Waco: The Rules of Engagement

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The Slant
June 16, 1997

Are We Media Sheep?

Sounds like militia propaganda, but the documentary Waco: The Rules of Engagement makes an effective case that its story might be closer to the truth than the version fed to us by the media.

by Brian Clark

The Branch Davidian siege happened because the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms wanted a big media event the week before their budget hearings. They even tipped off the media about the siege to make sure they had camera crews there. The ATF opened fire first and Branch Davidians on the phone with a 911 operator tried for 30 minutes to reach the ATF to cease fire. Days from a peaceful conclusion, the FBI stormed the complex not only with tear gas equiped tanks, but also with semi and fully automatic gunfire and grenade launchers. A number of Branch Davidians died under the treads of the tanks - one body became lodged in the treads, requiring the tank to be towed away from the scene. The FBI and ATF lied about the actions to Congress as part of a huge coverup.

Sounds like militia propaganda, but the documentary Waco: The Rules of Engagement makes an effective case that it might be closer to the truth than the version fed to us by the media. Combining "hard" evidence (including infrared film shot from an airplane above the complex during the final siege and audio tapes of negotiations between the FBI and Koresh) with televised Congressional testimoney (yes, the truth is out there; it's just on C-SPAN), the three-hour documentary is engrossing and enraging.

When I viewed the documentary for the first time last week, I was shocked and amazed at how different the picture painted by the physical evidence is from the news coverage I had seen at the time. By the end of the documentary, as it chronicles in detail the final assault of the compound including coroner's photos of the bodies of children bent backwards from hydrogen cyanide poisoning, I was reduced to stunned tears.

Waco has been making waves at other festivals and in the press, generating controversy at every turn. Scheduled to screen at Annie Russell Theater on Wednesday, June 18th at 9 p.m., this is one documentary that Central Florida can't afford to miss. Part of the filmmaking team behind Waco, Amy and Arthur Gifford, are also appearing for a live interview as part of the Cybercast on Wednesday, June 18th at 6 p.m. EST to answer in-depth questions about their work and issues behind Waco.

©1997 The Slant