Waco Siege

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Waco Siege

TIME magazine cover, depicting the Waco Siege and David Koresh, May 3, 1993.
Date 28 February 1993 - 19 April 1993
Location Waco, Texas
Result Decisive FBI victory
Combatants
ATF
FBI		 Branch Davidians
Commanders
Jeff Jamar
Richard Rogers		 David Koresh†
Strength
Uncertain, at least two sniper teams 120+
Casualties
4 dead, 20 wounded 82 dead

On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) raided the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located 9 miles east-northeast of Waco, Texas. The raid resulted in the deaths of four agents and six Davidians. The subsequent 51-day siege by the FBI ended on April 19 when fire completely consumed the complex, killing 76 people, including 21 children and Davidian leader David Koresh.

Contents

[edit] Prelude

A local newspaper, the Waco Tribune-Herald, began on February 27, 1993 what it called the “Sinful Messiah” series [1]. It alleged that Koresh had physically abused children in the building and taken underage brides, even raping one of them. Koresh was also said to advocate polygamy for himself, and declared himself married to several female residents of the small community. His sect was said by some to be a cult because of its authoritarian structure. Survivors of the raids, former members, and families of members have widely varying accounts of the group's beliefs, practices, and demeanor.

According to the paper, Koresh declared that he was entitled to at least 140 wives, that he was entitled to claim any of the females in the group as his, that he had fathered at least a dozen children by the harem and that some of these mothers became brides as young as twelve or thirteen years old.

Reports from Joyce Sparks, investigator from the Texas agency responsible for protective services, stated that she had found no evidence that the allegations were true in any of several visits to the Mt. Carmel site over a period of months, but she indicated that she was not permitted to speak with the children alone, nor was she permitted to inspect all areas of the site. She noted that safety concerns over construction sites at Mt. Carmel were immediately addressed and corrected.

In 1992, a UPS delivery driver alerted the local deputy sheriff that empty grenade casings had been delivered to the Davidians at Mount Carmel. The sheriff notified the ATF and requested their help. This led to an investigation of the Davidians that lasted several months, and ultimately resulted in allegations of weapons violations committed by the Davidians. [2] In addition, former Davidians told the ATF that Koresh had taught his followers to be prepared for a government assault. The ATF began planning its raid, and search and arrest warrants were issued in early 1993.

Prior to the raid, the Davidians were made aware of the ATF raid. In the aftermath, the ATF drew heavy criticism for proceeding, despite being aware that the Davidians knew of the offensive and of the months-long surveillance of Mt Carmel. Some critics also continue to ask why the ATF agents turned down a direct invitation given months before the initial assault, in which Koresh spoke with the agents by phone and asked that they come talk with him about their concerns.

Some groups have questioned the ATF motives behind the raid. Evidence collected by the Texas Rangers indicated that the Davidians might be manufacturing illegal weapons, but this evidence was called inconclusive by some critics. Firearms experts have noted that the only evidence given was the sound of automatic weapons coming from the property, and that there are a number of ATF-approved devices that can make a (legal) semi-automatic sound like an automatic weapon. Many critics have questioned the raid, though no officials actions have been taken.

The Waco Tribune-Herald pressured authorities to take some sort of action against the Davidians. Some Waco residents were wary of the growing number of people and weapons residing in the Mount Carmel complex. Rumors of child abuse, which a Child Protective Services investigation was unable to confirm, were floating around, and, as noted above, the Tribune-Herald ran a series of articles on the possible threat presented by the Davidians. The very day before the raid by ATF officers, the Tribune-Herald criticized the law enforcement agencies for failing to take action. This series of articles, however, was instigated by members of the Cult Awareness Network and depicted the Branch Davidians as cultists and David Koresh as a deranged and manipulative cult leader who brainwashed his followers. One of the prominent witnesses in the series of articles was a former Branch Davidian who claimed to have been posted as a machinegun-carrying guard, and to have seen a girl leaving Koresh's apartment at midnight.

Carol Moore, author of
"The Massacre Of The Branch Davidians—A Study Of Government Violations Of Rights, Excessive Force And Cover Up", 1994 published by The Committee For Waco Justice, writes:

[Rick] Ross told the Houston Chronicle that Koresh is "your stock cult leader. They're all the same. Meet one and you've met them all. They're deeply disturbed, have a borderline personality and lack any type of conscience. No one willingly enters into a relationship like this. So you're talking about deception and manipulation (by the leader), people being coached in ever so slight increments, pulled in deeper and deeper without knowing where it's going or seeing the total picture[1].

