WROE transcript page 39: "…..Don Petty, Photographer, Tarrant County Coroner: . . . we would
find bodies that were burned a lot more than other bodies in very close proximity. There were bodies that were burned to a crisp, and then very nearby there was paper that wasn't burned, there was clothing that wasn't burned. I was panning the whole side and one of the Rangers came up behind me while I was still taping and hit me on the shoulder and said, you can't be doing that. So I said, okay, that's fine, no problem. And then he asked for the tape and I said well, I'm shooting for Dr. Peerwani and I'm not going to give you the tape until he says it's okay. Finally we found Dr. Peerwani, talked to him and he agreed that it was okay for me to give him the tape and so I did. They promised us that all they wanted to do was review it and they'd give it back to us the next day. And they didn't………"

WROE transcript page 39: "…..Nizam Peerwani, Coroner, Tarrant County: They told us that they had misplaced it. At one time they told us that I have it in my briefcase and I'll give it to you. In fact, we said we're going to delay giving you your reports until you give our tape back. And of course they said sure, we'll give your tape back the next time we visit your office. We, in fact, suggested we'll go to Waco and collect the tape from them. And they said no, it's in the San Antonio office. And at a certain point along this discussion they finally said, the tape is lost. We can't give it to you….."

Summary of Article Marked for Death 10/14/94 Jerusalem Post Hiam Shapiro "…. Even though David Thibodeau looks like any one of the young people who pass through the streets of Jerusalem every day, he is not like them. His soul bears the scars of the inferno that engulfed the Mt. Carmel Center in Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993. Thibodeau is one of the 9 survivors of that fire. ……. …... He believes the US authorities, the press, and foreign governments conspired to cover up the truth. ……He says this must be so because there was little comment about the relatively large number of black people (about a third of the total number) who died during the incident. Had American blacks realized how many blacks died, they would have risen up as they did after the 1992 acquittal of four white police officers involved in the Rodney King beating, according to Thibodeau. …..He says that Britain did not intervene on behalf of British subjects in the Mt. Carmel Center, even though one third of Mt. Carmel's residents were British subjects. Had the British attempted to protect the interests of its subjects, the FBI would not have been so hasty about attacking the complex. ….."[The British government] didn't say, 'Hey! Thirty of our people are in there.' There was no political pressure on the American government," he says. …..Thibodeau speaks with almost clinical detachment about events of April 19 which resulted in so many of his friends dying. ….."

Summary of Article Marked for Death 10/14/94 Jerusalem Post Hiam Shapiro "…. "I was in the church area, the place where we heard music, the main meeting room," he says. Thibodeau had been listening to a local radio station which had been sympathetic to the Branch Davidians. He was taking notes and when he heard the attack begin, he immediately donned his gas mask--but continued taking notes. Then he heard a news bulletin which chilled his bones. The radio quoted the FBI saying that its agents had been hit by 80 to 100 gunshot blasts. The report went on to say that due to the presence of the women and children, the federal agents had not returned the fire. "My heart literally dropped in my chest," he recalls. "I had heard no gunshots. I knew this was the final lie and they were preparing the American people for a massacre and we were marked for death." …… About an hour later he saw a tank crash through the front doors, pushing back a piano which had been placed up against it. Time seemed to move very slowly, as he saw one after another of his friends die before his eyes. [The Post article does not state the cause of these deaths Thibodeau says he witnessed.] ……..

Summary of Article Marked for Death 10/14/94 Jerusalem Post Hiam Shapiro "…. Pablo Cohen, a Jerusalem resident and the only Israeli at the complex, died in the FBI raid. In fact, one of the few items which the FBI allowed into the complex during the siege was a Pessah haggada, sent by Shulamit Cohen, Pablo's mother. ……..…. About Koresh, Thibodeau [survivor] says "Some people considered him a prophet, some people considered him inspired. I like to say that he was a man who God inspired to reveal the seventh seal (mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelations) ," he says. Thibodeau adds that that Koresh never claimed he was Jesus Christ. "However, when he spoke, he talked the Book like he had lived it - or been there. That's how truthful and real his studies were." Does he consider Koresh the messiah? Thibodeau says in a sense yes, because Koresh was the fulfillment of a section or portion of the Book, the sixth seal. ….."

Not necessarily to be included but of interest..."In February 1995, the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation's Dangerous Review Board declared Roden "not manifestly dangerous." Seven months later, he fled Big Spring for three days before being caught outside the Israeli consulate in New York City, where he reportedly caused a disturbance after being denied a visa to Israel. Roden, who claimed to be Jewish, said PLO-trained hitmen were trying to kill him."

1831 William Miller studied end-time prophecies and in 1833 concluded the world will end in 1843; revised to 1844

1844 Prophecy failed; Millerite movement began to disintegrate; one of the strands, which developed into Seventh-day Adventism, believed 1844 marked the beginning of the time of the end

1863 The Seventh-day Adventist Church becomes a recognized; influenced by Ellen White, a prophet who revealed the church as God's chosen people at the end time

1915 Ellen White died; no further prophets recognized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church

1929-1931 Victor Houteff believed he was a prophet and was disfellowshipped from the Seventh-day Adventist Church; he formed the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, "The Shepherd's Rod". Its most important teaching is that God will establish a literal kingdom in Israel, ruled by Jesus Christ and his lieutenant, the "Antitypical David."

1955 Victor Houteff died. His widow Florence Houteff assumed leadership; Benjamin Roden contested leadership, saying he was a prophet.

1955-1959 Ben Roden founded the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists (BDSDA). There are various other splinter groups formed from the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists

1962 Ben Roden and his followers took over New Mount Carmel, formerly headquarters of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists

1978-1984 Lois Roden, Ben Roden's widow, became president; had a vision of the Holy Spirit as the feminine aspect of the trinity; traveled widely; attracted many believers.

1981 Vernon Howell arrived at Mount Carmel Center as the handyman.

1983 Vernon Howell claimed divine inspiration; began cohabiting with Lois Roden

1985 Vernon Howell received a major revelation from God that he is the Antitypical Cyrus

Rboatman "….What do we know about Fosters' Concord trips to Europe (Zurich?) between Feb and the time of his death? Maybe we can figure why he began to believe that the Waco debacle was 'his fault'. If it was truly a serious and easily understood National Security issue would he have felt so bad about the death of some terrorist cult members and their families to save thousands if not millions of lives? Recall that his wife said he was depressed about Waco and "felt responsible." As a key link between in the Chain of Command between the Co-presidents and DoJ and the field, he would have been privy to info on a WMD or other NatSecurity issue. Surely having saved a million lives would have offset the loss of 80 odd terrorists and their families. I think he was "depressed" because he had come to realize that the real cause of the operation at Waco was some dirty little situation that in no way could he see was worth those 80-odd lives.

….http://kreative.net/carolmoore/waco-house-hearings.html Report on July-August, 1995 House Hearings on Waco Sponsored by subcomittees of the House Judiciary and Government Reform and Oversight Committees By Carol Moore Member, Committee for Waco Justice Author, The Davidian Massacre

…."...Some new information was learned about the involvement of Vince Foster. (It was recently revealed that in 1993 Foster's wife admitted to FBI agents that he felt responsible for the deaths in Waco.) Texas Rangers disclosed that when they were in dispute with the FBI about the destruction of evidence, someone in the Texas Governor's office had given them a White House number to contact--Vince Foster's number. Representative Charles Schumer revealed that only one document had been found in the "Waco file" in Foster's office--a memorandum that Foster was forwarding the "Waco, the Big Lie" video to Treasury Department officials. When Janet Reno was questioned about whether Foster's statement about the FBI lying to the Attorney General on his "suicide note" referred to Waco, she explained it related to "Travelgate."...."

Dallas Morning News 3/2/93 "…….A caravan of armored fighting vehicles carrying National Guard troops left a staging area at a Waco college and approached the compound along a back road. Meanwhile, authorities forced reluctant reporters to move from within sight of the compound to a holding area about two miles away…….. Authorities would not say how many officers were on the scene, but they included units of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, National Guard, Texas Department of Public Safety, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Naturalization Service, the McLennan County sheriff's office and local police departments. …… Ms. Wheeler refused to release information about the arsenal agents suspect is hidden inside the compound. "We just know from the holes in our vehicles, in some of our helicopters, and unfortunately some of our agents, that there was some very high-powered ammunition that is used in big guns," she said……. Authorities have known since at least 1987 that the Davidians possessed a formidable stock of weapons. That was when a rivalry between Mr. Koresh and the group's then-leader, George Roden, culminated in a gunbattle on the group's property. Mr. Koresh and seven others were charged with attempted murder.
The seven were acquitted, and charges against Mr. Koresh were dropped after a mistrial. Mr. Roden was sent to Vernon State Hospital in 1990 in connection with a separate criminal case.
El-Hadi J. Shabazz, the assistant district attorney of McLennan County who prosecuted Mr. Koresh, said authorities seized a massive array of weapons after the shootout. "One sheriff's deputy who helped make the arrest, said they had enough weapons and ammo to hold off all of the McLennan County Sheriff's Department, all of the Waco Police Department, and all of the local National Guard," he said. "When the jury came back with an acquittal, it sent chills through us." ….."

