01-22-2016, 11:11 AM
I didn't initially accept as fact that the Davidians had started the fire either, F.U. I waited to see the results of the investigation.
I believe the Davidians lit the fire when the government started getting more aggressive in their attempts to drive them out of the compound. That's what the facts indicate, but I don't expect that anti-government types will ever believe it, which is fine.
Although several of the surviving Branch Davidians insist that they did not start the fire, a panel of arson investigators concluded that the Davidians were responsible for igniting it, simultaneously, in at least three different areas of the compound. Unless they were deliberatley set, the probability of the three fires starting almost simultaneously was highly unlikely, according to fire experts. Furthermore, the videotapes show the use of accelerants that strongly increased the spread of the fire. Although one Branch Davidian stated that a FBI tank had tipped over a lantern, videotapes show that the tank had struck the building a minute and a half before the fire began. Also some of the surviving Davidians' clothing showed evidence of lighter fluid and other accelerants. In addition, FBI listening devices seemed to establish that the Davidians were overheard making statements such as, "Spread the fuel," some six hours before the fires began. (Joint Hearing of the Crime Subcommittee July 1995.) LINK: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/...pten2.html
I do however fault the government for starting the conflict. The ATF miscalculated who would be at the compound when they went to serve the weapons-related search warrant and ended up losing LEOs and several Davidians in that initial conflict.
Also, the weapons that the Davidians were stockpiling were all legal. The search warrant was secured based on an agent's contention that the legally-acquired weapons had probably been modified to illegal sawed-offs and fully automatics. The later investigation produced evidence proving that the agent's suspicions were wrong.
I think government officials did in fact care about the Davidians and regretted deeply the deaths (aside from Koresh's). But, the government's tactics helped pushed Koresh into Jim Jones mode, in my opinion.
Anyway, it's good to see that authorities have learned from their miscalculations at Ruby Ridge and WACO.
I believe the Davidians lit the fire when the government started getting more aggressive in their attempts to drive them out of the compound. That's what the facts indicate, but I don't expect that anti-government types will ever believe it, which is fine.
Although several of the surviving Branch Davidians insist that they did not start the fire, a panel of arson investigators concluded that the Davidians were responsible for igniting it, simultaneously, in at least three different areas of the compound. Unless they were deliberatley set, the probability of the three fires starting almost simultaneously was highly unlikely, according to fire experts. Furthermore, the videotapes show the use of accelerants that strongly increased the spread of the fire. Although one Branch Davidian stated that a FBI tank had tipped over a lantern, videotapes show that the tank had struck the building a minute and a half before the fire began. Also some of the surviving Davidians' clothing showed evidence of lighter fluid and other accelerants. In addition, FBI listening devices seemed to establish that the Davidians were overheard making statements such as, "Spread the fuel," some six hours before the fires began. (Joint Hearing of the Crime Subcommittee July 1995.) LINK: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/...pten2.html
I do however fault the government for starting the conflict. The ATF miscalculated who would be at the compound when they went to serve the weapons-related search warrant and ended up losing LEOs and several Davidians in that initial conflict.
Also, the weapons that the Davidians were stockpiling were all legal. The search warrant was secured based on an agent's contention that the legally-acquired weapons had probably been modified to illegal sawed-offs and fully automatics. The later investigation produced evidence proving that the agent's suspicions were wrong.
I think government officials did in fact care about the Davidians and regretted deeply the deaths (aside from Koresh's). But, the government's tactics helped pushed Koresh into Jim Jones mode, in my opinion.
Anyway, it's good to see that authorities have learned from their miscalculations at Ruby Ridge and WACO.