The Davidians' motives are also unclear. An op-ed run in the Washington Post [3], written by former ATF director Steve Higgins, posits that the Davidians' actions, namely, taking up arms and fortifying their building, conflict with their claims of being law-abiding citizens. Resisting law enforcement officers acting in their legal capacity is illegal, but Texas law specifically states that undue force by law enforcement may be met with force for self-defense.[citation needed] The multiple-page Warrant Affidavit also has been criticized for numerous technical and procedural inaccuracies. However, the federal trial and appellate courts all agreed that the affidavit contained ample proof of probable cause for the issuance of the search and arrest warrants for the firearms and explosives charges.

Kimberly Post, a sociology student working on a class assignment for Professor Jeffrey K. Hadden, wrote in 1997:

Relying heavily on reports from a few former members of the Branch Davidians, Marc Breault (a former member and angry apostate) and Rick Ross (a deprogrammer and anti-cultist), Aguilera's affidavit delved into topics not under the jurisdiction of the BATF or part of the initial investigation into firearms violations, such as allegations of child abuse. His affidavit and the assumptions put forth by Breault and Ross decisively influenced the investigation and opinion of Koresh and his followers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Attorney General Janet Reno, and President Clinton[2].

Holding evidence that the Davidians had violated federal law, the ATF obtained search and arrest warrants for Koresh and specific followers, and they planned their raid for March 1, 1993. However, they moved it up a day in response to the start of the Waco Tribune-Herald series.

[edit] The raid

Agents approached the site on Sunday morning, February 28, 1993, in cattle trailers pulled by pickup trucks owned by individual ATF agents. They had obtained an arrest warrant for David Koresh on weapons charges due to the many firearms he and the other Davidians had accumulated. The advantage of surprise was gone, due to reporters asking for directions from a USPS mail carrier who was one of the Branch Davidians, and because the assault team assembled within view of the upper stories of the Mt Carmel main building.

Helicopters had been obtained from the Texas National Guard on the false pretext that there was a drug lab at Mt. Carmel. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the United States military from acting as law enforcement officers. [4] There are exceptions to the act, including laws passed in 1981 that allow for the use of troops against drug smugglers. Without the presence of a drug related offense, the Texas National Guard would not have been able to assist in serving such a warrant [5]. There were, however, no drug related charges on the arrest warrant served the morning of February 28, 1993. During the telephone calls between the FBI and David Koresh throughout the siege, the government admitted armed agents shot at Davidians from at least one helicopter.

The first shots during the raid are reported to have occurred at the double front entry doors; ATF agents stated that they heard shots coming from within the building, while Branch Davidian survivors claimed that the first shots came from the ATF agents outside. An Austin Chronicle article noted, "Long before the fire, the Davidians were discussing the evidence contained in the doors. During the siege, in a phone conversation with the FBI, Steve Schneider, one of Koresh's main confidantes, told FBI agents that "the evidence from the front door will clearly show how many bullets and what happened."[6] Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin, who went inside Mount Carmel during the siege, testified at the trial that protruding metal on the inside of the right-hand entry door made it clear that the bullet holes were made by incoming rounds. DeGuerin also testified that only the right-hand entry door had bullet holes, while the left-hand entry door was intact. The government presented only the intact left-hand entry door at the trial, claiming that the right-hand entry door had been lost. Texas Trooper Sgt. David Keys testified that he witnessed two men loading what could have been the missing door into a U-Haul van shortly after the siege had ended. And Michael Caddell, the lead attorney for the Davidians wrongful death lawsuit explained, "The fact that the left-hand door is in the condition it's in tells you that the right-hand door was not consumed by the fire. It was lost on purpose by somebody[7].

During the raid, a Davidian called 911 pleading for them to stop shooting. The resident asked for a cease-fire, and audiotapes clearly caught him saying "Here they come again!" and "That's them shooting, that's not us!", though these claims are unsubstantiated. The sheriff, in audiotapes broadcast after the incident, said he was not apprised of the raid and did not know how to contact the ATF agents involved. They shouted to television news crews to use their cellular phones to call for ambulances.

