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\title {Letter to the Editor} \endtitle
\author {Matthew L. Fante} \endauthor
\date {April 20, 1993} \enddate
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pull back the heavens and show you my anger?! ... fear me.''  The 51 day
standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians ended on April 19
in what appeared to be a mass suicide by fire.  Now that the multi-million
dollar standoff is over, a few things remain: cleaning up the mess, and
assigning blame.

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From the onset of the April 19 tear gas attacks by federal agents, President
Clinton already started passing the buck by saying ``Talk to the attorney
general or the FBI... I knew it was going to be done, but the decision was
{\it entirely theirs}.  {\it They} made the tactical decision.'' Enter
Attorney General Janet Reno.  After most of the Branch Davidians died,
Reno said she took ``full responsibility'' for the decision.  ``I approved
the plan'' she said adding that she ``did not advise him [Clinton] as to the
details.''  In fact, she told Clinton that it was ``the best way to go.''
As the fire was roaring through the Branch Davidian's compound Clinton said
that he was ``deeply sadened by the loss of life'' and in the same breath that
``the law enforcement agencies involved in the Waco siege recommended the
course of action pursued today.''  Later he went on to say ``I stand by that
[Reno's] decision.''

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How did this all begin?  At 0930 on February 28 agents of the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) launched a full-scale, high-profile
assault on the Branch Davidian's compound.  This raid was much
more than an assault on a group suspected of possessing illegal weapons.  The
assault was a planned media circus used as a propaganda device of the BATF
to show their might and just purpose.

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At the onset of the ``no-knock'' raid, gaggles of heavily armed BATF agents
made their way inside the compound without identifying themselves or state
that they had a warrant until long after the shooting began.
Silently, the agents made their way to the compound's buildings and started
their ``search'' by charging at the buildings and throwing concussion grenades
and ordering the cult members to come out of the buildings.

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If unknown persons dressed in black ninja costumes and combat fatigues
were to attack you, throwing grenades and brandishing firearms, would you not
assume that these people are criminals and attempt to defend yourself?  The
tactics employed by the BATF provoked the battle.

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The initial assualt by the BATF was not successful.  Unfortunately, lives
were lost on both sides.  But, had the assault been a success, the liberal
media would have praised the BATF by showing the footage of BATF agents
carting away a bunch of gun-wielding religious nuts.  Of course, any
violation of the cult's rights would have been overlooked and the media
would proclaim America's fortune in having super-cop organizations like the
BATF that can systematically ``take out'' terroristic groups such as the
Branch Davidians.

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As far as I can see, the BATF and the FBI dropped the ball - just like
Philadelphia did in the 1985 MOVE crisis which left 11 dead, 250 homeless,
and a city block razed.
It appears that the BATF has adopted the shoot-first tactic of no-knock
raids to execute search warrants.  Don't let the BATF convince you that
the no-knock raid was justified.  No-knock assaults make sense when looking
for, say, drugs that can easily be hidden or disposed of in a few seconds.
The BATF was looking for illegal weapons, not drugs that could be hidden or
flushed down the toilet in a matter of a few seconds.  What ever happened to
``This is the police!  You are surrounded...''?  {\it This policy of no-knock
raids, by federal and local agencies, should be restricted}.  Further, the use
of military firepower against presumed innocent citizens is a very scary idea,
and is why the Davidians were justified in using lethal force to ensure that
their fourth ammendment rights [``the right of the people to be secure in
their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches
and seizures''] are not denied.

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\noindent Matthew L. Fante \newline
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-- 
____________________________________________________________________
Matthew Fante
mlf3@Lehigh.EDU             For a good prime call 2^756839 - 1