The federal raid on a US religious cult that took place on this day in 1993 should have been a routine affair. It was nothing but.
The serving of search and arrest warrants by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas ended - ultimately - in the deaths over 80 people.
The ATF had been planning the abortive raid for some time due to reports that the cult had been stockpiling weapons in its compound, named Mount Carmel.
This was set against a backdrop of rumours suggesting that the leader of the cult, David Koresh, was abusing children in the compound and of committing statutory rape by taking ‘brides’ as young as 13 years old. He had stated he was entitled to 140 wives, according to reports.
At 9.45 on February 28, no less than 76 ATF agents moved into place. Within moments, shots were fired. Both sides would later claim that the other had fired first.
Agents scaled the walls of the sprawling compound in an attempt to gain entry, but they came under heavy and sustained gunfire.
After 45 minutes of continual shooting, four agents had been killed and 16 wounded. Five cult members also died.
A ceasefire was arranged at 11.30am, but another Davidian was shot dead hours later as he entered the complex, allegedly having pointed a gun at agents.
After an uneasy stand-off lasting nearly two months, and with the impression that child abuse might be continuing within the compound, US Attorney General Janet Reno authorised the use of force to end the siege.
Early on April 19, tear gas was fired into Mount Carmel in an attempt to flush out the Davidians without killing them.
By noon, fires had taken hold of much of the compound, and 76 cult members would die of smoke inhalation, crush wounds, and self-inflicted gunshots – including 22 children. David Koresh was among the dead.
The government's handling of the sorry saga would late be cited by the perpetrators of the Oklahoma City bombing as their primary motivation. It was no coincidence that that act of barbarism played out two years later, on April 19.
· The Branch Davidians were a cult that had separated from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They called their compound Mount Carmel after a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament.
· The cult believed that Bible prophecies of a final divine judgment were coming to pass as a prelude to Christ's second coming. At the start of the siege 140 Branch Davidians were living in the compound, including some families who had been with the group for generations.
· In 1989, David Koresh – still going by his real name, Vernon Howell – stated that God told him to establish a 'House of David'. To this end, he separated married couples, and told wives that only he could sleep with them, while the men should observe celibacy.
· The raid’s disputed first gunshots may have come from ATF agents sent to kill the cult’s dogs to keep them quiet, or from an accidental discharge of a weapon.
· A subsequent report stated that the Branch Davidians "apparently did not maximize the kill of ATF agents" during the raid, and were "desperate religious fanatics expecting an apocalyptic ending, in which they were destined to die defending their sacred ground".
· Toward the end of the siege, law enforcement tactics became more severe, including sleep deprivation (by playing loud recordings all night) and the cutting of all power and water to the compound, forcing those inside to survive on rain water and stockpiled military rations.
· It is alleged that the Branch Davidians themselves started the fires that eventually killed them. Nine managed to escaped and the ATF claims that every other member had the time and opportunity to do so if they so desired. Some died of crush injuries when a concrete wall fell upon them.
· At least 20 members of the cult, including five children, were killed by gunshot wounds – either self-inflicted, or effected by other cult members.
Original Text from: http://home.bt.comews/on-this-day/february-28-1993-all-eyes-turn-to-waco-as-raid-on-religious-sect-goes-badly-wrong-11363964778259