In another part of the country, Alabama, another friend sits in her cell denied what the doctors know to be a serious, and possibly life threatening illness. Lynda Lyon has a thyroid condition. She had been treating it with prescribed medicines as well as health products. ….. We have found that there is strength in our numbers. Numerous fax campaigns have had positive effects from "encouraging" the court in Texas to allow Rita Riddle to visit her daughter, Misty (where she is right now), a change in the state police policy in Connecticut, medical attention for George Sibley for his wound (which also benefited all of the prisoners in the jail). …."

Michael Dean Schroeder.

White House Press Secretary Web Site 8/20/93 Bill Clinton "…Q Can you describe what she told you on Sunday about the nature of the operation and how much detail you knew about it? THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I was told by the Attorney General that the FBI strongly felt that the time had come to take another step in trying to dislodge the people in the compound. And she described generally what the operation would be -- that they wanted to go in and use tear gas which had been tested not to cause permanent damage to adults or to children, but which would make it very difficult for people to stay inside the building. And it was hoped that the tear gas would permit them to come outside. I was further told that under no circumstances would our people fire any shots at them even if fired upon. They were going to shoot the tear gas from armored vehicles which would protect them and there would be no exchange of fire. In fact, as you know, an awful lot of shots were fired by the cult members at the federal officials. There were no shots coming back from the government side….. The third question I asked was, has the military been consulted? As soon as the initial tragedy came to light in Waco, that's the first thing I asked to be done, because it was obvious that this was not a typical law enforcement situation. Military people were then brought in, helped to analyze the situation and some of the problems that were presented by it. And so I asked if the military had been consulted. The Attorney General said that they had, and that they were in basic agreement that there was only one minor tactical difference of opinion between the FBI and the military -- something that both sides thought was not of overwhelming significance. Having asked those questions and gotten those answers, I said that if she thought it was the right thing to do, that she should proceed and that I would support it. And I stand by that today…..THE PRESIDENT: They were not just practicing their religion, they were -- the Treasury Department believed that they had violated federal laws, any number of them….Q Mr. President, why are you still saying it was a Janet Reno decision? Isn't it, in the end, your decision? THE PRESIDENT: Well, what I'm saying is that I didn't have a four- or five-hour, detailed briefing from the FBI. I didn't go over every strategic part of it. It is a decision for which I take responsibility…."

".Regarding the Waco connection to Clinton: at the 31st March, Gary Aldritch revealed a secret that orders to storm Waco came not from Reno, but directly from the Clinton White House.."

".In Jakarta, James Riady likes to brag about where he was on the afternoon of April 19, 1993. On that day 80 members of the branch debate in religious cult or holed up in their compound outside of Waco, Texas, when it was shattered by a tank led assault. By the time the FBI and the Treasury's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents had completed their work, 17 American children had burned to death. As might be expected, the White House was a busy place that afternoon, and the president was preoccupied. Bill Clinton was not too distracted, however, to chat with his leading contributors James Riady, John Huang, and Mark Grobmeyer in his little study off the Oval Office*. James Riady later told Indonesian diplomats that, during their chat, a television in the corner showed the Waco compound burning "over and over" as CNN repeated its coverage. Bill Clinton even took time to show his visitors the White House Situation Room, then on Full Alert **. White House logs confirm that James Riady and his companion were in the presidential offices (West Named) of the White House that day. They apparently also dropped and on Robert Rubin, now Secretary of the treasury, who was then a White House economics official***…"

Gov. Reform Report 1995 8/25/99 "….On April 19, approximately 20 minutes after the last tear gas insertion, (THIS WOULD BE 11:47 AM) the Davidian compound erupted in flames. The first indication of fire was seen and noted at 12:07 p.m. By 12:11 p.m., the entire compound was substantially involved…. There is no doubt that the Branch Davidians started the fire. We disagree with the conclusion of the majority report which states that the evidence concerning the origin of the fire is not dispositive. The majority report ignores evidence contained in the arson report which proved three separate ignition points within the compound and conclusively found that chemical accelerants were placed throughout the compound. Additionally, there was eyewitness testimony as well as film footage which chronicled the rapid spreading of the blaze. Moreover, the clothes of surviving Davidians who escaped the compound were laced with gasoline and other flammable materials. Finally, and most poignantly, several surviving Davidians admitted that those within the compound had started the blaze. These statements are supported by recorded statements in which voices are heard asking about the location and timing of fuel pouring and lighting activities….. There has been some speculation that the tear gas used may have contributed to the fire. The CS tear gas did not act as an accelerant for the fire. CS is a powdery particulate. When used in a tear gas canister or other tear gas delivery system, CS particulate is suspended in methylchloride and carbon dioxide. Neither CS particulate, methylchloride or carbon dioxide are flammable…" http://www.rickross.com/reference/waco_report_dissent.html

Freeper nsmart and fod 8/25/99 From the transscript of "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" "… Narrator: As the gassing continued, the women and children went to the safest place left inside Mt. Carmel the kitchen storage room . . . a first floor steel reinforced concrete room --- a former vault --at the bottom of the square wooden tower.

Bob Ricks, FBI Spokesman: We knew that that protection was in there we believe we finally were able to make entry into that compound and were able to insert gas inside that protective area.

Clive Doyle, Branch Davidian Survivor: They actually drove right through the middle of the building into the kitchen area basically at point blank range fired gas into the concrete, what they called the bunker, the concrete room where the women and children were….

Narrator: Almost two miles above Mt. Carmel, a surveillance plane was photographing events on the ground with a Forward Looking Infra Red camera, commonly called by its acronym FLIR.

Narrator: Edward Allard helped develop the FLIR. He is a former manager of the Defense Department's Night Vision Laboratory and holds several patents on FLIR and night vision technology. Allard explains what happens as a tank approaches the rear of Mt. Carmel around 11: 16 AM. That's the side the news cameras couldn't see.

Edward Allard, Night Vision Physicist: Thermal imagery is not the same as black and white imagery. Even though we are going to see images that look like it's black and white television cameras, it is not. This type of imagery is the same type of imagery that was used by our armed forces in Desert Storm. The bright spots in this particular, in this particular film are spots that are hot. The grey areas are warm we'd say and the black areas are cool--relatively cool. They're still pretty warm for a Texas n-midday but they are a lot cooler than the rest of the surrounding area.

If you look carefully what you will see is the exhaust plume of the tank you'll see the plume twice, when the operator steps on the gas, there it is again and now what you will see is a short burst, there.. That short burst we, we feel is a, is a gun shot . . .

. . . The next view is a view in slow motion as the vehicle approaches we see the plume from the engine and we have the gun shot - now. Freeze it there, please. You can see now the outline of the tank, you can clearly see the outline of a tank. There is the blade, there is the blade in front of the tank, there is the opposite side of the tank, this hot area back here is the engine the deck area and it appears that the shot that we're looking at is coming off the rear area of the tank . . .

. . . This particular one the burst lasted about one second. And we will see shots similar to this throughout the tape and nothing else appears with the type of thermal signature that we get of that we get of gunshots.

Gene Taylor, US Congress, Mississippi (D): Did the FBI fire one shot, even one shot at the Davidian compound? Larry Potts, FBI Assistant Director: No sir, we did not, not throughout the entire stand off .

Edward Allard, Night Vision Physicist: What we are going to see here is a what could be called an infantry tank maneuver we notice the tank, this is the tank smashing into the building . . .

. . . and we'll also see gun fire multiple gun fire on the outside of the tank to the rear of the tank. Right now we're seeing a close up of exactly the same thing. The important thing to notice is the gun fire multiple rounds being fired from at least two different positions . . .

. . . and it's about ten bursts in approximately two to three seconds and according to our calculations it indicates that both positions are firing automatic weapons. There is nothing in nature that would duplicate these type of thermal signatures primarily because of the short duration of the burst themselves. Nothing in nature could do this.

Dick Rogers, FBI Hostage Rescue Team Commander: I will remind the American people one more time, that during that entire time, those six hours, and indeed those fifty one days, the FBI never fired one shot at the Davidians.

Edward Allard, Night Vision Physicist: What we are going to see now is rapid fire in the courtyard right behind the dining room area and you can see the fire going on but it's difficult to see in real time . . . . . . Now the slow motion shows things much more clearly. . . . there's eight rounds, eight bursts of gun fire that are being fired in about two and a half to three seconds this again indicates that it is an automatic weapon. There are two positions, look at the tape carefully, there are two positions, and apparently by the signature itself of the burst, apparently is going from this area here into the dining room area.

Narrator: What Allard saw was verified in an expert independent FLIR analysis done by Infraspection Institute for CBS 60 Minutes: Quote: "It was obvious to me on several occasions that there was gunfire or automatic weapon discharge, seemingly fired toward the building from the outer perimeter", end quote. A second letter from Infraspection Institute states the fear that kept 60 Minutes from informing the American people. Quote: . . . due to the potentially sensitive nature of this material and the resulting negative repercussions to Infraspection, we are choosing to decline any further comment surrounding this taped incident and our subsequent professional opinions regarding it's viewing", end quote. In addition to noticing the gunfire, Infraspection saw something else, Quote: "There were occasions on the video that seemed to appear as though people were entering, exiting or being run over by an armored vehicle", end quote.