The raid itself ended when the ATF ran out of ammunition and called off their attack. The Branch Davidians, who still had ample ammunition, allowed the dead and wounded to be removed and held their fire during the ATF retreat. Steve Willis, Robert Williams, Todd McKeehan and Conway LeBleu were the ATF agents killed during the raid.

[edit] The siege

Governmental officials established contact with Koresh and others inside the building at some point after they failed to rapidly secure the scene and retreated. The FBI took command of the scene soon after the initial raid, placing FBI SAC of San Antonio Jeff Jamar in charge of the siege, and the tactical team was headed by Richard Rogers, whose actions at the Ruby Ridge incident had been criticized earlier. For the next fifty-one days, communication with those inside included telephone contacts with various FBI negotiators who reportedly were not always in touch with front-line tactical units surrounding the building and also pressing those inside to come out. Outside the building, tracked vehicles pushed aside vehicles from parking areas and began circling the building. Loudspeakers were used to broadcast extremely disturbing sounds at the building in a psychological warfare tactic intended to tire those inside. The Davidians hung banners from high places in the building seeking outside help.

As the standoff continued, Koresh negotiated delays, allegedly so he could write religious documents he said he needed to complete before he surrendered. He made and broke numerous promises to send people out and to end the stand-off. His conversations, dense with biblical imagery, alienated the federal negotiators who treated the situation as a hostage crisis. The Davidians released videotapes to agents during the siege in which children sat by Koresh, asking among other things if the agents were going to come kill them.

The children's willingness to stay by Koresh disturbed the negotiators who were unprepared to work around the Davidians' religious zeal.

During the siege a number of scholars who study apocalypticism in religious groups attempted to persuade the Justice Department that the siege tactics being used by government agents would only create the impression within the Davidians that they were part of a Biblical End Times confrontation that had cosmic significance; and likely increase the chances of a violent and deadly outcome. (In a subsequent standoff with the Montana Freemen, the Justice Department incorporated this advice to end the confrontation peacefully). Many Koresh statements about religion that baffled government negotiators were understood by religious scholars as references to his idiosyncratic interpretations of the book of Revelation, and his claimed role in the End Times battle between good and evil, in which government officials are feared to be possible agents of the Satanic Antichrist by some Christians (Ammerman; Stone; Anthony and Robbins).

The Davidian video tape was made at the request of negotiators and was supposed to be released to the families of Davidians who were naturally worried. Yet the tapes were not released and several years later the survivors had to go to court to obtain the tape that they had made and of which they held the legal copyright. In the tape, several mothers sent their children out of the complex, following promises by the FBI that they would be placed with family members. Initially these children were taken into state custody and placed in a religious children's home, and the senior citizens who had gone with the children to take care of them were arrested. These mothers voiced concern about their children and the treatment they were receiving. In reply they received a video sent into the complex by the negotiators. The mothers were disturbed that their children were being fed things forbidden by their religious diet (similar to and less strict than the Kosher rules of Judaism) and (in their view harmfully) were being allowed to run wild with minimal supervision while watching television all day. In addition, the violation of the promises destroyed any possibility of further trust of the FBI, making the negotiators' job all but impossible.

The role played by Rick Ross before and during standoff at Waco, Texas caused some controversy. Ross deprogrammed Branch Davidian David Block in 1992, prior to the raid. That Davidian was later interviewed by the BATF, which also interviewed Ross. Ross says he deprogrammed another Davidian during the standoff, but this was not reported. He was also one source quoted in the Waco Tribune-Herald's series titled "Sinful Messiah" for which they interviewed over 100 people. For details, see Rick Ross' role in the Branch Davidian standoffs.

[edit] The assault

Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved the recommendations of veteran FBI officials to proceed with the final assault after being told that conditions were deteriorating and children were continuing to be abused inside the besieged complex. Because the Davidians were heavily armed, the governments forces' arsenal included .50 caliber guns and armored vehicles retrofitted with CS gas. Some of the gas was inserted via booms on CEVs. The booms punched holes in the outer walls of the building, but the FBI claimed that these penetrations did not damage the interior wall, stairways, or other structural elements of the building. Branch Davidian survivors disagree, and note that the 32-foot-long CEVs drove all the way into the wooden structure, while the stairways were close to the outside walls. After more than four hours no Davidians had left the building, so one of the CEVs attempted to drive through the gymnasium to clear a pathway to the central part of the building, and the gymnasium collapsed. No one was injured in the collapse, as the gym was used for storage. Some additional structural damage also was caused when a CEV used its blade to open up the front doors, which the Davidians had blocked with a piano. Since the Davidians had blocked the exits, the CEV dragged debris out of the building and opened up an exit for Davidians who wanted to leave.

