A few comments on the ATF's botched handling of this case:

1. Attempting to storm the compound in broad daylight?  The explanation
   we were given (at least at one point) was that they thought the cult
   members would be at religious services.  My only comment on this bit
   of idiocy is that if you're going to operate as a quasi-military unit,
   you'd better understand basic military tactics.  One cardinal rule
   is that only a fool plans an operation where if one assumption is
   incorrect, the operation will fail disastrously.

2. We were told that ATF got four agents killed because they were
   outgunned, they didn't expect such heavy resistance.  When
   questioned about why such an overwhelming military-style assault
   was planned, we were told that it was because the cultists were
   thought to be heavily armed.  Can you say contradictory?  I knew
   you could!

3. The BATF has had a bad reputation for years as a bunch of arrogant,
   hotdoggers.  I was talking to relatives a couple of weeks ago and
   referred to them as a bunch of Crockett and Tubbs wannabes.  I'm
   more than ever convinced that's right on target.  An anecdote not
   related to the Waco fiasco is that apparently the BATF screwed up
   some of the evidence in the World Trade Center bombing.  There's
   now an excellent chance some of the forensic evidence gathered by
   the FBI will not be admissible in court.  This is not hearsay.  I
   was told this by a relative of my wife's who happens to be an FBI
   agent.  His opinion of the BATF was, ummm, well, let's just say
   uncomplimentary.

4. I have *still* not been presented with one iota of evidence that
   the BD's had *any* of the alleged illegal weaponry which was the
   reason for the raid in the first place.  BTW, we're *still* hearing
   this justification.  AG Reno, on CNN yesterday, made references
   to this issue, without any substantiation.  She also waved around
   the "He's a child abuser and we heard he was beating the children!"
   flag.  Sigh.

5. A point re the Feds in general: their handling of the whole siege
   reflected a complete lack of understanding of the probable thought
   processes of the cultists.  AG Reno said they pushed the button
   because they were afraid a mass suicide was in the offing.  My
   only comment on that is that if the cultists were that close to
   the edge, what the hell did she think their reaction would be to
   an hours-long assault on the compound where holes were punched in
   the walls and CS gas pumped in?  If I were a BD, I'd expect the
   forces of the godless government to assault me at any time.  In
   that light, whether they torched themselves or drank Jim Jones
   Kool-Aid is irrelevant.  Also, look at how the siege was conducted:
   Bright lights, loud rock music, cutting off communications and
   other contact with the outside.  All measures designed to make the
   BD's feel more and more isolated and threatened.  This might have
   been a great strategy - if they were dealing with criminals.  As it
   was, it looks to me like everything they did fed into Koresh's
   paranoid delusions.




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