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Charles Jaco has written opinion and commentary pieces for dozens of magazines and newspapers. Each week, read and comment on a fresh on-line version. The discussion page enables you to share your view points world wide. If you would like to make a comment go to the " Join the discussion" link below. If you would like to view past editorials visit the Editorial Archive. Editorial: 9/1/99
When the Oklahoma City Federal Building was bombed, I knew immediately it had something to do with Waco. I sat out all eight weeks of the Branch Davidian siege in a muddy field a mile and a half from the David Koresh compound, camped out with the rest of the reporters. The bomb went off on the anniversary of the end. And it went off in Oklahoma City, which as everyone knew, was the home base of FBI agent Bob Ricks, the Bureau's spokesman during the entire stand-off. And now, some new ammunition has fallen into the hands of right-wing anti-government radicals, both in and out of Congress. It's the 40 millimeter M651 CS grenade. This is the so-called "incendiary device" fired at the Branch Davidians by the FBI. Its incendiary nature, though, is not tactical. It's political. The M651 usually generates heat for ten to fifteen seconds while it spews out the CS gas, and then stops. It is not a hand-launched version of white phosphorus or napalm. Its purpose is to deliver gas, not start a fire. But its managed to heat up miltia web sites and several Congressional committees. Their suspicion, of course, is that the FBI assault on April 19, 1993 started the fires that killed 83 men, women, and children inside the Koresh compound. Never mind that the gas grenades were launched six hours before the fire began, and were fired at a "bunker" several dozen yards distant from the main building that burned. Never mind that arson investigators concluded that the fires were set inside the compound. Or that the clothing of some surviving Davidians bore traces of accelerants, like lighter fluid, used to spread the fire. Or that infrared videotape shows the fires starting simultaneously in three seperate areas. Or that FBI bugs inside the compound picked up the Davidians talking about things like "spreading the fuel." The radical fringe has always wanted to believe that the Davidians were dissident martyrs slaughtered by Big Brother. And the FBI's pattern of bungling, infighting, and deception has fed that X-Files sensibility. The use of the M651 CS's and the presence of three members of the Army's elite Delta Force are classic examples. FBI spokesman Ricks, in his post-fire Waco briefing, claimed that "no incendiary devices of any kind were used." Ricks, now head of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, says he's "as surprised as anyone" to find out the grenades were used. That, unfortunately, is not surprising, considering that the FBI spent a good deal of its time fighting with itself almost from day one at Waco. FBI on-scene commander Jeff Jamar was at odds with many of his own people. For example, power was shut off and on to the compound, and recordings of everything from Tibetan chants to screeching animals were played over loudspeakers. The FBI negotiators trying to talk Koresh out objected, and were ignored. On March 12th, the power was shut off for good, again over the negotiator's strenuous objections. Despite his good relations with the Davidians, Mclennan County Sheriff Jack Harwell was used only irregularly to talk to them. In fact, the situation got so bad that Justice Department official Mark Richard was dispatched to Waco in late March to mediate the intra-agency fueding. After the siege, the FBI and Justice Department claimed they moved in on April 19th because of "new reports of child abuse inside the compound." If those reports actually exist, they're the best-kept secrets since the Manhattan Project. According to two members of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) who talked to me later, the real reason may have been that the HRT was due to rotate out of Waco and be replaced with a new team. It would have taken at least a week, maybe more, to bring a new team up to speed, and I was told, "Washington is tired of waiting on Koresh." As to the Delta Force---its members regularly observe FBI operations in case "additonal expertise is needed," according to ex-FBI spokesman Ricks. Some driving lessons might have been in order too, given the FBI agents demolition derby driving of the armored personnel carriers brought in from Fort Hood. What happened at Waco was tragic. FBI actions were often petty and stupid and miscalculated. But they were neither murderous nor evil. If past experience is any guide, though, that shouldn't allow facts to get in the way of ideology for the fringe Waco revisionists. |
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