At around noon, three fires started almost simultaneously in different parts of the building. Few people came out, even as fire consumed the building. One woman jumped from a window, her back on fire, and was placed under arrest by FBI agents. Another came out, then went back into the building. An FBI agent ran into the burning building and dragged her out. She refused to tell him where the children were. Most of the Davidians remained inside as fire engulfed the building. All this was broadcast worldwide from gyro-stabilized lenses set up at the nearest point FBI officials allowed press observers.

Critics suggest that CS gas was injected into the building by armored vehicles in an unsafe manner immediately before the fire broke out. However, at least two of the fires started well inside the building, away from any recent insertions of tear gas.

Between 1993 and 1999, FBI spokesmen denied the use of any sort of pyrotechnic devices during the assault, even though Flite-Rite pyrotechnic grenades had been found in the rubble immediately following the fire. In 1999, FBI spokesmen were forced to admit that they had used Flite-Rite pyrotechnic grenades, however FBI spokesmen claimed that these devices, which dispense tear gas through an internal burning process, had been used during an early-morning attempt to penetrate a covered, water-filled construction pit, and were not fired into the building itself. According to FBI claims, the fires started approximately four hours after the pyrotechnic grenades had been fired, but critics note that claims regarding timing are suspect, because until they were forced to recant FBI agents knowingly gave false testimony that no pyrotechnics whatsoever were used, or even present. In 1999, the FBI also released video and audio tapes, and aerial infrared videotape shot by the FBI shows heat signatures consistent with the launching of Flite-Rite pyrotechnic grenades within moments before the first heat plume of the fatal fire.

The FBI has also admitted to using incendiary flares during the standoff to illuminate areas at night, but claims not to have used illumination flares during the assault, all of which took place during daylight hours.

The Branch Davidians had given ominous warnings involving fire on several occasions [8]. This may or may not be indicative of the Davidians' future actions, but could be construed as evidence that the fire was started by the Davidians.

Jeff Jamar prohibited fire crews' access to the burning buildings until after the blaze had burned itself out. This has led to questions about the motivations of the FBI site chief. The FBI states that fire crews were not allowed near the site due to the danger of explosives within the fire and possible weapons fire from surviving inhabitants. As the fire appeared to have completely engulfed the building, two agents located about 300 yards (270 m) from the back of the building stood up from behind their protective sandbags and claim to have been shot at by someone inside the burning building.[citation needed] However, the FBI infrared tape clearly shows Federal agents leaving their armored vehicles and walking around near the building shortly before and during the fire.

[edit] Shootings

Several documentaries suggest that the FBI fired weapons into the building, which the FBI denies. The main evidence for gunfire is bright flashes in aerial infrared recordings known as forward looking infrared or FLIR. Edward Allard, a former government specialist on infrared imagery submitted an affidavit in which he declared that the video, recorded by the government during the gas assault, revealed bursts of automatic gunfire coming from government agents. Another independent FLIR expert, Carlos Ghigliotti, also confirms gunfire, when shown the cleaner video kept by government officials. International experts hired by the Office of Special Counsel claimed that the flashes were not gunfire because (1) they lasted too long, (2) there were no guns or people on the tapes anywhere near the flashes; and (3) the flashes were consistent with reflections off debris and other materials near the building. Edward Allard commented on the reflection theory, saying that it was impossible for the flashes on the FLIR film to be reflections, because FLIR does not record light, it records heat, and reflections do not produce enough heat to be noticeable on tape. Maurice Cox, a former analyst from the US Intelligence community tested the reflection theory using the principles of solar geometry. Maurice Cox's Sun Reflection Report concluded that the flashes seen on the FLIR footage could only be from gunfire. In January 1999 Mr. Cox challenged FBI director Louis Freeh and FBI scientists to dispute his findings. There was no response. For more analysis on this controversy, see the external links below.

