TECH EFFECT: Waco
About The Programme
The programme examines the stand-off between the FBI and the Branch Davidians, a religious cult in Waco, Texas. In their compound, at Mount Carmel, the Davidians are preparing for the end of the world with a comprehensive armoury of military equipment and high-powered rifles. Not to be outdone, the US forces have tear gas, armoured tanks and CS gas.
A gun battle ensues, leaving many dead and wounded. By the end of the siege, the Branch Davidian compound goes up in flames, leaving the FBI’s techniques under close scrutiny. This episode of Tech Effect analyses the weapons and tactics used by both sides of this standoff.
The Siege Of Waco
David Koresh and 80 of his followers died in a fire during an FBI assault on their compound in 1993. The skirmish between the American government and the cult started on 28 February 1993, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), charged Koresh with possessing illegal firearms and explosives.
A military-style raid begins with helicopter gunships firing down on the compound. In the crossfire, four ATF agents are killed, 16 wounded as well as a number of Davidians. Negotiations began the next day, with the release of 10 children.
The FBI then moved in armoured vehicles, surrounding the compound.
An extraordinary battle of propaganda began, with Koresh promising to surrender if his teachings were broadcast nationally. The FBI counter attack by playing very loud music, including Tibetan chants, over the loudspeaker system. Koresh refuses to come out because of this barrage of noise. Mercifully, the speaker system develops a fault and silence ensues.
But the cult leader steadfastly refuses to give up his arms, saying God had told him to stay where he was.
After more than 50 days of negotiations, the FBI cut off electricity to the compound. Janet Reno, the attorney general at the time, approved a plan to use tear gas in a bid to end the siege.
On 19 April, the FBI informed the besieged cult followers that they were planning a tear gas attack with stun grenades. In response, the Davidians started firing. By midday, fires started in the wooden compound and the FBI claim the Davidians were responsible for this.
As a result of the inferno, Koresh and 76 followers, including 20 children, perished.
Koresh: The Cult Leader
After travelling to Hollywood in a failed attempt to become a rock star, Koresh joined a religious sect called the Branch Davidians in 1981.
Koresh spearheaded a power struggle for the group’s leadership and temporarily left the group with some followers. But he returned, armed with five .223 calibre assault rifles, two .22 calibre rifles, two shotguns and 400 rounds of ammunition.
After Koresh took over the Branch Davidians, he annulled the marriages of his followers, saying that only he could be married.
Former members of the religious cult told authorities that Koresh was a violent man, beating children until he drew blood.
Koresh and his followers believed they were waiting for the end of the world. Apparently, the Apocalypse would start when the army attacked Mount Carmel, their compound outside of Waco.
The Branch Davidians
This religious sect has its origins in the Seventh-Day Adventist church. One of its strongest beliefs is in Bible prophecies revealing the date for the end of the world.
In the 1930s, an American Adventist called Victor Houteff announced he was God’s new prophet. But his claims were thrown out and he was renounced by the Seventh-day Adventist church. Houteff then set up the “Davidian Seventh-day Adventists”, also called “The Shepherd’s Rod.”
After the death of Houteff, his widow Florence took over the leadership. But after she incorrectly forecasted the end of the world in 1959, Ben Roden forms a splinter group called the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists.
The Branch Davidians believe they are God’s chosen people for the days leading up to the end of the world. As a result, the sect believes that God will send them a prophet to guide them through the Apocalypse.
When Roden died, his wife Lois became president and claimed that God has shown her that the Holy Spirit is the feminine aspect of the trinity.
Vernon Howell joined in 1981 and is blessed with his first vision of God in 1983. Gradually Howell assumes control of the religious group and in 1990, changes his name to David Koresh.