Branch Davidian

(Redirected from Waco massacre)

The Branch Davidians are a religious group originating from the Seventh-day Adventist church. They are best known because of the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas by federal agents, which ended in the deaths of 75 of the church's members, including head figure David Koresh. Church members did not describe themselves as Branch Davidians.

1 History
2 BATF raid and siege
3 Shootings
4 The Coverup
5 Legal Aftermath
6 List of Dead and Survivors
7 Admitted Government Lies
8 Today
9 See also
10 External links

History

In 1929, Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant, claimed that he had a new message for the SDA church. It was submitted in the form of a book entitled "The Shepherd's Rod." His claims were not accepted and he left to form the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. The term "Davidian" refers to the restoration of the Davidic kingdom, while "Branch" refers to the new name of Christ. In 1955, after Houteff's death, a split of this movement formed the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, headed initially by Benjamin L. Roden. The group established a settlement outside of Waco, Texas on the property previously occupied by the Davidian group. Leadership and occupancy of the property had been the subject of inner conflict among the Davidians before Vernon Howell (later renamed David Koresh) took charge of the property in 1988. George Roden, son of Benjamin, had claimed that he was the rightful prophet of the group, but was jailed for contempt of court and in his absence Howell took charge of the disputed land.

In 1981 Howell joined the group as a regular member which at the time was headed by Benjamin Roden's wife Lois who claimed to have a message of her own, one element of which was that the Holy Spirit is feminine in gender. In 1983 she allowed Howell to begin to teach his own message which caused much controversy in the group. There was a general meeting at Mt. Carmel of all Branch Davidians in 1984 and the end result was that the group split into several factions one of which was loyal to Howell. At that time Howell named his faction, "Davidian Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist." It was also at this time that George Roden forced Howell to leave the property. Upon returning to the property under questionable circumstances in 1988, Howell dropped the new name of his association, and assumed the name of the association he and his followers left four years previously. In 1990 Howell changed his name to David Koresh, invoking the biblical Kings David and Cyrus. From its inception, the group was apocalyptic, in that they believed themselves to be living in a time when Christian prophesies of a final divine judgment were coming to pass. Davidians under Koresh believed prophesy to foretell a cyclic series of events, described as a spiral, with history returning to prophetically foretell events but each time, advance in terms of cosmological progress. Koresh supported his beliefs with detailed biblical interpretation, using the Book of Revelation as the lens through which the entire Bible was viewed.

BATF raid and siege

On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) raided the Branch Davidian ranch in Mount Carmel, a rural area near Waco, Texas. The raid resulted in the deaths of four agents and five Davidians. The subsequent 51-day siege ended on April 19 when the compound was completely consumed by fire killing 75 men, women, and children, including Koresh.

Prelude

A Texas newspaper had investigated reports that Koresh had abused children in the building, and was publishing a series about the allegations at the time of the raid. Koresh openly advocated polygamy for himself and selected others in the group, and asserted himself married to several female residents of the small community. His sect was said by some to be a cult for 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.

Investigation by Texas Child Protective services found no problems with the group.

Justification for the raid, as widely repeated in initial media reports, was a report by a delivery company that a package of grenade casings had been shipped to the Davidians. Later investigation revealed the casings were legal dummy grenades often used for paperweights or sold to military enthusiasts. The media also repeated what officials had told a judge who signed the warrant, that there was evidence the Davidians were converting semi-automatic weapons to automatic weapons.

The Davidians were not licensed gun dealers at the time, but were until shortly before the raid lawfully assembling weapons under a contract with a licensed dealer. Through what some authors say was pressure by BATF agents, their dealer removed his umbrella of protection from the Davidians. At that point, the Davidians could still possess parts and assemble semi-automatic rifles, but could not resell them in large numbers or convert them for automatic fire.

Conversely, it is said that one of the Branch Davidians had a federal firearms dealers license, and that the BATF could come at anytime, with or without a warrant to inspect things. The local sheriff had come to inspect things previously with no problems. And in fact, Koresh had asked the local police to remove a meth lab when he'd taken over the group, which was successfully done.