Washington Post 7/95 Stephen Higgins "… It probably was inevitable that the tragic bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City would get linked to the disastrous fire at the Branch Davidian compound. Those events, as most people know by now, occurred exactly two years apart, and the principal suspect in the Oklahoma bombing not only visited Waco but is known to have been greatly angered by what he saw there….The day has long passed when we can afford to ignore the threat that is posed by individuals who believe they are subject only to the laws of their god and not those of our government…. In my view the Davidians reacted in a criminal and violent manner. Unfortunately, there is a small but perhaps growing number of groups that feel much the same way as the Davidians, though they may not cloak their beliefs in religion. By contending they are not subject to the laws that bind this country, we allow these groups to pose a serious threat far beyond their relative numbers….We can't change what happened at Waco, but we have a responsibility not to ignore simple fairness and compassion in our search for the truth. Since there is to be yet another hearing on Waco, let's hope it's for the purpose of examining the facts and learning from that tragedy, not merely to please one more special-interest group with an anti-government agenda…."

Unlimited Access 1996 Gary Aldrich pp 144-5 "…On 19 April 1993 1 was working at the White House on some investigative reports, when my wife called and told me to turn on the television. I asked what channel. She said any channel….. As soon as the initial shock was over, I listened in disbelief as the White House and Janet Reno claimed we'd just witnessed a "mass suicide." That's not what it looked like to me….On 23 April, four days after the burning of the Branch Davidian compound, I again listened to President Clinton try to explain to the nation why and how such a nightmare had occurred. He steered attention away from the White House, which had approved the plan of attack on cult leader David Koresh, and focused on the FBI for having developed the harebrained scheme in the first place. But knowing the FBI as I did, I was virtually certain that Janet Reno had been presented with a variety of options. I was sitting in Deborah Coyle's office when the president walked around the corner….. "Hello, Mr. President. I'm Gary Aldrich, one of the two FBI agents assigned here at the White House." "Well, FBI, huh? Howdja like the way I defended the FBI just now-did you hear the press conference I just gave?" What was I supposed to say? That I had just about gagged when I heard him lay the entire mess at the FBI's door? "Mr. President, since you asked, I must say I'm just a little confused at the characterization of this as a mass suicide. I can't see how children can make a decision to commit suicide." "Well, hmm, ah, well, these kids were badly abused. Reminds me of a similar circumstance in Roman times, when the forces of. . . " …."

Freeper Jolly 4/21/93 San Diego Union-Tribune Tom Blair "…SD Democratic Rep. Bob Filner was told Monday's dinner (April 19th) was to be a gathering of intimate friends in celebration of the 32nd birthday of Coronado's Shelia Lawrence. Among the handful of intimates at Georgetown's 1789 restaurant: Pres. Bill Clinton, who managed to get away from the White House for about 45 minutes, despite the unraveling Waco crisis. Filner says the president poked at his food before finally yielding to the temptation of the crabcakes. (Shelia and husband M. Larry Lawrence, the Hotel del Coronado owner, have taken a second home at Georgetown; a major Clinton supporter last year, Shelia's been mentioned for a White House protocol post.) . . . "

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…Within a month of the Waco massacre, NAP, Fulani and two members of the NAP National Committee (Dr. Fred Newman and Dr. Rafael Mendez) filed suit in federal court against the FBI, then-FBI director William Sessions, James Fox, the acting director of the Bureau's New York Division, and Attorney General Janet Reno. The lawsuit charges that the FBI's description of a political organization as a "cult"-- or the use of such a description to justify investigative activities, the use of force, criminal prosecution or governmental regulation--violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which respectively guarantee the right to freedom of speech and association, freedom of assembly and due process (New Alliance Party vs. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1993). Pointing out that the term "cult" does "not appear in any federal statute or regulation, or in the Federal Rules of Evidence, as a predicate for declaring a person legally incompetent, depriving a person of parental rights, or subjecting a person to psychological warfare and the use of deadly force by federal law enforcement authorities," the suit challenges the appropriateness of the FBI's use of the label as a rational for investigation (New Alliance Party vs. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1993, p. 12). ….The suit ... scheduled to be heard before Judge Constance Baker Motley in September 1993 in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, point[ed] to the chilling effect that the increasing use of the "cult" label can have on the development of new and minority political parties and organizations:…. By giving United States Government imprimatur to an alleged status--"cult"--the defendants are facilitating actions both by private persons and by government officials that impair the exercise of constitutional rights (New Alliance Party vs. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1993, pp. 14-15)…."

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…A key link in the chain of events which led to the FBI massacre of nearly 90 people--including 24 children, 17 of them under the age of 10--outside Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993 began over a year earlier when Rick Ross, a CAN- affiliated "deprogrammer," allegedly began targeting the Branch Davidian sect for potential kidnappings, to be paid for by relatives of members of the group (Robertson, 1993, p. 1)….. David Block, a Branch Davidian for five years, was, according to a sworn affidavit by Samuel Russell (an earlier CAN target), "deprogrammed" by Ross, Adeline Bova and CAN national spokesperson Priscilla Coates in Coates' home in Glendale, California in the summer of 1992. During the "deprogramming" Block "furnished Ross with information about the Branch Davidian sect, including details of their stored weapons" (Russell, 1993). Ross himself bragged on "Up to the Minute" on public television that long before the raid he had "consulted with ATF agents on the Waco sect and told them about the guns in the compound" (Robertson, 1993, p. 2)…. In the affidavits submitted to obtain a search warrant, ATF agents used language associated with CAN, calling the residents of the Mt. Carmel Center "a religious cult commune" (Aguilera, 1993)…."

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…On February 27, 1993, the day before the initial ATF assault on Mt. Carmel, the Waco Tribune-Herald began a seven-part series on the Branch Davidians entitled "The Sinful Messiah." According to its authors, Mark England and Darlene McCormick, the piece was the result of an eight- month investigation and interviews with "more than ten" former members of the group. At least some of these sources were supplied by CAN. English and McCormick quote a man "deprogrammed" by Ross "who had been with Howell [Koresh] for at least five years"--most likely David Block. The fourth installment in the series, published the day after the shootout, included a sidebar entitled "Experts: Branch Davidians dangerous, destructive cult." It quotes Ross as declaring, "The group is without doubt, without any doubt whatsoever, a highly destructive, manipulative cult...I would liken the group to Jim Jones." Coates calls the Branch Davidians "unsafe or destructive." And both say that they believe David Koresh practices "mind control." It is clear from the article, which was written before the ATF staged its raid, that Ross had been agitating for the government to move against the group. England and McCormick report in the sidebar to part four:….."

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…During the House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Events Surrounding the Branch Davidian Cult Standoff in Waco, Texas" held on April 28 of this year [1993], both Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director William Sessions said in their prepared statements that the FBI had consulted "cult experts" in the course of the siege (Reno, 1993; Sessions, 1993). When questioned by Representative William Hughes about whether the Bureau had consulted with the Cult Awareness Network, neither official responded directly. When asked the same question by a reporter from the National Alliance, however, an FBI spokesperson answered in the affirmative. Whatever advisory role CAN played with the ATF (and perhaps the FBI), there is no question that CAN spokespersons (usually referred to as "national cult experts") were given ready access to the media throughout the siege…… In April 8, 11 days before the fatal attack, CAN president Patricia Ryan told the Houston Chronicle that "Officials should use whatever means necessary to arrest Koresh, including lethal force." In that same article Kisser warned that talking with Koresh was similar to talking to an insane person. "People who are in a closed system, the cult leaders, think differently than you and I" (Keeton and Pinkerton, 1993).

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…As is well known, things did not work out as well for the children of the Branch Davidians. The gas which the FBI pumped into the buildings at Mt. Carmel for six hours before the compound erupted into flame was O- chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS), the manufacture, production, possession, and use of which were banned during the Chemical Weapons Convention in Paris in January of this year [1993]. More than 100 nations, including the United States, endorsed the ban, which is awaiting ratification. Benjamin C. Garrett, executive director of the Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute in Alexandria, Virginia, describes what effect it had on the Branch Davidians trapped inside the building. "It would have panicked the children. Their eyes would have involuntarily shut. Their skin would have been burning. They would have been gasping for air and coughing wildly...Eventually, they would have been overcome with vomiting in a final hell. It would not have been pretty" (Seper, 1993)…."

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…Ironically, the justification given by Attorney General Janet Reno for approving the pumping of CS gas into the compound was the charge of child abuse first supplied by Rick Ross' victims. On the afternoon of the fire Reno said, "We had information...that babies were being beaten." That evening she told talk show host Larry King, "We were concerned for the children because there had been reports of sexual abuse of the children." The next day President Bill Clinton echoed this rationale, saying the group's children "were being abused significantly, as well as being forced to live in unsanitary and unsafe conditions." (The president failed to mention the fact that the unsanitary and unsafe conditions were a result of the ATF/FBI siege, nor did he explain how killing the children was the best way to end their alleged abuse.)

Ross & Green Washington DC 7/93 "…At the same time that Reno and Clinton were echoing CAN allegations of child abuse, FBI director William Sessions said his agency had "no contemporaneous evidence of child abuse in the compound." After a nine-week study of the 21 children released from the compound in the early stages of the 51-day siege, the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services concluded, "None of the allegations [of child abuse] could be verified. The children denied being abused in any way by any adults in the compound...Examinations of the children produced no indication of current or previous injuries." In response to this announcement by Texas officials, CAN spokesperson Priscilla Coates told the Washington Post, "I know how these types of groups work and children are always abused" (Niebuhr and Thomas, 1993). Within a week or so after the massacre references to child abuse by the Branch Davidians had all but disappeared from the press. …."

