Brief HistoryThe civilians lived in a religious community called the Mt. Carmel Center. They were called Branch Davidians. The incident began with a military-style raid on February 28, complete with helicopter gunships firing down upon the women's and children's quarters. Then followed a long siege. On April 19, the US government sent tanks to GAS the building where the people lived. The government said they decided to gas the Davidians because they were concerned about the sanitary conditions in the house, because they were afraid one of the Davidians, David Koresh, was spanking babies, and because the FBI agents were getting tired.
A fire broke out as the tanks were driving about. The fire became an inferno, lasted 40 minutes and burned the house to the ground. As they watched the inferno on TV, many wondered why they could not see Davidians escaping the burning building. Seventy-five people are said to have perished in the flames. Much public concern was focused on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 33 women, children, and babies whose remains were found in a concrete room which served as a pantry and food storage area off the kitchen in the Mt. Carmel Center. Circumstantial and physical evidence suggested to some Americans that the Branch Davidians were deliberately killed by the US government. A video was made which contained TV footage that showed what seemed to be a flame throwing tank backing out of the smashed building, flames coming out of its muzzle. Other footage showed uniformed US military personnel at the scene, and tanks fitted with plowblades pushing debris into the flaming rubble. The video was circulated nation-wide and caused people to become outraged. The US government repeated that the tanks made holes in the building so that the Branch Davidians could come out, but that the Davidians refused to do so, and then committed suicide by setting themselves on fire. Others said that the TV footage of the flame throwing tank was misleading. They said the fire started when the tanks accidentally tipped over some lanterns, and was fed by hay and household fuels that happened to be in the building. A public outcry for full Congressional hearings ensued. Two years to the day after the April 19 fire, the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, where many federal offices were housed, was bombed. The US news services immediately inferred the building was bombed by those who objected to the Waco Holocaust. Waco Holocaust protesters said that the bombing of the Murrah building was most likely the work of the US government, seeking an excuse to extinguish Constitutional liberties, as evidenced by events in Waco. Finally, more than two years after the April 19, 1993 inferno in Waco, Congress held lengthy hearings. The hearings were held with the stated purpose of finding the truth, wherever it lay. It was promised that the hearings would put the Waco controversy to rest. Any serious investigation looks at physical evidence. And it examines that evidence directly. When serious investigators must rely on interpretations, they do not seek out interested parties to give those interpretations. However, Congress ignored most of the available physical evidence. When they did look at evidence, Congress was highly selective. When interpretations were sought, most came from interested parties. And finally, when penetrating questions were asked, government employees were permitted to avoid answering. The Waco Holocaust Electronic Museum will now make available to the public some of evidence that was suppressed by Congress. Next: Why the Waco Holocaust Matters Home: Museum Entrance
Alert! Yet another attempt to cover up the Waco Holocaust. Read about the new hoax documentary, Waco: The Rules of Engagement in the Museum's Burial Gallery.
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Title: Brief History
The tanks tore big holes in
the walls, drove into the house, and knocked down whole sections of the
building. The government said they were only making holes in the building so
they could get the gas in, and let the people out. But no Davidians came out. To
some, it seemed the tanks were demolishing the Branch Davidians' home while the
people were still inside.