Secondary proof was a summary of a statement made by FBI sniper Charles Riley several weeks after the incident to an FBI investigator that he had heard shots fired from sniper position Sierra 1. The Blue sniper team had been headed by Lon Horiuchi. Lon Horiuchi was the same sniper involved at Ruby Ridge. [9] In 1995, when attorneys submitted that FBI report as evidence to Judge Smith, the FBI produced an additional interview in which Riley clarified that he had heard the statement "shots fired" from Sierra 1, which meant that agents at Sierra 1 had observed shots being fired at the FBI vehicles by the Davidians. Given the conflict between the summary and Riley's clarification, the latter could not be used to have the claims dismissed early in the lawsuit.

The .308 shell casings found at Sierra 1 were examined by ballistics experts hired by the Branch Davidians, who agreed with Government experts that the casings matched guns used by the ATF on February 28, and the Davidians dropped that claim in their lawsuit against the Government.

Autopsies revealed some of the women and children found beneath the remains of a concrete wall of a storage room died of skull injuries. However, photographs taken after the fire show that the CEV that penetrated the structure while injecting CS gas did not come close enough to cause the collapse -- the collapse was more likely the result of the fire and the thousands of rounds of ammunition that "cooked off" in that room during the fire. Autopsy photographs depicting bodies of other children locked in what appear to be spasmic death poses have been attributed by some to cyanide poisoning produced by burning CS gas. However, these poses can also be attributed to the post-mortem "boxer pose" all bodies caught in fires eventually assume, created as ligaments connecting bones together shorten as the fire dries them. Autopsy records indicate that on April 19 at least 20 Davidians were shot, including 5 children under the age of 14[10].

[edit] Documentary films

The Branch Davidian siege has been the subject of a number of documentary films. The first of these was a made for television film, In the Line of Duty: Ambush at Waco, which was made before the final assault on the church and essentially promoted the government's view of the initial ambush.

The first film that was critical of the official reports was Waco: The Big Lie [11] produced by Linda Thompson, followed by Waco II: The Big Lie Continues. The Linda Thompson videos were controversial and made a number of allegations, the most famous of which was footage of a tank with what appears to be light reflected from it; Thompson's narration claimed this was a flamethrower attached to the tank. Thompson's subsequent activities, such as declaring an armed march on Washington, D.C. and her denunciation of many other researchers into the Waco siege as part of a cover-up, limited her credibility in most circles. The next film was Day 51: The True Story of Waco, which featured Ron Cole, a self-proclaimed militia member from Colorado who was later prosecuted for weapons violations [12]. The Linda Thompson and Ron Cole films, along with extensive coverage given to the Branch Davidian siege on some talk radio shows, galvanized support for the Branch Davidians among some sections of the right including the nascent militia movement, while critics on the left also denounced the government siege on civil liberties grounds. The New Alliance Party produced a report blaming the siege on the influence of the Cult Awareness Network [13]. Timothy McVeigh cited the Waco siege as a primary motivation for the Oklahoma City bombing and was known to be a fan of both the Linda Thompson and Ron Cole videos. It is known that McVeigh may have visited the Mt. Carmel site during the siege as an interested bystander. [citation needed]

Perhaps because most of the critical views were seen as coming from the political fringes of the right and left, most mainstream media discounted any critical views presented by early documentary films.

This changed when professional filmmakers Dan Gifford and Amy Sommer produced their Emmy Award winning documentary, Waco: The Rules of Engagement [14]. This film presents a history of the Branch Davidian movement and most important, a critical examination of the conduct of law enforcement leading up to the raid, and through the aftermath of the fire. The film features footage of the Congressional hearings on Waco, and juxtaposition of official government spokespeople with footage and evidence often directly contradicting them. The documentary also shows infrared footage demonstrating that the FBI likely used incendiary devices to start the fire which consumed the building and did indeed fire on, and kill, Branch Davidians attempting to flee the fire.

Waco: The Rules of Engagement was nominated for a 1997 Academy Award for best documentary and was followed by another film: Waco: A New Revelation [15].

America Wake Up (Or Waco) was another film released in 2000 by Alex Jones which documents the 1993 Waco incident with the Branch Davidians.

The Assault on Waco was released on September 16, 2006 on the Discovery channel, and it details the entire attack on Waco.