The American Spectator 8/93 Daniel Wattenberg "…Twice while under ATF fire, the compound placed emergency calls to theMcLennan County Sheriff's 911 switchboard. In the first call, Wayne Martin, a top Koresh lieutenant and also a Waco attorney well known and liked in the local legal community, pleads with Sheriff's Lieutenant Larry Lynch: Martin: Yeah. Tell them there are children and women in here and to call it off. Lynch: All right. All right. Hello? I hear gunfire. Oh, (expletive deleted). Martin: Call it off. Koresh himself places a second 911 call. After making grimly ironic note of the lieutenant's name ("Hey, Lynch? . . . That's a kind of funny name there."), Koresh, in real time now, in the fog of battle, laments the government's failure to talk before shooting: Koresh: You see, you brought your bunch of guys out here and you killed some of my children. We told you we wanted to talk. No. How come you guys try to be ATF agents? How come you try to be so big all the time? Lynch: Okay, David. Koresh: Now, there's a bunch of us dead, and a bunch of you guys dead. Now now, that's your fault. Okay, let's let's try to resolve this now. Tell me this. Now, you have casualties. How many casualties? Do you want to try to work something out? ATF is pulling back, we're trying to Koresh: Why didn't you do that first? In a third and final call, placed by Lynch, Martin repeatedly pleads for a cease-fire, offers to arrange one, and claims at one point that the people inside had ceased their fire, but that incoming fire had continued unabated. "I have a right to defend myself," he says at one point. "They started firing first." …."

The American Spectator 8/93 Daniel Wattenberg "…It was only when their funding was up for review and a pattern of sexual harassment emerged at their agency that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms decided to make an example of David Koresh and his Branch Davidian followers….. Although Higgins mischaracterized the warrant, he did faithfully encapsulate the government's theory of the Texas barbecue of the Branch Davidians: Koresh or Vernon Howell, as he was originally called set himself and his followers ablaze on April 19, and this mass self-immolation represented the inevitable self-fulfillment of his apocalyptic teaching. By now this is the generally accepted theory. It is nonetheless a theory predicated almost wholly on forgetting. Forgetting, for example, that while it was Koresh who purportedly willed an apocalyptic showdown, it was the ATF that dictated twice the timing and setting of confrontation. Koresh seems to have taken no steps toward fulfilling any deadly vision except on two extraordinary occasions February 28, when a hundred heavily armed ATF agents arrived unannounced at his door, and April 19, when combat engineering vehicles began tearing holes in his domicile and suffusing it with a severe chemical irritant known as CS. Had the members of the House Judiciary panel carefully read their copies of the affidavit, they might have questioned whether it warranted Higgins's confident conviction that Koresh willed the two-part holocaust that claimed the lives of four ATF agents and more than eighty Branch Davidians. Indeed, they might have questioned whether the ATF affidavit even established grounds for believing that Koresh was apt to commit a violent crime or endanger anyone beyond the boundaries of his property…."

ON THE EDGE, 1994 Simon & Schuster Elizabeth Drew Page 131 "…. The White House tried to give the appearance that the President hadn't known anything about the proposed raid until Reno briefed him on the plan on Sunday. Actually, the plan for the raid on the compound __driving the cult members out by ramming their building and creating a hole through which to inject nonlethal gas__reached the White House the previous Wednesday, leaving plenty of time for it to be considered. Bernie Nussbaum had known for some time that the Justice Department was working on a plan to raid the compound. During the week before the raid, Lindsey, Nussbaum, Vince Foster, and Webster Hubbell met in Nussbaum's office to discuss the matter. They had been informed that the FBI had recommended such a plan to Reno and that she was considering it but hadn't made a decision. Lindsey and Nussbaum told the President about the plan. Nussbaum claimed later that he advised the President not to get involved in the details. The President had been aware since the botched raid on the compound by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in February that another attempt would be made. Stephanopoulos was also made aware of the plan midweek. But no one in the White House tried to stop it…."

Reagon.com 3/6/97 "…Arkansas resident Bill Buford, whose district did not include Waco, Texas, had been a friend of Bill Clinton for ten years. Buford was mentioned as a witness against the Branch Davidians in the affidavit ATF used to obtain the search warrant used as the legal justification for the Waco assault which resulted in the death of nearly 100 people, including a number of children. Buford, who was injured when he and his team were dropped on the roof via helicopter, was visited in the hospital by none other than Roger Altman, another Little Rock friend, then Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration….At the time of his flight out to Waco to visit his injured friend, Bill Buford, Altman was the second highest ranking official at the Department of the Treasury….."

Reagon.com 3/6/97 "…Some of the unanswered questions listed in Michael Reagan's September 1995 MONTHLY MONITOR are still unanswered:

* Why, at a time when there is such lax enforcement of law especially in inner-city, drug-infested high crime areas, were a group of religious people invaded in their country home without prior warning by a quasi-military assault force?

* Why did the American media seem to justify the government invasion by calling the group a "cult" by whipping up anger over charges, later proved to be false, of "child abuse" to justify the assault.

* How did the Little Rock ATF office become the chief investigator of an isolated religious group outside his district?

* Why has no one in the government been held accountable for the decisions they made which led to the death of nearly 100 people?

* Why are the Branch Davidians still serving 50-60 year prison terms, after having been declared "not guilty" by a jury? …."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....ATF Responds to Dick J. Reavis Distortion: Reavis states that federal law enforcement agents threw "grenades" inside the compound (p.11) Fact: ATF Agents were not armed with grenades. Only the Branch Davidians had and used hand grenades, which explode, expelling fragments to kill and maim. Grenades thrown by the Branch Davidians badly injured ATF personnel. Some ATF agents were authorized to use flashbangs, diversionary devices which employ a bright flash and a loud noise to distract--not injure. There is no evidence that any Branch Davidian was injured by a flashbang. Reavis responds: The appropriate term used in my book is "flashbang grenades." The ATF defines both fragmentation and flashbang grenades as "destructive devices" …"

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....Fact: The helicopters did not strafe the compound. All the helicopter pilots and crew say the helicopters were not armed and did not fire on the compound. Mullony, a reporter, says the helicopters were turning away when ATF cattle trailers started up the road. Firing erupted 10-20 seconds after this. Only a fixed wing craft was over the compound later, when 911 tapes claimed strafing. Reavis Responds: The strafing, if it occured, took place before the 911 call. Mulloney filmed the third pass of the copters, at close range over Mt. Carmel--then went onto the property to film the now-famous footage. Yes "the helicopters were not armed" -- but the agents inside them were….."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....Distortion: The Texas Rangers didn't take custody of the compound until 3 hours after the fire, and ATF could have taken the "missing" right side door (p. 142). Fact: After the fire on April 19, an ATF explosives expert was the only ATF employee to have access to the compound and he was accompanied by a Texas Ranger. Furthermore, the Rangers have said that they simply did not recover the right side of the door because there was nothing particularly recognizable left. Reavis responds: No right side door was found, i.e."nothing particularly recognizable left". …"

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....Janet Reno's 48-hour plan for gassing Mt.Carmel lasted about five minutes. At 6:02 a.m., April 19, FBI logs show, combat engineering vehicles, or CEV's--M6OA1 tanks modified for demolition duty-- began punching holes in Mt. Carmel and through them, injecting CS gas into the building. This much was according to plan. But at 6:04 a.m., the Bureau's logs say, people inside Mt. Carmel fired upon the bulletproof CEV tanks. A clause in the written plan that the Bureau had presented to Reno called for an escalation if the tanks drew fire…..The significance of the Bradley escalation turned on the kind of esoteric detail that only chemists and Bureau veterans--not newly-minted Attorney Generals--could have known. The Bradleys were not equipped with hydraulic booms, as the CEVs were. They could not deliver gas as the CEVs did, from cylinders containing a mixture carbon dioxide and CS powder, mounted near the tips of their 30-foot booms. Bradley drivers were able to deliver tear gas only by shooting football-sized metal or plastic canisters, called ferret rounds out of a small port in their front sides. CS powder was suspended in the ferret rounds, not in carbon dioxide, but in a different chemical, methylene chloride, a petroleum derivative. Standard chemical reference books say that methylene chloride in its liquid state is practically inflammable. But their texts do not picture the chemical as harmless….. In a word, methylene chloride, used in a confined space, threatened to create conditions conducive to fire, explosion, and death by poison gas. Manufacturers of CS powder warn against its use indoors because their chemists and attorneys know the dangers of both CS and methylene chloride. So do most street-smart SWAT team operatives... ...The FBI assault force, in preparation for the Bradley/ferret option of its plan, had stockpiled some 400 CS canisters in Waco. About ninety minutes after the first canister was fired, the agency's logs show, the supply was nearing its end. The Bureau put out an emergency call for more rounds, though the 48 additional rounds that it received on a flight from Houston were apparently not used: about 20 minutes after the last of the ferrets was fired at Mt. Carmel, at 11:40 a.m.--long enough for vapor to form--the building went ablaze. In half an hour, Mt. Carmel was a smoldering ruin from end to end. …"

