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 Chicago Sun-Times September 14, 1997 Waco Documentary Indicts Everyone By Richard Roper, Sun-Times Columnist David Koresh was a crazed cult leader, and his glassy-eyed followers were dangerous zombies  who would do anything for
him at the snap of his fingers.At least, that's the spin we got from the FBI during the 51-day standoff with the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, in the spring of 1993. After all, hadn't this gun-happy cult already murdered four ATF agents? At any moment they could load up with their cache of illegal weapons and open fire again. The situation was tense and delicate, requiring military-level tact and strategy. That would include repeatedly running a tank over the grave of a Branch Davidian like teenagers doing "donuts" with a Camaro in a parking lot; shining bright lights into the compound all night long; blasting jungle noises and Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" over a loudspeaker system; dropping their pants to "moon" their adversaries; posing for pictures atop tanks; and flipping off the Branch Davidians. In other words, acting like a bunch of weekend warriors playing paint ball, rather than a team of highly trained marksmen fearing for their safety while bravely protecting the American people from this supposedly evil cult. If Koresh was such a ticking time bomb, was this really the smartest strategy to peacefully flush him and his followers out of hiding? I don't know. It seems, well, idiotic. ***  More than four years after
the U.S. government's siege of the Branch Davidian compound ended with
a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 70 people, many questions remain
unanswered. But when you watch the gripping and at times horrific documentary
film "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" (opening Friday at Facets),
one truth seems irrefutable. None of this was really necessary.Koresh was a babbling fool, but was he dangerous or just weird? "Waco" makes a strong case for the Branch Davidians as essentially innocent victims of a government that acted stupidly and perhaps even criminally. This is not some cheesy propaganda mail-order video put together by militia paranoids. It's a well-crafted, serious piece of advocacy journalism produced at a cost of about $1 million by a team of respected filmmakers, including director/editor William Gazecki, producer Michael McNulty and executive producers Dan Gifford and Amy Sommer Gifford. Containing little narration, the 165-minute film relies on captivating footage, including excerpts from congressional hearings, news footage, home video made by the Davidians and amateur video shot by the FBI. Perhaps even more dramatic are the audio excerpts of conversations between FBI and Branch Davidian leaders, and recordings of 911 calls made during the final raid. There are any number of unforgettable visuals, but nothing can prepare you for the unblinking close-ups of the bodies of women and children who were killed in the raid, twisted and burned beyond human recognition. You want to grab Janet Reno by the lapels and ask one again: Why? It's a question Reno seems incapable of addressing. Asked why she went ahead with plans to give a speech in Baltimore while the raid was already under way on the morning of April 19, 1993, Reno said she didn't want to tip her hand and let anyone know that something unusual was going on. Too late, Madame Attorney General! The chaos was already in motion. With her fumbling denials and lame excuses, Reno comes across as nothing more than a federal version of Daryl Gates. ***  How did the trouble start
between the government and the Branch Davidians? The common wisdom is
that the sect was "stockpiling illegal weapons," hence the ill-fated
raid of February 28, 1993.It is true that some of the weapons found in the compound had been illegally modified, but as the documentary explains, the sect was legally dealing guns, as do many other individuals and groups in Texas. There seems to be no proof the Davidians were planning any sort of attack on anyone. The February 28 raid seems to have been concocted as a public relations coup. A few days earlier, a PR person for the FBI actually tipped off some Texas news organizations, telling them, "We might have something going on this weekend." The sect also seemed to be aware of the "surprise" ambush, and while it's unclear who fired first, it's painfully obvious the ATF was woefully unprepared for an exchange of gunfire. Emergency vehicles were not alerted, and the government ran out of ammunition and had to retreat, hands in the air. It was a colossal, tragic embarrassment. After that debacle--and nearly two months of sometimes insanely comical posturing on both sides--all bets were off. Frustrated by the standoff and seemingly aching for revenge, the FBI used a tank to steamroll into the compound while spraying the powder CS mixed with paint thinner. (When ignited, the powder produces hydrogen cyanide, the same ingredient used in prison gas chambers.)  Who started the deadly inferno
on April 19, 1993? The makers of "Waco" believe the government
did it by igniting the chemical spray with gunfire. Images taken with
a Forward- Looking Infra-Red camera seem to illustrate shots coming form
the government tanks--although other experts have said this could be reflected
light.It may not be conclusive proof, but it's damning evidence. There's certainly nothing on the other side of the argument to back up the assertion that the Branch Davidians suddenly decided to participate in a mass suicide that involved not only setting fire to their home, but in more than 20 cases, shooting one another to death. And there are all sorts of other curiosities, including the mysterious disappearance of key evidence, and assertions from Texas lawmen and a coroner that their work was bigfooted by the feds. Perhaps most obscene of all is an FBI spokesman's explanation for the unprovoked raid. "We thought their instincts, their motherly instincts, would take place and they would want their children out. It appears they don't care that much about their children which is unfortunate." In other words, the U.S. government is admitting it gambled the lives of innocent children and helpless old people in the hopes of getting the Davidians to surrender. Incredible. This is not to say Koresh was a benign prophet and all of his followers were innocent lambs led to their slaughter. The issue of Koresh's alleged sexual abuse of young sect members is glossed over, and there's no disputing that four ATF agents were gunned down in that initial raid. Why didn't the Davidians throw down their weapons and surrender peacefully? The children, though. Nobody can explain why the children had to be killed. You could make a 20-hour documentary and still not fill in all the missing pieces of this tragic puzzle. But after watching "Waco: The Rules of Engagement," one can't help but feel that this story bears more resemblance to Wounded Knee or Kent State than Jonestown or Heaven's Gate. © 1997 Chicago Sun-Times |