[edit] Legal aftermath, lingering questions and controversies

The events at the Branch Davidian property at Waco, Texas have engendered strong reactions among those following the case. Many people view the events at Waco as egregious violations of the civil rights of the Branch Davidians--an entirely inappropriate, illegal use of executive and judicial federal power. The opposing view is that the events constituted an appropriate takedown of a child-molesting, radical cult that ran a drug lab and threatened society with automatic weapons. Some facts validate each point of view, but many of the facts are disputed, and evidence has been lost or destroyed.

The general sequence of events was televised, and people around the world watched. The people who are passionate about the events range from those in the halls of Congress to the most ordinary of citizens, both in the United States and abroad. The struggle to determine the truth is reflected in the editing of this article.

  • Judge Walter J. Smith (who was under investigation during the first half of the trial by the Justice Department for not telling the truth under oath) presided over the trial in which a jury found some of the surviving Branch Davidians guilty. Over Government objections, Judge Smith empaneled an advisory jury in the civil case. That jury ruled in favor of the United States and against the Davidians (see below).
  • Congressional Inquiry--The House Committee on Government Reform concluded that the Davidians started the fires.
  • Danforth Report--The Special Counsel appointed to look into the "darker questions" concluded with "100% certainty" that the Davidians started the fires. However, evidence of pyrotechnic "Flite-Rite" rounds was discounted due to sworn testimony by Federal agents that no such devices were used, present or even available to the FBI. Since the FBI now admits that this testimony was false, many deem the Danforth Report conclusions to be less than reliable.
  • Federal prosecutor Bill Johnston pled guilty to charges of obstructing an investigation for withholding evidence of the use of pyrotechnic devices.
  • The advisory jury that heard the civil case against the government in the summer of 2000 found in favor of the Government on all claims, and found specifically that the BATF agents acted within the law in returning fire on February 28, 1993, and that the FBI neither caused, nor contributed to, the fire. However, the primary piece of evidence that would prove who had fired first, the steel front door, still has not been found by the FBI, whose investigators removed it from the site hours after the fire. Without this door, it is not proven that the BATF agents were "returning fire," though videotape shot by news crews indicates that there was no gunfire from the building during the first few minutes of the assault.

[edit] Cultural references

  • In the computer game Postal², one of the tasks on the final game day is to "Visit Uncle Dave" at his compound to give him his birthday present. Upon arrival the player discovers the compound is surrounded by ATF agents who are instructing the people in the compound to "cover themselves in flammable substances and stand near the windows" and have driven a tank through one of the compounds walls. After making their way past the BATF, the player makes his way through the compound, discovering several burnt-out corpses. After giving Uncle Dave his present, the BATF storm the compound, forcing the player to shoot his way out.
  • In the episode "Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub" of South Park season 3, a party celebrating a meteor shower is mistakenly thought to be a cult that will commit mass suicide. The BATF surrounds the house and shoots several people who exit the party. The BATF soon discovers they have made a terrible mistake and announce that this event had never occurred.
  • American Metal band Lamb Of God's song "O.D.H.G.A.B.F.E." mentions the Waco siege.
  • American-rock band Grant Lee Buffalo's hit "Lone Star Song" is about the Waco siege.
  • American Metal band Machine Head's song "Davidian" is also about the Waco siege, as the name implies.
  • American progressive metal band Dream Theater's song "In the name of God" is possibly containing references to the event. ("Fourty sons and daughters, unconsenting plural wives")
  • Electronic artist Boards of Canada makes various references to the Branch Davidians in the albums Geogaddi and In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country.
  • Underground nerdcore rapper mc chris's song "mcchrisownz" contains a line stating that he is "lit like a Branch Davidian."
  • In the 1997 remake of Vanishing Point, the FBI's motivation for stopping Kowalski in the Challenger is all the "heat" they've taken for Waco and Ruby Ridge. At the end of the movie, when Kowalski reaches the final roadblock, several bystanders are holding signs with phrases such as "Remember Waco," and "Don't Forget Mt. Carmel."
  • Canadian rapcore band Project Wyze's song "Nothing's What It Seems", Waco, Texas is mentioned.
  • Member Shaggy 2 Dope of American group Insane Clown Posse mentions in their song "Bring It", "I pimp it like David Koresh," referencing the fact that Koresh sired 14 children inside the Mt. Carmel compound.
  • In the Wu-Tang Clan song "Bring Da Ruckus", Ghostface Killah mentions "I blow sparks like Waco, Texas"
  • In Andy McNab's novel Aggressor, the character Nick Stone, at the time a member of the SAS, is present at Waco to provide 'technical support', including protection of a nerve gas agent. Note that the facts are distorted somewhat for the purpose of the fictional novel.
  • Hip-Hop artist A.G. mentions in his song "Hip Hop Quotable", "That nigga A on fire like Waco,"