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "......In connection with the Feb. 28 raid, and the 51-day siege that followed, both the ATF and FBI called upon military units for various kinds of assistance and equipment, including training sessions conducted by Green Berets, tanks, CS gas and fixed-wing aircraft. The most striking item, however, involved the loan, with pilots, of the three National Guard helicopters that flew over Mt. Carmel seconds before the onset of hostilities below. In making the initial request for use of the helicopters, on Dec. 14, 1992, the ATF's Houston office did not mention any "drug nexus." "For the past six months, this investigation targeted persons believed to be involved in the unlawful manufacturing of machineguns and explosive devices. These targets are of a cult/survivalist group," its letter requesting the flying machines said. Four days later, however--just to be safe--the agency's Austin office followed with a similar request which added that "the individual is suspected of unlawfully being in possession of firearms and possibly narcotics." After the Feb. 28 raid on Mt. Carmel, when the use of the helicopters became a matter of controversy, deputy director Hartnett hastened to assure Gov. Richards that the "drug nexus" was firmly established. In a March 11 letter, he told her that, "There are eleven members of the compound that have prior drug involvement, some with arrests for possession and trafficking. Additionally, open court testimony in Michigan in February 1992 documented Koresh's possession of a methamphetamine lab within the compound." …..No one familiar with Howell, before or after his rise as Messiah, associates him with drug use, though he admitted that he'd once smoked marijuana, even confessed that he'd inhaled! He distrusted medicines that came in injectable and even pill form: after he was wounded in the Feb. 28 raid, he wouldn't take so much as an aspirin….. Among the factors that the ATF did not take into account in compiling its misleading report to Congress, is that higher arrest-and-usage levels characterize most National Guard and Army barracks, and that Governor Richards, who on the campaign trail, styled herself as a recovering addict--was by the ATF's reckoning, just as guilty of "drug involvement" as the former users named by Breault. But perhaps there was no need to be overly worried. As the Treasury department pointed out in its investigation of the affair, "there is no formal standard by which the military defines a drug nexus…."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "...."The helicopters approached the rear of the Compound at approximately the same time the trucks pulled along the front, which failed to create the intended diversion. When they were approximately 350 meters from the rear of the Compound, the helicopters were fired upon, forcing them to pull back....Two of the helicopters were forced to land in a field to inspect for damage...The third helicopter, although also struck by gunfire, was able to remain airborne. It circled overhead to watch for additional attackers."... …...Almost none of the government's report squared with what two disinterested witnesses, John McLemore and Dan Mulloney, said during the same trial--nor with their videotape, introduced into evidence to document their claims. McLemore, a newsman, and Mulloney, a cameraman, both for a local television station, had been driving along Farm-to-Market Road 2491 that morning, not far from its juncture with EE Road, about a half mile from Mt. Carmel. The two telenewsmen say that they saw the helicopters make first one, then another pass, not at the faraway intersection of highways 84 and 31, but directly behind Mt. Carmel, at low altitude. The pair halted their Bronco a few yards from the juncture of 2491 and EE, removed their equipment, and captured the third pass of the aircraft on film: the footage shows a copter passing along Mt. Carmel's "north" side, within inches the building's roof. As the pair finished recording the swoop on film, two cattle trailers loaded with agents passed by, speeding down 2491, then turning onto EE Ranch Road. McLemore and Mulloney tailed the raiders into Mt. Carmel. McLemore and Mulloney's reports are consistent with the recollections of surviving inhabitants of Mt. Carmel, including those of government witnesses and apostates. Eyewitnesses who had been on the building's "north" and "west" sides tell most, because they had the best view. They claim that the helicopters strafed the complex…."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ ".......inside Mt. Carmel, an unforseen phenomenon was noted: nursing mothers quit lactating, apparently in reaction to stress. Just after midnight on March 4, Koresh reported this to a negotiator, demanding that milk, even cow's milk, be sent inside. He and the agent were arranging the exit of Heather Jones, 9, when Koresh made his demand. "...Let's get her out and then let me send you the milk," the March 4 negotiator said. Heather Jones, 9, one of the children of David Jones, emerged at 8:39 a.m. the following morning. Later that day, and the next day, and on March 7 and 8, Schneider, Koresh and several of the mothers renewed the demand, citing the Bureau's promise. But no milk came. Instead, on March 7, FBI spokesman Ricks told a press conference that, "They got a number of individuals on the phone and talked to us about how they needed milk. We said we're ready and willing to bring the milk in, and they rejected the offer to deliver milk." Transcripts of March 6-7 telephone conversations show a different development. The FBI's negotiators, overlooking the March 4 promise, offered to send six gallons of milk in exchange for the exit of four more children. Koresh responded to the 6x4 offer by invoking the March 4 pledge, and in a humored--or sarcastic way--had formulated a counter demand. He told the negotiators to better their offer by sending in not six gallons of milk, but six gallons of ice cream--accompanied by the return of two children. Sticking to seriousness, the FBI talkers reiterated their 6x4 position. Koresh then sent word through an aide, telling them "to go have a milk shake." After some 90 minutes of this kind of banter, Koresh refused to bargain further, leaving instructions with Rachel, his wife, to tell any callers that he wasn't at Mt. Carmel: he had gone, she told the negotiators, to "Waco to buy milk." Spokesman Ricks construed these exchanges, not as a refusal to accept the 6x4 deal, but as refusal to accept a delivery of milk….."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....A full deck of sources wasn't available. Federal officials, except for designated spokesmen, were gagged. Residents of the besieged building surrendered in trickles and spurts, but reporters couldn't reach them: as the Society for Professional Journalists would point out, "Court appearances were held secretly. Hearings were closed to the press. Key documents ranging from motions to government responses to arrest and search warrants were sealed." Just like in the American invasions of Grenada and Panama, journalists found that the news environment was so tightly managed that they could not fulfill their investigative role…… The managed nature of the news was apparent in the terminology of press reports. The religious community at Mt. Carmel was called a "cult", and its chieftain became, quite naturally, "a charismatic leader" who ruled his followers by something called "mind control". The community's rambling wooden house became a "heavily-fortified compound", its concrete structures became "bunkers", its children, "hostages". A nation stood by, watching to see if these children would be "rescued" from the care of their parents... ....As soon as the flames were visible on camera, the government's spokesmen began explaining what was afoot, by adding two new words to the conceptual tools that they had already issued for grappling with the few, bloody and now charred facts at hand: Texas Child Molester Gun Cult Crazies Commit Suicide, they--and even the President--said. The verb and its modifier had the ring of finality, and from the camera's perspective, so did the blaze. Within 48 hours the press had abandoned Waco and moved on, as if the story had been only a visual event: no more besieged building, no more story. The reams of documents and the score of witnesses that were freed for inspection and interview after the finale--the countervailing arguments, the breathing ashes, the impenetrable Bible--were not of immediate consequence. The press did not probe what happened at Waco, as it does many instances of possible malfeasance, because it could not investigate the story while it was breaking--and because its members did not have the intellectual tools to make sense of pamphlets like the one that befuddled me. In an age dominated by electronic media, instant facts are paramount…."

"The Ashes of Waco " Dick J Reavis http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ "....On Wednesday, Feb. 23, after the prosecution presented the closing argument of the trial, Judge Smith called the jury into the courtroom and read them 67 pages of instructions on how to proceed in rendering a verdict. He also gave them copies of his exposition. In deliberations that afternoon, the jurors quickly divided, says jury forewoman Sarah Bain, who, along with another juror, Jeanette Felger--they'd been Panelists Numbers 182 and 16, respectively--identified themselves after the verdict was delivered….. The jury's verdicts had not been in line with the instructions that the judge had given them, nor were they internally consistent. In Smith's instructions, the conspiracy charge was referred to as "Count One", the murder charge as "Count Two". The third count in the instructions was "using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the commission of an offense". The judge instructed the jurors that "for you to find the defendants guilty of this crime, you must be convinced that ...the defendant under consideration committed the crime alleged in Count One...I instruct you that 'Conspiracy to Murder Officers and Employees of the United States' is a crime of violence." In effect, the judge had told the jurors that Count Three was a left shoe, of value only if worn with the matching right shoe, a Count One or conspiracy conviction. The jurors had come out of their deliberations wearing only one shoe. "The guilty finding as to Count Three will have to be set aside," Smith told the lawyers. "That portion of the verdict simply cannot stand." There was no point, he explained to the disappointed prosecutors, in sending the verdict back to the jurors for rectification, since "the only decision they could have made was to change that finding to not guilty..." His last words on Count Three were "the court"--meaning himself--"will set that finding aside." After saying that, he recessed the trial until sentencing…."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…Probably the most blatant cover-up regarding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' (BATF) February 28, 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian religious group near Waco, Texas is the cover-up of the fact that agents shot from helicopters, killing as many as four Davidians. This act is unprecedented in American law enforcement. Had it not been so successfully covered up by federal agencies, Congress and the press, there would have been a public outcry leading to prosecution and imprisonment of BATF Agents. During a May, 1995 televised debate, Carol Moore, author of the book The Davidian Massacre, asked former BATF Director Stephen E. Higgins, who approved the raid, if BATF agents should be charged with murder should evidence of lethal firing be indicated. He replied, "Absolutely. If they fire at someone who was not firing at them or pointing a weapon at them it would absolutely be murder." Mr. Higgins, like the rest of the federal establishment, refuses to admit these murders were in fact committed. …."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…One document indicating agents considered using such gunfire was found among thousands turned over to Congress. A handwritten note by some unknown Treasury Department review official who had interviewed BATF agents read: "HCs [helicopters] as a diversion. Simultaneous gunfire. Worked in Seattle. Three to four hundred meters from boundary. Hover. Practiced at Hood." (Assumedly BATF agents practiced this maneuver at Fort Hood, where they trained for the raid.) …"

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…At trial three National Guard helicopter pilots denied the helicopters had circled Mount Carmel before the beginning of the raid, as if scoping it out for targets. However, KWTX-TV cameraman Dan Mulloney and reporter John McLemore testified they saw the helicopters do just that. This cast doubt on the guardsmens' testimony that there had been no shooting from the helicopters. …"

