Theos-Talk Archives (July 2004 Message tt00178)

stevestubbs wrote:
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl@s...> wrote:
>
> > Also note that the 
> > very first thing that the Branch Davidians did when their compound 
> was 
> > attacked by the BATF was to call the cops for help; not a likely 
> action 
> > for a group of lawbreakers.
>
> What cops did they call? The Texas Rangers were there on the side of 
> the FBI.
The FBI didn't get involved until much later. I am referring to the 
initial raid by the BATF. The Branch Davidians claim that the BATF 
opened fire first, without identifying themselves. The call was to the 
local cops, and supports the Davidians' story, unless they were 
extraordinarily clever. And, as stated before, after the raid, the 
government had all the physical evidence destroyed before independent 
experts could examine it.

They believed that the BATF/FBI would kill them all if they 
surrendered. And, in the final raid, the FBI used tear gas (actually, a 
formula almost identical to Zyklon B) that is specifically labeled for 
outdoor use only, as it is highly flammable, in an enclosed area lit by 
lamps. In addition, the FBI had vehicles parked on the doors to escape 
tunnels; most of the children who died would have survived, except they 
were trapped in the tunnels. In addition, the FBI notified local 
hospitals to expect burn victims.

The initial search warrant was based on perjury by government 
officials. The child abuse charges were from a divorce case; the group 
had been investigated several times, and no evidence of child abuse had 
been found. And the group had fewer guns per capita than the average Texan.

The only reason why several of the surviving members were convicted was 
that, according to Texas law, it is a crime to assault a law enforcement 
officer, even when it's self-defense, and even when the law enforcement 
officer is acting illegally.

Bart