7.29.99 We noted this morning the publication of an independent report of the fire and destruction at the Branch Dravidian's Waco compound which said FBI were probably responsible for starting the conflagration which left scores dead and many wounded. James Francis, chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission also made statements this week that the FBI may have fired incendiary devices into the compound on April 19, 1993 We noted as a possible factor in the murder of JFK Jr. the fact Kennedy was set to interview U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; scheduled to take place soon after he met his end. Waco was one of the prime topics on Kennedy's list of questions for his George Magazine interview--a previously lightweight magazine which had increasing taken on some genuinely controversial topics of late. We noted Attorney General Reno may not have relished having to publicly lie again in response to such questions about the deliberate, intentional complicity of FBI and other federales in the death and destruction at Waco. Interesting how following the latest reports and statements coming out of Texas about Waco we now see Reno has found it necessary to again state (or is that lie) publicly that there is NO WAY FBI could have been in the least responsible for the deadly blaze(s), death and injury at Waco. � John Quinn/NewsHawk Inc. see: http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/29/reno.waco/index.html Reno rejects suggestions FBI was responsible for Waco fire Filmmaker says 'flash-bang' devices used WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General Janet Reno on Thursday rejected the suggestion by a top Texas official that FBI agents may have ignited the Waco fire that killed 86 Branch Davidians in 1993. "I have found no basis for concluding that the FBI was in any way responsible," Reno told reporters. "We have reviewed it, and reviewed it," she said. Reno's response followed statements this week by James Francis, chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission, that the FBI may have fired incendiary devices into the compound on April 19, 1993. Investigators concluded that sect members set the fatal fire, which swept through the compound. A Justice Department official, who asked not to be identified, said there was some evidence that so-called "flash-bang" devices were placed into the compound "during an earlier event" in the Waco standoff. The official, however, insisted that the Justice Department stands by the conclusion that the Branch Davidians set the deadly fires. A probe by the Texas Rangers became the backbone of a 1994 criminal trial in which eight Branch Davidians were convicted of charges ranging from manslaughter to weapons violations. More than 12 tons of evidence were gathered, and much of it is stored in Waco. The Texas Public Safety Commission oversees the Texas Rangers, which, at times, has had a tense relationship with the FBI. The Rangers and the Justice Department are currently squabbling in federal court over custody of the evidence used in the Waco investigation. The existence of evidence, which Francis called "at least questionable," was revealed in the Dallas Morning News Tuesday. Filmmaker says 'flash-bang' devices used The report said a documentary filmmaker was granted access to the material, which has not been made available to the public. A Justice Department official Thursday confirmed the filmmaker, Michael McNulty, had been given access to the evidence. McNulty, who is preparing a new documentary on the standoff, said he found that at least six items listed in Texas Ranger inventories as silencers or suppressers were actually "flash- bang" devices, commonly used by law enforcement to stun suspects. McNulty said the devices sometimes ignite fires in enclosed spaces because they emit a loud bang and flash driven by a small pyrotechnic charge. Texas Rangers' evidence logs indicate the devices were found in areas of the Davidian compound in which the fires broke out, McNulty said. "It's our belief that these pieces of ordnance could and probably did have an impact on the fire on April 19th," he told the Morning News. The Davidians and authorities became locked in a 51-day standoff after agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were fired upon when they tried to arrest the leader of the group, David Koresh, on February 28, 1993. The compound erupted in flames April 19 when federal agents punched through the walls and fired tear gas inside. Congressional hearings have pointed to mistakes by the law enforcement officers, but none has been charged with a crime. A lawsuit filed by surviving Davidians and the victims' relatives challenges the conclusion that the Davidians started the fire and also shot first during the raid. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