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…BATF audio tapes reveal that immediately after the gunfight, BATF agent James Cavanaugh, a temporary negotiator, argued by telephone with David Koresh about whether there was firing from the helicopters. Cavanaugh then admitted, "I'm not debating the fact that there might have been fire from the helicopters but what I'm telling you is there were no mounted guns, no outside mounted guns, on those helicopters." …"

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…A BATF agent took video footage from the Blackhawk helicopter which clearly shows the Blackhawk diving down towards the back of the building--and that it is clearly closer than 350 meters. The video clip ends abruptly at that point. A simple projection of the speed and trajectory of the helicopter's approach suggests it did fly over the swimming pool and building, as Davidians allege below. The National Guard pilot of the Blackhawk did admit at trial that the helicopter flew as low as 50 feet off the ground…."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…One of two KWTX-TV cameramen shot video from the road southwest of Mount Carmel. As seen in the movie "Waco: The Rules of Engagement," a helicopter southwest of the building and water tower veers back towards them just as movement from what is evidently a person is seen on top of the tower. Seconds later, the individual disappears, very possibly shot by agents in the helicopter. …."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…Another KWTX-TV cameraman followed BATF agents onto the grounds of Mount Carmel. His camera also caught footage of the helicopter above veering back. Soon after, he took the often shown video of an agent being shot at through the wall of the second story room. This shot also displays evidence that at least four bullets were fired from above just two to three minutes into the raid. The sounds of aircraft overhead can be heard. Bullet holes can be seen appearing in the roof and eaves of the building and the projected trajectory of the bullets appears much too steep to have come from the four story tower, from which some Davidians were firing…."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…Early in the raid, in a phone call to 9-1-1, now-deceased Davidian Wayne Martin cries out: "Another chopper with more people; more guns going off. They're firing. That's them, not us." Now-deceased Steve Schneider adds, "There's a chopper with more of them. Another chopper with more people and more guns going off. Here they come!" In the next hours Martin warns repeatedly that BATF should keep helicopters at a distance. …."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…On Negotiation Tapes During the 51 day siege, David Koresh and Steve Schneider insisted to FBI negotiators that BATF agents had shot from the helicopters and killed Davidians. They repeatedly claimed that FBI agents wanted to burn Mount Carmel to destroy the evidence of this and other lethal firing….."

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…Marjorie Thomas testified under oath at trial that she and two other women near their third floor window saw a helicopter approaching the building with a person hanging out. As the helicopter drew nearer, several bullets came through the window, flying over the womens' heads. Kathryn Schroeder testified under oath at trial that she saw bullet holes in the ceiling of the four story tower, holes that could only have been made from shooting from the sky. Kevin Whitecliff stated at allocution before sentencing: "There were three or four helicopters buzzing around shooting at people. I thought I was going to die."…[more eyewitness accounts..]"

1996 "Shooting At Davidians From Helicopters Is Unprecedented in American Law Enforcement" "…Davidian attorneys Dick DeGuerin and Jack Zimmermann, who visited Mount Carmel during the siege, have testified under oath before Congress, at trial and in affidavits that there were numerous bullet holes that obviously came from the sky in the four story tower and in upper story walls. Zimmerman is a former Army officer….Winston Blake, a black from England, was killed instantly by one bullet in the head as he sat on his bed. Survivors say the bullet entered the room's wall at a downward trajectory and only could have come from a helicopter. The American coroner claimed Blake had been shot at close range; the Manchester, England coroner could find no such evidence. The discrepancy sparked an English police investigation. (The government claimed other Davidians killed Blake.) …."

8/7/97 Michael Reagan's Hot Topics "….In early June Lewis C. Merletti, who led the Treasury Department's investigation of the 1993 raid on the Branch Davidians, was sworn in as the 19th director of the Secret Service. The Treasury Report, while allowing some criticism of the planning and execution of the raid, promoted the government lies that the Davidians shot first, ambushing federal agents. It also totally failed to address serious allegations that agents shot from helicopters, killing four Davidians. Nor did it admit that BATF agents actually lied to the army about Davidian's involvement in drugs in order to receive free aid and special forces training that would not have been permitted without the drug connection…."

Freeper amom 8/29/99 "…Here's what I was trying to remember on Buford. Agent Bill Buford, who was in the team that went in the second story window, disclosed that agents were authorized to shoot anyone inside who was carrying a weapon--even though agents had not announced that they were police or serving a search warrant. Buford revealed he did in fact shoot a Davidian who approached him carrying a gun…."

Freeper amom announcement on Training program by Buford: "…Wednesday, March 26, 1997 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Domestic Terrorism: Identification and Characteristics Bill Buford, Resident Agent in Charge of ATF's Little Rock Field Office 11:00 a.m. - Noon. Waco: A Review to Include Right Wing Religious Organizations During the segment Bill Buford will talk on right-wing religious organizations, he will share the insights he has gained during his many years of experience including his experience in Waco…."

Freeper Leper Messiah notes 8/29/99 "…In the documentary Waco: The Big Lie, video footage of the raid on Mt. Carmel appears to show three ATF agents being killed by "friendly" fire. We see the agents enter the window, leaving a fourth agent on the roof. He then sprays the wall with machine gun fire. Many believe this was when the three men died, and many think it deliberate. If so, what makes it all the more perplexing is that these three dead agents had all been personal bodyguards of Bill Clinton's during the presidential campaign…..Five days later, on February 28, 1993, Bill Buford led "Assault Team One," which consisted of his own men from Little Rock, into the Branch Davidian Home. Arkansas resident Bill Buford, whose district did not include Waco, Texas, had been a friend of Bill Clinton for ten years. Buford was mentioned as a witness against the Branch Davidians in the affidavit ATF used to obtain the search warrant used as the legal justification for the Waco assault which resulted in the death of nearly 100 people, including a number of children. Buford, who was injured when he and his team were dropped on the roof via helicopter, was visited in the hospital by none other than Roger Altman, another Little Rock friend, then Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration. Roger Altman resigned in August 1994 due to his involvement in the Whitewater investigation. At the time of his flight out to Waco to visit his injured friend, Bill Buford, Altman was the second highest ranking official at the Department of the Treasury. Webster Hubbell at the time was over in the Justice Department…."

GAO 8/26/99 "…Department of Defense: Military Assistance Provided at Branch Davidian Incident (Letter Report, 08/26/1999, GAO/NSIAD/OSI-99-133). Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed certain aspects of the military assistance provided to law enforcement agencies during the Branch Davidians incident, focusing on: (1) whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) requests for support from military counterdrug programs met requirements for authorizing that support; (2) the measures ATF took to deal with any drug activity it might find during its warrant service, and whether those measures were appropriate for such operations where a methamphetamine laboratory might be encountered; and (3) the types, costs, and reimbursements of all military support, including that from counterdrug programs, provided to ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). GAO noted that: (1) ATF's two requests for military counterdrug support of its Davidian operations met requirements to authorize provision of that support under the relevant statutes; (2) ATF cited possible drug-related activity at the compound in both its written requests—the first to the Texas National Guard and the second to Operation Alliance, a coordinating center for counterdrug assistance; (3) the military's decision in both cases to provide the counterdrug support was a reasonable exercise of agency discretion and was authorized under the relevant statutes; (4) ATF's planning or the warrant service addressed the possibility of encountering hazardous drug materials; (5) ATF agents were made aware of the suspected drug laboratory and the appropriate precautions; (6) moreover, a team from the Drug Enforcement Administration was at the command post the day of the operation to handle and drug-related materials that might be found; (7) this planning was consistent with ATF's own policies--and those of other federal law enforcement agencies--governing operations to secure armed suspects and facilities, including those where a drug laboratory is present; (8) military assistance to ATF and FBI included: (a) surveillance, reconnaissance, and transport; (b) equipment and supplies; (c) training and instruction; and (d) maintenance and repairs; (9) the military provided several items of major equipment, including helicopters and unarmed tactical ground vehicles; (10) GAO estimated the total cost of military assistance to be about $1 million, of which nearly 90 percent was incurred by the Texas National Guard and active Army units and the rest by the Alabama National Guard and active Air Force; (11) under the Economy Act, ATF and FBI reimbursed the Texas National Guard, the Army, and the Air Force for about three-quarters of the support; (12) repayment of another 14 percent, which came from counterdrug programs, was waived by the military, which has the authority to do so if the supported agency suspects a drug connection; (13) these nonreimbursable expenses represented less than $140,000; (14) the military also mistakenly undercharged these two agencies by a comparatively small amount, which should have been reimbursed; (15) the Army does not plan to collect these undercharges, as it would realize no benefit--it would have to apply any collection to prior-year obligations; and (16) finally, under applicable statutes, the military gave ATF and FBI without charge some excess military items, mostly office and camp equipment, clothes, and tools…."