The warrant also alleged the Davidians converted rifles to automatic rifles, and that the quick forceful raid, or "dynamic entry" was essential to prevent the occupants from destroying evidence of converted rifles. Questions after the raid centered on whether the automatic conversions involved re-tooling the trigger mechanisms, or whether the Davidians had in their possession legal hell-fire triggers, a spring-loaded mechanism that helps shooters rapidly fire semi-automatic rifles. Officials said the large number of agents trained in assault tactics was necessary because of the potential firepower inside the building.

The BATF practiced the large-scale raid at another location for several days before launching the assault near Waco. The raid occurred shortly after a change of administration, when senior agency veterans were otherwise struggling to show Congress why it should continue funding a unique law enforcement agency to control firearms, tobacco and alcohol.

The raid

Agents approached the compound on Sunday morning, February 28, 1993, in trailers covered to appear as cattle trailers hauled by a local rancher. Some of the first shots during the raid are reported to have occurred near the front door. There is no agreement as to the shots' motivations or origins. Books written about the incident suggest the first shots fired might have been at dogs that approached the agents as they spilled from the trailers. Images of the initial raid, with the agents retreating under fire, were broadcast worldwide by television crews BATF agents had invited along during the raid.

During the gunfire, a resident of the compound called the McLennan county sheriff's department to ask why the agents were shooting at them. He asked for a cease-fire. The sheriff, in audiotapes broadcast after the incident, said he did not know in advance of the raid and did not know how to contact the BATF agents involved in the raid.

Failure to secure the scene was in part a result of fortification the Davidians had prepared. Lower sections of walls had been filled with concrete, providing effective cover against small arms fire for those inside. The Davidians had also constructed underground refuges that likely protected some of the uninvolved occupants from indirect gunfire as agents swarmed the structure in a hail of bullets. Some tactical analysts have also suggested agents suffered from their own crossfire during the most intense moments of the firefight.

The siege

Government officials established contact with Koresh and others inside the compound 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. Richard Rogers, the same man in charge of Ruby Ridge who had changed "return fire" orders to "shoot on sight" was placed in charge. For the next 51 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 pressing those inside to come out. Outside the building, tracked vehicles pushed aside vehicles from parking areas, and began circling the building. Amplifiers were used to broadcast sounds at the building in a psychological warfare tactic intended to fatigue those inside. The Davidians hung banners from high places in the building, seeking help from those outside the government siege.

As the standoff continued, Koresh, seriously injured by a gunshot to his side, and his closest male leaders negotiated delays, usually so he could write religious documents he said he needed to complete before he surrendered. 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. Their willingness to stay by Koresh vexed the agents who were unequipped to work around the Davidians' religious zeal.

The video tape was made at the request of negotiators and was supposed to be released to the families of Davidians who were naturally worried. 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 hold the legal copyright of. In the tape, several mothers who had sent their children out of the complex with the understanding that they would be placed with family members (which was a lie; the children were taken into state custody and placed in a *religious* children's home) voiced concern about their children and the treatment that they were recieving (which was shown to them by video sent into the complex by the negotiators). The mothers were disturbed that their children were being fed things forbidden by their religious customs (similar and less strict than the Kosher rules of Judaism), and were being allowed to run wild with minimal supervision while watching television all day.

Perhaps most interesting and telling of all, is that psychologists who examined the children who were sent out during the seige, found no evidence of abuse and commented that the children were well mannered and developmentally advanced. Specifically, even the youngest were able to grasp abstract concepts such as infinity and eternity, something that teens often struggle with. Academically the children were also found to be advanced. Finnally, each child sent out was well clothed and carried significant sums of cash with a note from the mothers stating that it should be used to pay for quality care and needs of the children. The cash was confiscated by the government and many of the families were later billed for the care of the children.

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 children were being abused inside the besieged complex. Armored vehicles retrofitted with chemical weapons approached the building from two sides, upwind on a day when strong sustained winds gusted above 25mph. As the fighting vehicle first forced the tube of its gun into the building, debris and structural damage compromised a stairway. A few people spilled out, diving from windows and were immediately arrested by FBI agents. Most 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.

The causes of the fatal fire is disputed. The government claims that the fires were intentionally set by Koresh and his followers as a suicidal act. Others claim that the fire was caused by the FBI's use of flammable CS gas grenades injected into the wooden buildings. The multiple starting points for the fires were more accessible to those outside the complex, than those inside the complex. The CS gas was mixed with methylene chloride, which is flammable and can become explosive in confined spaces. The US, along with 130 other countries, has signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans its use in warfare.

