Federal Agents Recall Branch Davidian Shootout 24 Years Ago

Nearly 24 years after the Branch Davidian standoff began near Waco, some federal agents are opening up about their experiences that resulted in the worst day in the history of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and ultimately the deaths of some 70 people inside the compound more than seven weeks later.

"I've decided I'm never going to forget, and I owe it to the guys who were killed to tell their story," ATF Agent Gary Orchowski told the Houston Chronicle in a story published Sunday.

Four agents were killed Feb. 28, 1993, when more than 130 ATF special agents and support staff from Houston, Dallas and New Orleans showed up to execute search warrants for illegal stockpiles of automatic weapons and explosives at the compound.

Oh, yes.

Congressman (now Senator) Chuckles Schumer laid the groundwork for that staged hearing where the public heard all those fake stories about child abuse, underage "marriages" and other nefarious activities going on in the Branch Davidians' "compound."

From what was presented, one could conclude the BATF/FBI attack on the Davidians was justified if only to "save the children."

I was for the first time embarassed to be a Republican when the chairman -- a Republican Congressman for Florida, as I recall -- raised not one objection to the charade the Democrats were putting on by calling "experts" who had no proof whatsoever that Koresh had an arsenal of automatic weapons, bombs and other incendiaries. (The NRA had requested permission to do an independent examination of the weapons recovered after the fire, but were turned down by Clinton's "justice" department.) Rather, the Dems' witnesses specialized in how the Davidians treated their kids.

Schumer had well-rehearsed witnesses present emotion-driven testimony; Republicans on that committee, by contrast, were next to worthless.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-waco/

—
Nobody knows who shot first.
Gunfire broke out on the compound when ATF agents arrived with arrest and search warrants against David Koresh and the Branch Davidian compound, based on evidence that the Davidians were illegally stockpiling weapons. How did the shootout begin? It still isn’t clear. But amid the gunfire, Koresh called 911 to report the shooting — and to preach.

—

Two FBI teams clashed over how to handle Koresh, and it spilled over into name-calling.
The FBI had two teams working to end the standoff: The negotiators, who tried to establish a relationship with Koresh and the other Davidians, and the Hostage Rescue Team, which handled the tactical maneuvers. The two sides were often at odds.

Negotiators felt hamstrung by a hostage rescue team that made aggressive moves — blaring music, crushing Davidians’ cars and a guard shack — in the midst of delicate discussions with Koresh.

The hostage teams, meanwhile, felt the negotiators should have pressured the Davidians by denying them food or water, or cutting the power, according to Barry Higginbotham, a member of the FBI hostage rescue team at Waco, who spoke to FRONTLINE in 1995.

That led to a lot of tension. Here’s one example:

BYRON SAGE, FBI negotiator and supervisory senior resident agent: On occasions, I made a number of trips up to the tactical sites located right out in front of the compound. There was one time when there was a notation on one of the portable outhouses up front that said, “Sage is a Davidian,” obviously written by one of the tactical guys.

FRONTLINE asked a member of the hostage rescue team, James McGee, about it. He chuckled:

That would be very symbolic of the frustration. There was a high level of frustration.

—

The FBI told Attorney General Janet Reno that children were being abused at Waco, even though it wasn’t true.
Reno initially rejected the FBI’s tear gas plan as being too aggressive. A strong advocate for children, Reno was concerned the Davidians might use the children as human shields if the FBI launched an offensive. Then Reno said she heard from the FBI that the children at Waco being abused. She told ABC News’ Nightline:

We had had reports that they had been sexually abused, that babies had actually been beaten. I asked when I first heard that for them to verify it and, again, that was the report that was brought back.

It wasn’t true, and the FBI knew it. So who told her? William Sessions, the FBI director at the time, told FRONTLINE he wasn’t the one. But someone at the FBI did, according to documents FRONTLINE uncovered (*). It’s just not clear who.

Ultimately, Reno approved the gas plan. Agents began spraying tear gas into the compound the morning of April 19, 1993.

* http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/waco/wacotranscript.html

When the photo op went bad for the agents, they attacked the news crew they’d invited and tried to take their tapes. (Dan Mulloney interview)

15:21 into this documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr9pQ1pIbiU

Also I recall in this documentary is a clip (from CSPAN?) where Chuck Schumer acknowledges that the agents have lied about not using incendiary devices (they also lied about Delta Force not being present) but excuses it by saying that both sides had lied at the hearing. I seem to recall it is near the end of the documentary, (it was billed as a followup to the Oscar nominated film which aired in varying lengths, with Time-Lies-HBO saying they cut Waco Rules of Engagement purely for time constraint reasons).

I saw clips of Chuck at 1:08:xx, 1:13:xx, and 1:20:xx

Gunfire broke out on the compound when ATF agents arrived with arrest and search warrants against David Koresh and the Branch Davidian compound, based on evidence that the Davidians were illegally stockpiling weapons.

I wonder what "illegally stockpiling weapons" means? I wouldn't think that would be possible for any non-felon in the USA.

One thing I do recall is that the people charged with killing the federal agents were acquitted of the charges, and then subsequently railroaded by some judge, who basically arbitrarily imposed severe sentences notwithstanding the acquittals! I'll never understand that Tyrannical act.

I also remember that the BATF, AG Reno, and President Clinton violated the Posse Comitatus act by using the United States military against these civilians.

I'll never forget the image of Abrams tanks being used to attack a civilian compound on U.S. soil.

Whatever the details of the ensuing deadly conflagration may be, police state insanity fomented by Clinton, Reno, and the BATF was a causal factor in the resulting death of over 80 men, women, and children.

But, hey, the BATF got their guy!

We're supposed to ignore the fact that the BATF, by showing a modicum of patience, could have peacefully and quietly snapped Koresh up during any number of occasions prior to the initial assault.

But that would have deprived the Clinton administration of what they thought would be an anti-2A propaganda coup showing who was boss. These religious fanatics clinging to their guns and Bibles had to be taught a lesson.

"You play with fire, you're gonna get burned"... the jackboots got their pound of flesh at Waco.

Too bad it cost them several agents...

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.