3/22/93 Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents From the 1993 Presidential Documents Online via GPO Access [frwais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:pd22mr93_txt-22] [Page 448-451] Monday, March 22, 1993 Volume 29--Number 11 Pages 407-456 Week Ending Friday, March 19, 1993 Remarks to Treasury Department Employees March 18, 1993 "…Thank you very much. Secretary Bentsen and ladies and gentlemen, thank you for that wonderful reception…..In all the employees of the Treasury Department I have seen, I've noticed a rare commitment to serve this Nation conscientiously. And I must say, with the recent tragedies freshly in our minds, I think that we should all once again honor the plaque on the 4th floor of this building that notes more than 160 Treasury agents who have been killed in the line of duty in our Nation's history. From the Secret Service agents who protect our Presidents and who have a particular chore in me because I like to get out and see the people who put me in this job, to Customs agents who wage war on drugs, to the agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, many of the employees of this Department risk their lives to protect the lives of the rest of us. My prayers and I'm sure yours are still with the families of all four of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents who were killed in Waco: Todd McKeehan and Conway Le Bleu of New Orleans, Steve Willis of Houston, and Robert Williams from my hometown of Little Rock. Three of those four were assigned to my security during the course of the primary or the general election….Thank you very much. Note: The President spoke at 11:48 a.m. in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department…."

8/2/96 House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform Dan Burton and Committee 104th Congress 2nd Session Report 104-749 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INVESTIGATION INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TOWARD THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS…Executive Summary

In June 1992, the Austin, TX Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) opened a formal investigation into allegations that members of a Waco, TX religious group, known as the Branch Davidians, and in particular their leader, Vernon Howell, also known as David Koresh, were in possession of illegal firearms and explosive devices. In January 1993, ATF agents commenced an undercover operation in a small house directly across from the property on which the Branch Davidians lived. The ATF agents posed as students attending classes at a local technical college to monitor the activities of the Davidians. Part of the undercover operation involved one of the agents meeting with Koresh and other Davidians several times by expressing an interest in their religious beliefs. As a result of the evidence gathered by the ATF, and in particular during the undercover operation, the ATF sought and received from a Federal judge an arrest warrant for Koresh and a warrant to search the Branch Davidian residence.

Shortly before the ATF planned to serve the search and arrest warrants, it contacted Operation Alliance, a government office which coordinated military counter drug operations along the southwest border. Through that office, the ATF requested that military personnel provide training to the ATF agents who would be involved in the raid to serve the warrants. The ATF's request for military assistance also would have involved the military personnel as participants in the raid itself. After military legal advisors cautioned that such activity might violate Federal law, the ATF's request was modified so that military personnel only provided training to the ATF agents and did not participate in the raid. ….

At approximately 6 a.m. on April 19, the FBI's chief negotiator, Byron Sage, telephoned the Davidians and informed them that the FBI was inserting the riot control agent into the residence. Sage also began broadcasting a prepared statement over loudspeakers that the FBI was ``placing tear gas in the building'' and that all residents should leave. As the announcement was being made, FBI agents using unarmed military vehicles with booms mounted on them began to insert the riot control agent into the compound by ramming holes into the sides of the structure and then using devices mounted on the booms to spray the riot control agent into the holes in the walls. Almost immediately the Davidians began to fire on the vehicles being used by the FBI. At 6:07 a.m., the commander of the Hostage Rescue Team ordered that the contingency provision of the operations plan be implemented and that the riot control agent be inserted in all portions of the residence at once. During 6 hours of insertion of the riot control agent no residents exited the compound….

1. The ATF's investigation of the Branch Davidians was grossly incompetent. It lacked the minimum professionalism expected of a major Federal law enforcement agency.

2. While the ATF had probable cause to obtain the arrest warrant for David Koresh and the search warrant for the Branch Davidian residence, the affidavit filed in support of the warrants contained an incredible number of false statements. The ATF agents responsible for preparing the affidavits knew or should have known that many of the statements were false.

3. David Koresh could have been arrested outside the Davidian compound. The ATF chose not to arrest Koresh outside the Davidian residence and instead were determined to use a dynamic entry approach. In making this decision ATF agents exercised extremely poor judgment, made erroneous assumptions, and ignored the foreseeable perils of their course of action.

4. ATF agents misrepresented to Defense Department officials that the Branch Davidians were involved in illegal drug manufacturing…..

5. The decision to pursue a military style raid was made more than 2 months before surveillance, undercover, and infiltration efforts were begun. The ATF undercover and surveillance operation lacked the minimum professionalism expected of a Federal law enforcement agency. Supervisors failed to properly monitor this operation.

9. There was no justification for the rehiring of the two senior ATF raid commanders after they were fired. The fact that senior Clinton administration officials approved their rehiring indicates a lack of sound judgment on their part.

The Department of Justice

1. The decision by Attorney General Janet Reno to approve the FBI's plan to end the standoff on April 19 was premature, wrong, and highly irresponsible. In authorizing the assault to proceed Attorney General Reno was seriously negligent. The Attorney General knew or should have known that the plan to end the stand-off would endanger the lives of the Davidians inside the residence, including the children. The Attorney General knew or should have known that there was little risk to the FBI agents, society as a whole, or to the Davidians from continuing this standoff and that the possibility of a peaceful resolution continued to exist. …

3. The CS riot control agent insertion and assault plan was fatally flawed. The Attorney General believed that it was highly likely that the Davidians would open fire, and she knew or should have known that the rapid insertion contingency would be activated, that the Davidians would not react in the manner suggested by the FBI, and that there was a possibility that a violent and perhaps suicidal reaction would occur within the residence. The planning to end the stand-off was further flawed in that no provision had been made for alternative action to be taken in the event the plan was not successful.

4. Following the FBI's April 19 assault on the Branch Davidian compound, Attorney General Reno offered her resignation. In light of her ultimate responsibility for the disastrous assault and its resulting deaths the President should have accepted it.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation

1. The CS riot control agent assault of April 19 should not have taken place. The possibility of a negotiated end to the standoff presented by Koresh should have been pursued even if it had taken several more weeks….

5. ….While it cannot be concluded with certainty, it is unlikely that the CS riot control agent, in the quantities used by the FBI, reached lethal toxic levels. However, the presented evidence does indicate that CS insertion into the enclosed bunker, at a time when women and children were assembled inside that enclosed space, could have been a proximate cause of or directly resulted in some or all of the deaths attributed to asphyxiation in the autopsy reports.

6. There is no evidence that the FBI discharged firearms on April 19.

7. There is no evidence that the FBI intentionally or inadvertently set the fires on April 19.

INVESTIGATION INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TOWARD THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS
THIRTEENTH REPORT by the COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT
prepared in conjunction with the COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY together with additional and dissenting views
August 2, 1996.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Texas law requires that, ``[a] military force from another state, territory, or district, except a force that is part of the United States armed forces, may not enter the state without the permission of the governor.'' \173\ Yet, National Guard personnel who were involved in post-raid National Guard investigations of the Waco incident have stated that Governors Richards did not approve the use of the Alabama National Guard. Military documents indicate that Governor Richards was unaware of the extent of even the Texas National Guard's involvement until after the failed raid occurred….

b. Chronology of ATF's request

The chronology of ATF's request for military assistance provides insight into how early ATF wanted military assistance, how the military and ATF became concerned with the drug nexus issue, and how the military's concerns changed the scope of military assistance provided. As early as November 1992, ATF agents were discussing the need for military support with Lt. Col. Lon Walker, the Defense Department representative to ATF.\186\ In his ``summary of events'' \187\ November entry, Lt. Col. Walker specifically states that, at that time, he was not told of any drug connection.\188\….

By December 1992 (almost 3 months before the raid), ATF agents were requesting Close Quarters Combat/Close Quarters Battle \189\ (CQB) training by U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers for ATF agents.\190\ A basic CQB course takes a minimum of 2 months and advanced CQB training takes a minimum of 6 months. Moreover, CQB is the type of specialized training a terrorist or hostage rescue team such as the FBI Hostage Rescue Team would use. CQB is also a perishable skill requiring frequent/continuous training that ATF, as an agency, is not designed to maintain or utilize. Somewhat surprisingly, neither the documents from the Treasury investigation, nor the Treasury Report, itself, never refer to this request....

However, one military document furnished to the subcommittees as part of their document request specifically states that no written documentation is available on this extraordinary request by ATF for CQB training.\191\ This is the case despite ongoing discussions in 1992 and early 1993 within the senior ranks of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command regarding the prudence of making SOT \192\ /CQB training available to civilian law enforcement and foreign military personnel.\193\ These discussions are significant because they again foreshadow the potential use in civilian law enforcement of highly specialized military training, designed and intended for military operations.....

On December 4, 1992, several ATF Special Agents, including the SAC's of the Dallas and Houston ATF offices, met at Houston's ATF field office for the first time to discuss the Waco investigation.\194\ In attendance were SAC Phillip J. Chojnacki; SAC Ted Royster; Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Cavanaugh; Resident Agent in Charge Earl K. Dunagan; Special Agents Aguilera, Lewis, Petrilli, Buford, K. Lattimer, Williams, Carter, and John Henry.\195\ Also present at that meeting was Lt. Col. Lon Walker, the Defense Department representative to ATF. Lt. Col. Walker's notes of the meeting reveal that he explained to those present ``that the military probably could provide a great deal of support and [that he] suggested things like aerial overflight thermal photography.'' \196\ Lt. Col. Walker's notes also state that he explained ``that without a drug connection the military support would be on a reimbursable basis.'' \197\ This reference to reimbursement is significant because it reveals that military aid was, as of that date, understood to require reimbursement by ATF unless a drug nexus could be identified and articulated with sufficient specification to warrant military aid on a non-reimbursable basis. Lt. Col. Walker's December 4th entry is followed by a handwritten note that states ``Aguilera said there was no known drug nexus.'' \198\....

