The same rogue federal agency that gave us the Ruby Ridge Siege and about 15 years later Operation Fast and Furious is responsible for the initial confrontation that ultimately resulted in the incineration of about 80 people in Texas. The time span is interesting. The first attack by the jihad on the World Trade Center happened on 2/26/93 and two days later the ATF attacked a quasi Christian religious center in Waco Texas. Was there a connection?
The whole thing started when residents of the Branch Dividian center in Waco became interested in old junk British surplus weapons which were legal to possess. The Dividians came to the attention of the ATF because they also sent away for (legal) pamphlets that showed how to rebuild the weapons. The ATF could have stopped Dividian leader David Koresch at the 7-11 or called him in for a visit but they did what leaderless rogue units often do. They tried for the big score with a frontal assault by cammo clad agents in civilian vehicles. Nobody knows who fired the first shot but strangely enough the Dividians did not go quietly and a gunfight erupted.
President Clinton got what he wanted which was a diversion from the jihad attack on the WTC but the operation turned into a nightmare. By April the feds had enough and a crazy plan was authorized by the Attorney General where Military tanks would break into the compound and pump lethal CS gas (different from CN "tear gas" and illegal to use in prisons) into the buildings. The CS gas was a powder form and had to be used with a carrier gas which turned out to be as volatile as lacquer thinner. The stuff ignited an inferno and about 80 citizens burned to death. Ironically if the Military pulled the same stunt in Iraq or Afghanistan there would be hell to pay but with the cooperation of the media Clinton came away clean.
No illegal weapons as alleged in the initial ATF search warrant were ever recovered.
The whole thing started when residents of the Branch Dividian center in Waco became interested in old junk British surplus weapons which were legal to possess. The Dividians came to the attention of the ATF because they also sent away for (legal) pamphlets that showed how to rebuild the weapons. The ATF could have stopped Dividian leader David Koresch at the 7-11 or called him in for a visit but they did what leaderless rogue units often do. They tried for the big score with a frontal assault by cammo clad agents in civilian vehicles. Nobody knows who fired the first shot but strangely enough the Dividians did not go quietly and a gunfight erupted.
President Clinton got what he wanted which was a diversion from the jihad attack on the WTC but the operation turned into a nightmare. By April the feds had enough and a crazy plan was authorized by the Attorney General where Military tanks would break into the compound and pump lethal CS gas (different from CN "tear gas" and illegal to use in prisons) into the buildings. The CS gas was a powder form and had to be used with a carrier gas which turned out to be as volatile as lacquer thinner. The stuff ignited an inferno and about 80 citizens burned to death. Ironically if the Military pulled the same stunt in Iraq or Afghanistan there would be hell to pay but with the cooperation of the media Clinton came away clean.
No illegal weapons as alleged in the initial ATF search warrant were ever recovered.
I fought the law......and the law won
