Gary Poster, with essential assists from Galyn Norwood, Phiroon Phihakendr, Jose Quijada, Pavandeep Kalra. The elements are almost the stuff of comedy.
Federal agents get wind of a surreptitious arms hoard.
Thus concluded a devastating 220-page critique of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms issued by the Treasury Department last week. The Feb. 28 raid on David Koresh's compound in Waco, Texas, resulted in the death of four ATF agents and six cult members and led to a 51-day siege and a fiery conflagration that claimed the lives of 85 people, including at least 17 children. The bureau, the report said, not only handled a sensitive situation ineptly but tried to cover up its bumbling with lies and obfuscations. This was not one of them.'' After the report was released, Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, whose department is in charge of ATF, announced the replacement of the agency's entire top management. It is now clear that those in charge in Texas realized they had lost the element of surprise before the raid began,'' Bentsen said.