jmd@cube.handheld.com (Jim De Arras) writes:  >I have believed all along that they could not let them live, the  >embarrassment  to the BATF and the FBI would've been too severe.  >Remember, this was a suspicion of tax-evasion warrant.  There were no   >witnesses, except the FBI.  All information filtered through the FBI.  All  >they had to do was allow one remote controlled pool camera be installed  >near the  building, and the press could've done their job, and would've  >been able to back the FBI's story with close up video, while incurring no  >risk to the press.  Unless they did not want the public to see something.   >The complete lack of any  other source of information other than the  >FBI really causes me concern.   >Sick to my stomach, and getting sicker from all the Government apologists  Well put, Jim.  I am as concerned about the media's complicity in this growing coverup.  Can you imagine the media outrage, the lawsuits, the investigations that would emit if the government kept the media away from any other story?  Particularly if a Republican administration had been behind it.  What's going on here?  Let's look beyond the initial blunder and examine what happened next. I'm a student of human phychology, particularly in the area of psy-ops because I've found some of the techniques to be useful in business negotiations.  That puts me firmly in the amateur ranks.  This AMATEUR knows that the first thing to do when sizing up the opponent is to do a psychological profile on him.  You can bet your ass the FBI had professionally done profiles on Koresh.  Koresh's behavior was emminently predictable.  It is typical of people who move away from civilization to be willing to fight to the death to preserve their isolation.  It would also be typical, given Koresh's religious orientation, for such an individual to interpret a government assault as the apocalypse.  Suicide is as an acceptable alternative to being consumed in the apocalypse.  IMHO, the FBI knew all this and decided after 50 days of concentrated psy-ops to initiate that apocalypse.  I believe they chose a course of action designed specifically to push Koresh over the edge while publicly appearing to be acting reasonably.  They KNEW that Koresh considered the tanks to be the Chariots of Fire mentioned in the Book of Revelations. They KNEW that sending tanks, oops, combat engineering vehicles, obstensibly to perform "gas insertions" (love that NewSpeak) WOULD push him over the edge.  Look at some supporting evidence.  Koresh's attorney mentioned on TV earlier today (4/20) that one of Koresh's major concern was the biblical role of the tanks stationed around the compound.  The FBI (through Reno on Larry King last night and at the news conference this morning) claimed to have listening devices in the compound.  If that was true they KNEW their actions were driving him to the brink.  They KNEW they were pushing the Davidians toward mass suicide.  Any rational and reasonable agency NOT interested in killing those people would, at the first sign of preparations for suicide, have pulled completely back and would have gotten rid of all the armor.  Instead they continued with the "gas insertion" right up to the point where flames appeared.  The image that will remain etched in my mind is that of the tank strutting back and forth in front of the burning compound, gloating over the kill.  Let's step back and assess how this thing could have been ended without bloodshed.  This technique would have required a law enforcement agency interested in constitutionally enforcing the law and in the preservation of life instead of achieving a military victory and of vengence.  The way to have nabbed Koresh was simply to have announced a pull back, abandoned the assault, torn down the concertina wire and removed the armor, maintained covert surveillance of the compound and then exploited his ego to flush him out.  Exploiting his ego would have been simple.  A simple invite or two from the tabloid talk shows to come on TV and tell how he whipped the US government would have been something he could not have resisted.  He could have then been nabbed when he left the compound.  Simple, clean and safe but because it would have required the FBI to execute a tactical retreat and would have deprived them of the revenge they sought, it was totally out of the question.  Not without all that testesterone floating around.  After all Jannet Reno had to show the world how big her balls are.  Yesterday was a sad, sad day for the American system.  I am sick to my  very soul.  John