[edit] Bibliography

  • Anthony, D. and T. Robbins (1997). "Religious totalism, exemplary dualism and the Waco tragedy." In Robbins and Palmer 1997, 261–284.
  • Docherty, Jayne Seminare. Learning Lessons From Waco: When the Parties Bring Their Gods to the Negotiation Table (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2001). ISBN 0-8156-2751-3
  • Heymann, Philip B. (U.S. Department of Justice). Lessons of Waco: Proposed Changes in Federal Law Enforcement (Washington: USDOJ, 1993). ISBN 0-16-042977-3
  • Kerstetter, Todd. "'That's Just the American Way': The Branch Davidian Tragedy and Western Religious History", Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 4, Winter 2004.
  • Kopel, David B. and Paul H. Blackman. No More Wacos: What’s Wrong With Federal Law Enforcement and How to Fix It (Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 1997). ISBN 1-57392-125-4
  • Lewis, James R. (ed.). From the Ashes: Making Sense of Waco (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 1994). ISBN 0-8476-7915-2 (cloth) ISBN 0-8476-7914-4 (paper)
  • Linedecker, Clifford L. Massacre at Waco, Texas: The Shocking Story of Cult Leader David Koresh and the Branch Davidians (New York: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1993). ISBN 0-312-95226-0
  • Lynch, Timothy. No Confidence: An Unofficial Account of the Waco Incident (Washington: Cato Institute, 2001).
  • Moore, Carol. The Davidian Massacre: Disturbing Questions Abut Waco Which Must Be Answered." (Virginia: Gun Owners Foundation, 1995). ISBN 1-880692-22-8
  • Reavis, Dick J. The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995). ISBN 0-684-81132-4
  • Tabor, James D. and Eugene V. Gallagher. Why Waco?: Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995). ISBN 0-520-20186-8
  • Thibodeau, David and Leon Whiteson. A Place Called Waco: A Survivor's Story (New York: PublicAffairs, 1999). ISBN 1-891620-42-8
  • Wright, Stuart A. (ed.). Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on the Branch Davidian Conflict (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995).

[edit] Legal and governmental

  • United States v. Branch, W.D. Texas Criminal Case No. 6:93cr46, trial transcript 1/10/94 - 2/26/94; 91 F.3d 699 (5th Cir. 1996)
  • United States v. Castillo, 179 F.3d 321 (1999); Castillo v. United States, 120 S.Ct. 2090 (2000); on remand, 220 F.3d 648 (5th Cir. 2000)
  • Andrade v. United States, W.D. Texas Civil Action No. W-96-CA-139, trial transcript 6/19/2000 - 7/14/2000; 116 F.Supp.2d 778 (W.D. Tex. 2000)
  • Andrade v. Chojnacki, 338 F.3d 448 (5th Cir. 2003)
  • United States Department of Justice. Recommendations of Experts for Improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco (Washington: USDOJ, 1993). ISBN 0-16-042974-9
  • Ammerman, Nancy T. (1993). "Report to the Justice and Treasury Departments regarding law enforcement interaction with the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas." Submitted September 3, 1993. Recommendations of Experts for Improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of the Treasury. Online
  • Stone, Alan A. (1993). "Report and Recommendations Concerning the Handling of Incidents Such As the Branch Davidian Standoff in Waco Texas." Submitted November 10, 1993. Recommendations of Experts for Improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Online.
  • Final Report to the Deputy Attorney General concening the 1993 confrontation at the Mt. Carmel Complex, Waco, Texas, John C. Danforth, Special Counsel (November 8, 2000)
  • Committee on the Judiciary (in conjunction with the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, House of Representatives, 104th Congress, Second Session. Materials Relating to the Investigation Into the Activities of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Toward the Branch Davidians (Washington: USGPO, 1997). ISBN 0-16-055211-7 Available online here.

[edit] See also

[edit] Suggested reading

[edit] External links

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