-Caveat Lector- >From StarNews.com, http://www.starnews.com/news/citystate/99/sept/0911st_pow.html - Caller says arson at historic chapel related to Waco Fire damages shrine built by POWs during World War II; caller warns of further acts. News By Diana Penner Indianapolis Star/News INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 11, 1999) -- An anonymous caller claimed Friday that an act of arson at the historic POW-built chapel at Camp Atterbury was in retaliation for the federal government's "declaration of war" at Waco, and he warned there would be more assaults. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the State Fire Marshal's office are assisting local authorities in the investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified. Friday's fire at Our Lady's Chapel in the Meadow came on the heels of another attempt to burn the tiny building near Edinburgh on Sept. 2. There was no call before or after that fire, and no one has been arrested. On Friday, a man called The Daily Journal of Johnson County shortly after 1 p.m. and appeared to read a short statement, said Lt. Mike McElwain of the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. The statement said: "We want to relay the reason for the arson at the POW chapel. It's Waco. We want to let the government know we accept their declaration of war and this is the first of a series." The call could not be traced, McElwain said. The caller was described as "male, articulate but rushed, like he was reading a prepared statement." Earlier in the day, McElwain said, a work crew had been at the chapel -- built by Italian prisoners of war in 1943-44 -- cleaning up damage caused by the Sept. 2 fire. After that crew left, a man fishing at a nearby lake heard a "woosh" and discovered the fire. He called for help, and the Nineveh Fire Department quickly brought the situation under control, McElwain said. Other witnesses provided a description of a vehicle leaving the chapel area. The chapel, the only church in the United States built by Italian POWs, is located in Camp Atterbury, a military reservation occupied by the Indiana Army National Guard. Military officials have primary jurisdiction over the site and the investigation, McElwain said. The ATF was called in and the FBI apprised of the situation because federal property is involved, he said. McElwain said he was not aware of any similar threats made in connection with arsons, bombings or other assaults in Indiana. Waco, Texas, was the site of a federal standoff with the Branch Davidian religious group in 1993. It ended in a conflagration on April 19, 1993, that left about 80 Branch Davidians dead. The confrontation began when the ATF tried to raid the compound in search of illegal weapons. The group was tipped off to the raid, and four ATF agents were shot and killed. Since then, the event itself and the investigations of it have been fraught with controversy. This week, Attorney General Janet Reno appointed former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri to lead a new inquiry into the disaster, focusing on documents found recently that suggest the FBI had greater involvement than previously acknowledged. The episode fueled anti-government and militia activities, and was a key trigger for Timothy McVeigh, convicted of the Oklahoma City federal building bombing that came on the second anniversary of Waco. Why a tiny, isolated chapel in Johnson County would be the target of similar fury is a mystery to McElwain. There are active militia members in the county, but they have not appeared to be interested in these kinds of activities, he said. "Most of the people we deal with on a daily basis are more of the tax protester types," he said. No damage estimate was available after Friday's fire, but it caused extensive smoke and water damage, McElwain said. An accelerant had been dispersed and ignited, he said. In the Sept. 2 incident, shingles were ripped from the pitched roof and an accelerant was poured on wood beams. -- Dan S DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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