of religious fanatics murdered themselves", he indicated how conscious he was of those children. They were irrelevant. The government caused the death of many innocent people -- and received NO blame.

Was the first attack on February 28th "stupid"? Is an attack by 100 heavily-armed Federal Agents on a religious community of men, women and children simply a "stupid" way to serve a search warrant? I don't think it was mere stupidity -- it was the product of months of training. It was a cold-blooded criminal act with premeditation and intent. It was criminal in a clear-cut manner -- "initiation of physical force". It was an attack without regard for human life. Moreover, the Feds had no evidence that the Davidians had committed any crime -- the search warrant was to provide them with evidence.

The Feds were looking for evidence of child-abuse despite the fact that child-abuse is under state, rather than Federal jurisdiction. And despite the fact that an armed assault had not been necessary a year earlier when a sex-abuse investigation was conducted (Koresh escorted Texas deputies and child-abuse investigators through the compound). And despite the fact that charges had been dropped the previous year.

The Feds were looking for evidence that the Davidians were in possession of an automatic weapon on which they had not paid a $200 tax. It is my understanding that they did not even get such evidence upon attacking the compound -- none of the shots fired in self-defense by the Davidians were from automatic weapons. I personally believe that possession of automatic weapons is a "crime without a victim" -- especially in a country with a so-called "right to bear arms". I don't think America's "founding fathers" established the "right to bear arms" so that Americans could shoot bee-bees at squirrels. The attack of February 28 was a murderous, coldly calculated pre-meditated crime. It was not just "stupid".

If "the purpose of the raid was to rescue people believed to be held against their will", then why was it conducted in such a way as to show such flagrant disregard for human life? Why did the ATF subject the compound to a barrage of bullets when some of those bullets could have easily killed ANYONE inside?

Was the second attack on April 19th simply "stupid"? We are told on the one hand that mass suicide was inevitable and we are told on the other hand that smashing the walls of the compound with a tank and filling it with poisonous gas was not provocative. R.W. Bradford, in charging Clinton and Reno with murder, put it this way: "If the mass death of innocents was both predictable and avoidable, how can we avoid concluding intent?". I charge that the April 19th attack with poison gas and wall-smashing showed a no regard for the very lives in whose name the attack was made. Of course, in reality the April 19th attack was entirely to end the humiliating position of the FBI in the standoff, the lives in the compound meant nothing in comparison to that -- as should be evident from the actions of the Feds, rather than from their words.

Attorney General Janet Reno justified the second attack partially on grounds that the FBI's hostage team needed time off, in her words: "They were totally frustrated ... They did not think he would ever come out." Murder the "cultists", and get a good night's sleep! So much for compassion.

The distinction between "deliberate murder" and "dangerous actions demonstrating a flagrant disregard for human life" is so fine that I don't hesitate to call the Waco assaults murderous. The Feds were involved in a military operation and the fact that the "enemy" was a religious community of men, women and children mattered little to them.

Were the Davidians on a "suicidal hair-trigger"? Then why didn't they commit suicide rather than defend themselves when they were attacked by a 100-strong goon squad on February 28th? Why did they endure a 51-day siege during which they were deprived of water and sewage-drainage -- a siege during which they were bombarded by bright electric lights and the ear-splitting sounds of slaughter-house recordings intended to deprive them of sleep? (Isn't this child-abuse?) Why did the Davidians endure 6 hours of poisonous CS gas on the 52nd day of the siege? Is this a "hair-trigger" or is it "the straw that broke the camel's back"? (Is it a coincidence that CS gas is reported to have an explosive concentration of 1/1200 of an ounce per quart of air?)

The implication that Waco, Texas was a "dream come true" for all 86 people who died in the fire is a "dream come true" for the FBI fascists who attacked the compound, smashing walls and spraying tear-gas. It absolves them of all responsibility. It is a "dream come true" for Clinton and Reno who are thereby given license to engage in any sort of paramilitary adventure -- all the while claiming they cared about the children inside.

The Treasury Department report in early October 1993 resulted in the "retirement" of ATF boss Stephen Higgens and the replacement of the rest of the ATF top management by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen. The acceptance of "full responsibility" by Clinton and Reno was replaced by the chastising of underlings. Moreover, a federal grand jury indicted 12 Davidians for the "murder" of the 4 ATF murdering attackers who were gunned-down in the February 28th assault that left 6 Davidians dead (including, reportedly, an infant daughter of Koresh).

I saw Linda Thompson's American Justice Federation video "Waco, the Big Lie". I think it attempts to "whitewash" David Koresh's sex life, with claims that he was a faithful married man, and that all the salacious stories about his sex life originate from disgruntled ex-Davidian Marc Breault (who had an axe to grind). Even in the interview, when Koresh denies committing adultery, he looks like a lying sleezeball to me. But maybe I'm wrong -- I'd no more accept what Koresh says at face value than I'd accept Marc Breault. But adultry -- or even child abuse -- by Koresh is no justification for the actions taken by the Feds.

The video portrays the FBI as executing the Davidians. I cannot accept this degree of deliberateness. I believe that the intent of the Feds was to jail Koresh and disband the community. I do believe, however, that the Feds showed a wantonness that makes them liable for murder. There is a fine distinction between murder in which someone shoots point-blank at an intended victim, and murder in which someone throws a grenade into a MacDonald's without knowing or caring who is inside. The government's actions are closer to the latter.

It does seem undeniable that the Feds murdered Mike Schroeder as he was climbing the fence to get into the compound to rejoin his family. Who but the Feds put FIVE bullets into his back? Who is on trial for this murder? No one. The life of a "cultist" counts for nothing.