The government points to audio and infrared visual recordings made just before the fire broke out to support their contention. Critics note that CS gas was injected into the building by armored vehicles in an unsafe manner immediately before the fire broke out. The government attempted to refute the use of the flammable grenades for six years. In 1999, the FBI released video and audio tape admitting that they had used pyrotechnic devices. The FBI has also admitted to using incendiary flares.

Several hours prior to the attack, the FBI called the local hospital, asking how many beds were in its burn unit. An FBI negiotatior prior to the attack told the Branch Davidians that they "should buy some fire insurance".

The fact that fire crews were prohibited access to the burning buildings until they were reduced to ash has led many people to severely question the motivations of the FBI site chief. The FBI states that fire crews were not allowed into the compound due to the danger of explosives within the fire and possible weapons fire from surviving inhabitants.

Several bodies had lethal doses of cyanide, a byproduct of burning CS gas. These death certificates were witheld from the jury in the following civil trial by Dr. Peerwani.

Shootings

Several documentaries suggest that the FBI fired weapons into the compound, which the FBI denies. The main evidence for gunfire is bright flashes in aerial infrared recordings known as forward looking infrared or FLIR (patent 4,497,065). 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. Other people dispute that the images show gunfire. For more analysis on this dispute, see the external links below.

Secondary proof was a statement made by FBI sniper Charles Riley several weeks after the incident to an FBI investigator that he heard shots fired from sniper position Sierra 1. The Blue sniper team, was headed by Lon Horiuchi (of Ruby Ridge fame). In 1995 when attorneys submitted that FBI report as evidence to Judge Smith, the FBI quickly sent a followup interview in which Riley retracted his previous statement. This followup report was dismissed by Judge Smith.

The FBI claimed that the dozen .308 shell casings found at Sierra 1 were there from the BATF firing on Feb. 28th, even though these were the same type of shells that hit Mrs. Weaver.

Autopsies revealed some of the women and children found beneath the remains of a concrete wall of a storage room died of skull injuries. The wall was in the path of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that penetrated the structure while injecting the usually non-lethal chemical weapon. Other victims were recovered from an underground crawlspace, which also had been in the path of the Bradley vehicle. 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 classic post-mortem "boxer pose" all bodies caught in fires eventually assume, created as ligaments connecting bones together shorten as the fire dries them.

The Coverup

The FBI released a statement saying there were no drug connections. Later when they were asked about the legality of using tanks (Posse Comitatus), that story changed, so they could take advantage of the Drug Interdiction act.

No incendiary devices used. Repeatedly told to Congress, and the Courts. Resulted in exoneration for the BATF and FBI in both the civil suit and the inquiry – after the legal battles were won, the FBI admitted this to be a lie.

Legal Aftermath

Judge Walter J. Smith (who was under investigation during the first half of the trial by the Justice Department for lying under oath) presided over the trial finding Branch Davidians guilty. Over-riding jury wishes, he sentenced most survivors to jailtime.
Congressional Inquiry
Danforth Report

List of Dead and Survivors

Shot to death on February 28, 1993 during the BATF assault:

Winston Blake, 28, British
Peter Gent, 24, Australian
Peter Hipsman, 28, American
Perry Jones, 64, American
Michael Schroeder, 29, American
Jaydean Wendell, 34, Hawaiian American

Robert Williams, 26, ATF agent
Conway LeBleu, 30, ATF agent
Steve Willis, 32, ATF agent
Todd McKeehan, 28, ATF agent

(suppossedly, 3 of these 4 were former secret service members who had worked for Clinton – it is unknown how many died from friendly fire)

Burnt, crushed, suffocated, poisoned, or shot to death on April 19, 1993 during the FBI assault:

Katherine Andrade, 24, American
Chanel Andrade, 1, American
Jennifer Andrade, 19, American
George Bennett, 35, British
Susan Benta, 31, British
Mary Jean Borst, 49, American
Pablo Cohen, 38, Israeli
Abedowalo Davies, 30, British
Shari Doyle, 18, American
Beverly Elliot, 30, British
Yvette Fagan, 32, British
Doris Fagan, 51, British
Lisa Marie Farris, 24, American
Raymond Friesen, 76, Canadian
Sandra Hardial, 27, British
Zilla Henry, 55, British
Vanessa Henry, 19, British
Phillip Henry, 22, British
Paulina Henry, 24, British
Stephen Henry, 26, British
Diana Henry, 28, British
Novellette Hipsman, 36, Canadian
Floyd Houtman, 61, American
Sherri Jewell, 43, Asian American
David M. Jones, 38, American
David Koresh, 33, American
Rachel Koresh, 24, American
Cyrus Koresh, 8, American
Star Koresh, 6, American
Bobbie Lane Koresh, 2, American
Jeffery Little, 32, American
Nicole Gent Little, 24, Australian (with child)
Dayland Gent, 3, American
Page Gent, 1, American
Livingston Malcolm, 26, British
Diane Martin, 41, British
Wayne Martin, Sr., 42, American
Lisa Martin, 13, American
Sheila Martin, Jr., 15, American
Anita Martin, 18, American
Wayne Martin, Jr., 20, American
Julliete Martinez, 30, Mexican American
Crystal Martinez, 3, Mexican American
Isaiah Martinez, 4, Mexican American
Joseph Martinez, 8, Mexican American
Abigail Martinez, 11, Mexican American
Audrey Martinez, 13, Mexican American
John-Mark McBean, 27, British
Bernadette Monbelly, 31, British
Rosemary Morrison, 29, British
Melissa Morrison, 6, British
Sonia Murray, 29, American
Theresa Nobrega, 48, British
James Riddle, 32, American
Rebecca Saipaia, 24, Asian British
Steve Schneider, 43, American
Judy Schneider, 41, American
Mayanah Schneider, 2, American
Clifford Sellors, 33, British
Scott Kojiro Sonobe, 35, Asian American
Floracita Sonobe, 34, Filipino
Gregory Summers, 28, American
Aisha Gyrfas Summers, 17, Australian (with child)
Startle Summers, 1, American
Lorraine Sylvia, 40, American
Rachel Sylvia, 12, American
Hollywood Sylvia, 1, American
Michelle Jones Thibodeau, 18, American
Serenity Jones, 4, American
Chica Jones, 2, American
Little One Jones, 2, American
Neal Vaega, 38, Asian New Zealander
Margarida Vaega, 47, Asian New Zealander
Mark H. Wendell, 40, Asian American

Imprisoned

Renos Avraam, 31, British – 40 years
Brad Branch, 35, American – 40 years
Jaime Castillo, 24, American – 40 years
Graeme Craddock, 31, Australian – 20 years
Livingstone Fagan, 35, British – 40 years
Paul Fatta, 35, American – 15 years
Ruth Riddle, 31, Canadian – 5 years
Kathryn Schroeder, 35, American – 3 years
Kevin Whitecliff, 33, American – 40 years

Admitted Government Lies

Alteration of the BATF plan. Commanders Chojnacki and Sarabyn altering the written plan of the raid, which had not issued. They first attempted to deceive the Texas Rangers and the Treasury review team by blaming a lower-ranking agent who had assisted them. They finally admitted the truth in Treasury Department report 196–199,208–10.
No pyrotechnic devices
Delta Force – General Wesley K. Clark was at least a tactical consultant, if not actually in charge and the architect of the military's involvement.
Lying to Congress

Today

Survivor Clive Doyle and supporter Ron Goins live at Mt. Carmel Center and run a small visitor museum as well as hold weekly Bible studies on the Sabbath. Visitors are welcome.

Charles Pace, a Davidian who was not at Mt. Carmel at the time of the raid in 1993, also lives on the property and holds his own worship services. Many survivors who live in the area frequent both.

In 1996 the court ruled that the land belongs to the Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Church. However, the court has until this point refused to rule on who exactly constitutes "the church." Currently Amo Bishop Roden is attempting to sue for ownership and access to the land. Most survivors and supporters recognize Clive Doyle as the trustee of the organization and the land.

A new chapel has been built near the site of the original complex. The ruins of the old building, including the tornado shelter and incomplete swimming pool, can be seen by visiors. There are also several memorials to the victims – both the Davidian victims, and the Federal Agents who lost their lives. Memorial trees with plaques with the name of each Davidian who perished have been planted on the property. Finnally, to show their deep sympathy to the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing, a memorial has been erectd at Mt. Carmel for them as well.

In 2005, approximately 70 people attended the yearly memorial service on April 19 – despite it being a work day for most people.

External links