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Movie Review WACO: A NEW REVELATION

MEDIUM RARE by Jim Rarey

January 6, 2000
Movie Review
WACO: A NEW REVELATION

An MGA Film
Producers: Rick Van Vleet, Stephen Novack, Jason Van Vleet and Michael
McNulty
Based on research by Michael McNulty
Run Time; 110 minutes
Narrated by Dr. Frederic Whitehurst
Mass distribution by video cassette - initial price $30.90
Order from www.waco-anewrevelation.com or call 1-877-GET-WACO


This sequel to McNulty's Oscar-nominated documentary "Waco: The Rules of
Engagement", is based on physical evidence recovered from the official Waco
evidence lockers, chilling testimonies from former FBI, Special Forces and
CIA operatives and interviews with Branch Davidian survivors. It presents
evidence addressing the following questions:
1. Why didn't the Branch Davidians and their children come out of the
compound?
2. Did the FBI actually start the Waco fire using pyrotechnic devices?
3. Why was critical evidence missing from the evidence locker nearly six
years after the event?
4. What was the role of the elite U.S. Army Delta Force at Waco during the
final tank assault-and why was their presence denied until now?
5. Does the trail of the Waco evidence lead to the White House?

The main technique used in this documentary, other than reviewing some of
the material from the first video, is to juxtapose statements made by FBI,
ATF, and Justice Department officials (mostly made under oath before
Congressional investigating committees) with contradictory testimony by
former government agents (and one current FBI agent) as well as physical
evidence to the contrary.

In order to keep this necessarily long review as short as possible, sources
will not be cited.  However, viewers will see the documentation and in most
cases hear live testimony with sources identified. Evidence will be
considered in the order related to the five questions above.

First, why didn't they leave the compound? While it is true that David
Koresh believed that he and at least some of his followers were destined to
become martyrs in resisting the "New World Order", he did give his followers
the option of leaving early on and many did.  The new evidence discloses two
chilling events that seem to show intent by the tactical operations people
to make Koresh's prophecy come true.  Before the final assault, the FBI
negotiator informed the Branch Davidians that no one would be allowed to
leave the compound for any reason and if anyone tried, measures would be
taken to drive them back into the compound.

Early in the morning of the last day, two men left the compound at the rear
of the building.  A helicopter was sent to intercept them and FBI FLIR tapes
show automatic gunfire coming from the helicopter. The entire right side of
one of the bodies was missing, evidently having been run over by a tank
later in the day.

As the final tank assault began, FBI tapes show two men emerging from each
tank at the rear of the building and directing automatic gunfire into the
compound.

Second, did the FBI start the fire?   Koresh evidently had planned to start
a fire after the feds (agents of the New World Order) stormed the compound
and let God decide who would survive.  He did not get a chance to activate
the plan.

For several hours before the fires started, the FBI had pumped CS gas into
the compound.  CS gas has been banned by treaty for use in warfare, partly
because it is highly flammable in enclosed quarters. FBI and local TV film
footage pinpoints three areas in the compound where fires broke out almost
simultaneously. Six exploded pyrotechnic devices (flash-bang grenades) were
found in the evidence lockers.  According to Texas Ranger records, they were
recovered from the three areas where the fires started. In the inventory,
they had been mislabeled as "silencers."

By far the most sickening evidence disclosed, indicating premeditated
murder, was the destruction of the "bunker" in which the younger children,
infants and some women had taken refuge. The "bunker" was an old records
storage vault of six to eight inch steel reinforced concrete. The physical
evidence showed that a shaped high explosive charge had been detonated on
top of the outside of the vault.  Steel reinforcement bars were bent down
and inward showing that the blast came from above.  The explosion probably
killed everyone in the vault.  In the end, this may have been an
unintentional act of mercy, since the victims in the vault were literally
cremated as temperatures reached above 3,000 degrees in the ensuing fire. A
Federal Fire Inspector testified to an affidavit he had read to the effect
that the FBI went in on foot and planted the high explosive shaped charge.
The explosion also ruptured a nearby propane tank causing a fireball effect.

Third. Missing and/or destroyed evidence. No explanations have been offered
by the authorities for missing or destroyed evidence. Such items included
three or four reels of film taking by the ATF in the Feb. assault, pages
torn from an ATF surveillance log.  A pyrotechnic device fired at one of the
outer building, which had earlier been photographed, came up missing.  This
is the device the FBI finally admitted to firing and the incident that
sparked Janet Reno's appointment of John Danforth to investigate.

Most grisly, however, was the disposition of the corpses of the victims.
After preliminary autopsies, the corpses were stored in two refrigerated
trailers, supposedly to await further forensic tests.  The electricity was
then turned off.  By the time the trailers were revisited, the corpses were
so badly deteriorated as to be useless in further forensic findings.

Fourth. What about Delta Force?  At first it was vehemently denied that
"Delta Force" was involved in any way.  As one former Special Ops veteran
put it, "they can say that with a straight face since there is no unit
officially known as 'Delta Force', its real name is Combat Applications
Group." It was eventually admitted that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had
authorized Delta Force participation but only in an "advisory" role. Another
former Delta Force member testified that the authorization must have come
directly from President Clinton to the Joint Chiefs since Delta Force is the
private preserve of the president. Congress has asked the National Security
Council for details but is being stonewalled by claims of executive
privilege and national security.

A former CIA operative testified he had been told at a briefing session that
elements of Squadron B of Delta Force were at Waco and "pulling triggers."

Fifth. Was the White House involved?  Vince Foster was the White House point
man for Waco. Foster, of course, was a Rose Law Firm partner with Hillary
Clinton (and reputedly her lover).  Foster along with Webster Hubbell,
another Rose Law Firm partner and number three man at the Justice Department
(some say the de facto head of Justice) and Bernie Nussbaum, White House
Legal Counsel (and Hillary's college law professor and mentor on the Nixon
Impeachment Committee) met with the Commanding General of Delta Force and
others on April 14th to make (or relay?) the final decision to go ahead with
the military solution for Waco.

All files relating to Waco, along with others, were taken from Foster's
office the night of his death to the White House residence for review by
Hillary Clinton.  They have not been seen or heard of since. According to
Foster's secretary, he was also working on a memo about Waco the day he
died. That has not been seen either.  Foster's widow told the FBI that her
husband was suffering severe guilt about the deaths at Waco, especially the
children.

Miscellaneous.  Then FBI Director Sessions scheduled a trip to Waco to
conduct face-to-face negotiations with the Branch Davidians.  He was
physically prevented from boarding the waiting FBI plane by (unnamed)
Department of Justice officials.  A memo had been written to President
Clinton by a Deputy Attorney General urging that Sessions be fired and
replaced by one of his deputies who favored the military resolution of Waco.
Sessions was later fired when he refused to resign.
Perhaps the worst perversion of justice was in the handling of eleven
survivors of the Waco tragedy. They were charged with murder, conspiracy to
commit murder, and use of firearms in committing a felony.  The jury found
all eleven not guilty on the murder and conspiracy charges, but guilty of
the use of firearms.

The federal judge at first indicated (correctly) that he would dismiss the
firearms charge since the jury found that no felonies had been committed.
However, he did an about face and sentenced the defendants to the maximum
sentences possible (40 years) under federal sentencing guidelines for the
crimes  of which they had been exonerated (murder and conspiracy)!  This is
the one aspect of the Waco tragedy that could, and should, be undone.



Permission is granted to reproduce this article in its entirety.

The author is a free lance writer based in Romulus, Michigan.  He is a
former newspaper editor and investigative reporter, a retired customs
administrator and accountant, and a student of history and the U.S.
Constitution.

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