It is very difficult to interpret the rooftop scene where 3 agents broke into a window, never to return alive. Because the film is cut, we have no sense of how much time elapsed between the agents entering and the fourth agent firing into the window. It is not clear to me that the agent threw an explosive grenade in the window. What could the Feds have cut from the film -- and why?

The video claims that the Feds started the fire in the underground bunkers. But I'd sooner guess that the smoke from the bunkers came from smoke bombs -- the Feds wanting to drive everyone from the bunkers before destroying the stairs that accessed them.

The firejet from the tank is the most incredible scene. Perhaps the CS gas really was flammable (somebody may have made a mistake and used the wrong gas), and the gas caught fire. Or maybe the Feds intended to set fire to the compound to drive everyone out, and the fire spread faster than they intended -- necessitating a cover-up. Unquestionably if such an error was made, the political forces driving for a cover-up would be titanic. If it is true that Davidians themselves started or spread the fire in order to martyr themselves, that would in no way reduce government culpability, because anticipation of this attitude and a sense of responsibility for the lives of the children should have been grounds for the government not to attack the compound.

One thing is certain, the "news" in newspapers is pap that was spoon-fed from the Feds. If the press was kept 3 miles from the compound for reasons of "safety", why the restrictions on the use of telephoto lenses? It seems to me that the Feds have a firm grip on the media. Sadly, much of what passes for "news" centers on government activities -- and the media moguls know that the government dispenses the best news and the earliest news to those moguls who curry favor.

The video ends with Davidian Brad Branch saying, "This is the biggest lie that's ever been put before the American public". He may be wrong about this -- it may just be "business as usual".

1997 saw the release of a new film about the Waco Massacre entitled WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. This film makes an even more powerful case that the Feds initiated a guns-blazing assault on April 19th -- and started the fire that burned down the compound. I do not think it is necessary to believe these charges to know that the Feds were criminally guilty of "undue care and attention" concerning risk to human life. In fact, these charges carry the danger of implying that the Feds are innocent if the charges are false.

"Waco: The Rules of Engagement" shows a side of Koresh quite different from the cartoon-picture presented by the Feds and given by them to the media. Concerning the adolescent sexual molestation charges, the Waco sheriff is shown commenting that marriage of a 14-year-old is legal in Texas with parental consent, and that the Davidian parents had evidently given their consent. Koresh actually regarded himself as married to all those women -- so he was, guilty of polygamy, instead.

In a recorded transcript between Koresh and a Fed during the seige, Koresh comes across as piercingly lucid in exposing the fuzzy-headed lies of the Fed concerning the murderous helicopter attacks. What impressed me most about these recordings is how much I had believed the Fed/media version of the attempts to "negotiate" with Koresh by phone -- claims of Koresh's duplicity and irrationality. Even I can be suckered by the duplicity and irrationality of the Feds and the media.

Expert witnesses testified that CS gas can leave victims paralyzed and delerious, especially children and infants. The Feds concentrated CS gas infusions on the underground bunker where they believed the women and children had taken refuge. Most may have been unconscious, delerious or paralyzed when the fire broke out. In explaining the strategy at a press conference a Fed explained that they had counted on maternal instinct to cause the women to flee with their children. In explaining why the strategy had not worked the Fed said, "I guess they didn't care very much about their children."

A 1999 film entitled WACO: A NEW REVELATION. provides evidence that paramilitary operations by Delta Force personnel were conducted in April, including infiltrating the compound, firing on the compound and the use of incendiaries. The explosive nature of the toxic gases used to drive-out the Davidians is acknowledged. And evidence is presented for directives originating in the White House.

Attorney General Janet Reno appointed former Missouri Senator John Danforth to investigate these claims based on F.L.I.R. (Forward-Looking Infrared Radar) flashes captured on film. Danforth's investigation concluded that the FLIR flashes could not have been from government agents firing into the compound. However, an investigation of Danforth's investigation by the FLIR Project concluded that Danforth's office tested M-16 rather than the shorter-barrelled weapons used at Waco, used military "ball" ammunition rather than the commercial-grade ammunition used by the FBI, and did not properly account for temperature or dust in air.

Again, although the charges concerning paramilitary firing may be true, I believe that the criminal nature of the Fed's actions are already transparent from the attack on the compound and the injection of poison gas (ordered by Reno, and publically admitted-to). No additional evidence is necessary for me to believe that Clinton, Reno and many members of the ATF & FBI belong in jail.

Probably the most thoroughly researched reference on the Waco Massacre is the book THE DAVIDIAN MASSACRE by Carol Moore, available from the International Society for Individual Liberty for US$7.95 plus $3.50 postage & handling. I have not read this book, but I do respect Carol Moore enough to believe she would have done a good job. Phone (707)746-8796 or write: International Society for Individual Liberty; 836-B Southampton Road #299, Benicia, California 94510 USA.

If a crazy man standing on the ledge of a high building with a baby in his arms was pelted with stones by "law-enforcement officers", I would see no defense in claims that the stones did not kill the baby or that the man would have jumped in any event. The Feds chose to attack the Davidians on April 19th, and had they not chosen to attack on that day it is highly probable that the Davidians would not have died that day. Moreover, anyone with serious regard for the lives of those in the compound would have been concerned about this risk -- and not have engaged in paramilitary adventurism.

Two "religious fanatics" who might not have burned to death were it not for the brutish FBI attack of April 19th.

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