On December 11, 1992, Special Agent Jose G. Viegra, the Resident in Charge (RAC) of the Austin, TX ATF Office, met with representatives for the Texas Governor's Office about the role of the military in any potential ATF action involving the Davidians.\199\ Representatives of the Texas Governor's Office present at the meeting were William R. Enney, Texas State Interagency Coordinator and his assistant Lieutenant Susan M. Justice, Assistant Interagency Coordinator of the National Guard Counterdrug Support Program.\200\...

This meeting was requested by ATF to discuss specifically what types of military assistance were available to the ATF for its raid on the Branch Davidian residence \201\ in Waco, TX. During the meeting, Special Agent Viegra was told that military assistance through Operation Alliance would not be available unless there was a ``drug nexus.'' That meeting constituted the second time in 8 days that ATF agents inquiring about military assistance were told of a drug nexus prerequisite. At the December 11, 1992, meeting, Enney asked the ATF agents to determine whether a drug nexus did in fact exist....

Three days after their meeting with ATF, the Texas counterdrug representatives received a facsimile of a letter dated December 14, 1992, on ``Houston SAC letterhead'' from the RAC of the Austin ATF office, Earl K. Dunagan, requesting military assistance from the Texas Counterdrug Program.\202\ The military assistance requested from the Texas National Guard was for aerial reconnaissance photography, interpretation and evaluation of the photos, and transportation of ATF agents aboard the aircraft during the reconnaissance.\203\ Although the request did not mention suspected drug violations (drug nexus), as would be required to secure non-reimbursable assistance or military assistance from a counterdrug unit, Lt. Col. Pettit, the Texas Counterdrug Task Force Commander, initialed his approval on the request.\204\....

Lt. Col. Pettit told National Guard investigators that he provided his approval because the request required another person's approval as well.\205\ However this decision, in itself, raises several unanswered questions. Did Lt. Col. Pettit assume a drug nexus existed or that one was not needed? Did he believe that the request should be approved despite the absence of legally required drug nexus? Or did he believe that ATF would reimburse the National Guard? These questions repeat themselves throughout the approval process, and are raised here to illustrate the difficulties encountered in disentangling a past approval of military aid involving a drug nexus.....

Two days after Lt. Col. Pettit's approval, Special Agent Aguilera informed Lt. Col. Walker on December 16, 1992, that he received a facsimile from Mark Breault in Australia suggesting the existence of a methamphetamine lab at the Branch Davidian residence.\206\ Mr. Breault was a former Branch Davidian who left the group on bad terms, and exhibited strong personal animosity toward Koresh and several of the Davidians....

The following day, December 17, 1992, SAC Phillip Chojnacki held a meeting in his office with Special Agent Ivan Kallister, Special Agent Davey Aguilera, and Lt. Col. Walker regarding the Waco investigation.\207\ According to ATF, Lt. Col. Walker told SAC Chojnacki during the meeting that the Defense Department could provide non-reimbursable military support if there is a ``suspicion of drug activity.'' \208\ Aguilera was subsequently instructed to ``actively pursue information from his informants about a drug nexus.'' \209\ Additionally, ATF Intelligence Research Specialist Sandy Betterton searched criminal records to determine if Branch Davidians had ``some'' prior drug offenses.\210\ It later was determined that only one Branch Davidian had a prior narcotics conviction.\211\....

January 6, 1993 was the first National Guard overflight of the Branch Davidian residence and their auto body shop, called the ``Mag Bag.'' This overflight was conducted by the Texas National Guard Counterdrug unit in a UC-26 counterdrug aircraft. Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) \212\ videotape taken during the overflight indicated a ``hot spot'' inside the residence and three persons outside behind the residence whom ATF designated as ``sentries.'' \213\ The Texas National Guard conducted five more reconnaissance/surveillance overflights over the Branch Davidian property from February 3, 1993, to February 25, 1993. These overflights were conducted to ``search for armed guards and drug manufacturing facilities.'' \214\....

On the same day as the first National Guard overflight, January 6, 1993, Richard Garner, Chief of Special Operations Division of ATF, drafted another request on ATF Headquarters letterhead directly to Colonel Judith Browning, Director of Plans and Support, of the Office of the Department of Defense Coordinator for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support.\215\ ATF requested the loan of various office equipment, a refrigerator, cots and sleeping bags to be made available on January 11, 1993. The letter states that the ATF was investigating violations of ``firearms and drug laws'' and requested the equipment as ``part of Defense Department support for counterdrug effort.'' Col. Browning responded by letter on January 15 approving the support to be provided by the Regional Logistics Support Office \216\ in El Paso, TX.\217\ The same questions asked of Lt. Col. Pettit above must be asked here of Col. Browning. Here, as with Lt. Col. Pettit, key documentation justifying the deployment of non-reimbursable military aid on the basis of a proven or suspected drug nexus is missing. Yet, Col. Browning approved the request and directed further ATF requests to be made directly to the Regional Logistics Support Office in Texas....

Within a week after Col. Browning's response, Garner sent a further request to Major Victor Bucowsky, the Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Logistics Support Office requesting an MOUT \218\ site for Special Response Team training, driver training and maintenance support for Bradley fighting vehicles, seven Bradley fighting vehicles, and on-call support in the event a siege occurred.\219\ This was the largest request for assistance in Regional Logistics Support Office's history and eventually had to be supplied by Texas National Guard because the Regional Logistics Support Office was unable to handle a law enforcement request of such magnitude.\220\...

On February 2, 1993, Operation Alliance made a request to the Commanding General of JTF-6 for the use of Special Forces personnel assigned to his organization.\221\ Lt. Col. Philip W. Lindley,\222\ the U.S. Army Special Forces Command Staff Judge Advocate, was notified of this request and advised JTF-6....Within days, the training mission by Special Forces soldiers was revised to include only coordination on Army ranges and teaching ATF how to develop an operations order.\226\...

c. Pre-raid military assistance requested by ATF and assistance actually received

The military assistance provided to ATF can be separated into four areas: (1) surveillance overflights by counterdrug National Guard units in January and February 1993; (2) training by Special Forces soldiers assigned to JTF-6 for counterdrug missions in late February 1993; (3) direct support by Texas National Guard counterdrug personnel who conducted an aerial diversion the day of the raid on February 28, 1993; and (4) post-raid support to FBI and ATF.

Six surveillance overflights were conducted by counterdrug National Guard units. Aerial photography missions by the Texas National Guard began on January 6, 1993.\227\ The January 6 missions and subsequent missions on February 3, 18, and 25, 1993, were taken by a Texas National Guard Counterdrug UC-26 aircraft.\228\ On January 14, 1993, aerial photographs were taken by the Alabama National Guard.\229\ And, on February 6, 1993, the Texas National Guard provided infrared video (FLIR) and aerial photography in a Counterdrug UC-26 aircraft.\230\

ATF's request for training of ATF agents by Special Forces soldiers went through several alterations before the actual training took place. Although ATF initially requested Bradley fighting vehicles, SOT/CQB training, on-site medical evacuation assistance and planning assistance, legal restrictions caused the ATF request to be scaled down.\231\ A Special Forces Rapid Support Unit, assigned to Operation Alliance, trained ATF on 25-27 February 1993, in company-level tactical C2, Medical Evacuation training, IV ABC's,\232\ and assistance with Range and MOUT sites.\233\ According to military documents and military witnesses who appeared before the subcommittees, no non-Mission Essential Task List (wartime tasks) training, ...involvement in actual planning occurred.\234\

For the February 28 raid, the Texas National Guard supplied three helicopters and 10 counterdrug personnel. When ATF requested National Guard assistance, their stated mission to the National Guard was to use the helicopters as a command and control platform during the raid, and to transport personnel and evidence after the area was secured.\235\ Only when the National Guard team arrived at Fort Hood for the pre-raid training, less than 24 hours before the raid, did ATF agents inform the National Guard personnel that the helicopters would be used as an aerial diversion during the raid itself. ATF had even assigned one of the National Guard counterdrug soldiers to hang from a monkey sling outside the helicopter to film the raid.\236\ The soldier was in that position when the helicopters took incoming fire.\237\ Although all of the three helicopters sustained damage from weapons fire, none of the National Guard crews or ATF personnel aboard were injured.\238\ Since such direct involvement is prohibited by National Guard Bureau regulations \239\ and placed National Guard personnel in imminent danger, it is unclear why the National Guard consented to ATF's ``last-minute'' changes.

The National Guard's focal group review of the incident did not shed much light on the issue. The summary of its report, dated April 28, 1993, and the report itself ``reveal only one major issue. The issue deals with the pre-raid threat assessment of the Davidians provided by ATF to the Texas National Guard as a `docile' environment. A second issue, which is not included in the written report of the focal group but has been vocalized by Colonel Spence, deals with the suspected methamphetamine laboratory at the Branch Davidian residence. Colonel Spence contends that the drug issue is not included in the focal group report due to the potential media interest and any resulting Freedom of Information Act inquiries.'' \240\

d. Without the alleged drug nexus, the ATF most likely would not have received the same military assistance as was provided

…What is clear is that the ATF would not have received military assistance from the highly trained Special Forces units in such a short time frame and through the streamlined approval process which it enjoyed. As stated above, the ATF originally requested Close Quarters Combat training, a type of training available only from specialized military units like Special Forces. ATF's request was also the largest law enforcement request for military assistance in many of the counterdrug organizations' histories, such as the Regional Logistics Support Office. ATF further requested that its military training be conducted less than 30 days after its request, while even the streamlined Operation Alliance process normally required 90 days. Requesting through Operation Alliance also allowed ATF to avoid an app