Jury to hear start of Waco case today
Country: United States
A jury of four women and three men will begin hearing the Branch
Davidian wrongful-death case Tuesday, a day after fierce clashes
over the admissibility of key evidence detailing the actions of
FBI commanders and sect members during the 1993 siege. (6/20/00)
Click here for link.
Why does the left ignore Waco?
Author: Robert Bryce
Country: United States
"There's a better case for making a martyr of David Koresh than
Mumia Abu-Jamal. So why do liberals continue to overlook him?"
(6/19/00)
Click here for link.
U.S. government on trial: Waco families take wrongful-death case
to court
Country: United States
A $675 million lawsuit stemming from the tragic deaths of 80 men,
women, and children at Waco, Texas, in 1993 goes to trial today.
(6/19/00)
Click here for link.
Hearing to decide expert witnesses for Davidian trial
Country: United States
The two sides in the Davidians' wrongful-death lawsuit against the
federal government are sparring in court over testimony by
expert witnesses. (6/14/00)
Click here for link.
Restricted parking, more security cameras expected for Davidian
trial
Country: United States
With emotions high, security will be tight at the Davidians'
wrongful-death lawsuit against the federal government. (6/14/00)
Click here for link.
Judge to decide if agents fired in Davidian siege
Country: United States
While Judge Walter Smith is seating a jury for the Branch
Davidians' lawsuit over federal conduct at Waco, he's reserving
for himself the decision as to whether agents fired on civilians
on the last day of the siege. (6/13/00)
Click here for link.
Seven years after Waco siege, questions still loom as civil
trial approaches
Country: United States
On June 19, Branch Davidians will have a chance to gain some
measure of compensation in court for the federal government's
misconduct at Waco. (6/12/00)
Click here for link.
Supreme Court slashes prison terms of five Branch Davidians
Country: United States
The Supreme Court overruled Judge Walter Smith's unilateral
decision that the Branch Davidians used automatic weapons at
Waco and should be punished accordingly. The ruling effectively
shaves 25 years off the sentences. (6/6/00)
Click here for link.
Juror in Davidian federal trial applauds Supreme Court decision
Country: United States
The former forewoman in the Branch Davidians' criminal trial
expressed relief at their victory before the Supreme Court. She
has called for government agents to face charges in the case.
(6/6/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian jury to serve in advisory role
Country: United States
While the Branch Davidians will get to make their cases against the
federal government to a jury, the judge will not be bound by the
jury's verdict. (6/5/00)
Click here for link.
Congressman fears police state, says Waco expert may have been
murdered
Country: United States
Democratic Rep. James A. Traficant, of Ohio, says that America has
become a police state, and voices suspicions about the untimely
death of forensic expert Carlos Ghigliotti, who questioned the
official story on Waco. (5/30/00)
Click here for link.
Jury to decide on wrongful deaths at Waco
Country: United States
With just three weeks to go before the start of the trial, U.S.
District Judge Walter S. Smith has exercised his prerogative to
bring in a jury to hear the Branch Davidians' wrongful death
suit against the federal government. (5/29/00)
Click here for link.
Davidians' arguments are rejected by judge
Country: United States
Judge Walter Smith won't consider the possibility that federal
officials deliberately tampered with evidence from the 1993 Waco
siege. (5/18/00)
Click here for link.
Waco expert's death said setback
Country: United States
The death of infrared technology expert Carlos Ghigliotti, who was
convinced by the evidence that government agents fired on Branch
Davidians at Waco, has set back the lawsuit filed against their
government tormentors by survivors of the siege. (5/15/00)
Click here for link.
Reno questioned by Danforth for six hours; Davidians lawyer
attacks Vector report
Country: United States
Claims that the FBI did not shoot at Branch Davidians came under
fire as being compromised by the source's ties to the
government. Meanwhile, the Attorney General revealed that she
was extensively questioned by Waco Special Counsel John
Danforth. (5/12/00)
Click here for link.
The life expectancy of a Waco investigator
Author: Vin Suprynowicz
Country: United States
Vin Suprynowicz points out that an unusual number of investigators
who have revealed information about the Waco siege that's
inconvenient to the government have been suffering debilitating
illnesses or death. (5/8/00)
Click here for link.
Waco expert's death 'suspicious'
Country: United States
Waco investigator David Hardy isn't so sure that Carlos Ghigliotti,
the infrared video expert who was extremely critical of the
recent re-enactment of the last day of the siege, died of
natural causes. (5/3/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian lawyer: Save work of deceased expert
Country: United States
The death of thermal imaging expert Carlos Ghigliotti has attorneys
scrambling to preserve the work he did on the Waco siege, as
Maryland police investigate the cause of the man's death.
(5/2/00)
Click here for link.
Lawyer reveals deceased expert's findings
Author: David Hardy
Country: United States
Attorney and Waco investigator David Hardy discusses revelations
made by Carlos Ghigliotti, the thermal imaging expert found dead
in his office of unknown causes. (5/2/00)
Click here for link.
Waco investigator found dead at his office in Maryland
State: MD, Country: United States
Carlos Ghigliotti, a former thermal imaging expert for the FBI who
revealed powerful evidence that federal agents fired on
Davidians during the last day of the Waco siege, died in his
Maryland office. (5/1/00)
Click here for link.
High court reviews Davidians' sentences
Country: United States
With the forewoman of the jury that returned the verdict in the
case of the Branch Davidians on hand to support the defendants,
the Supreme Court heard arguments that the sentences handed down
by the judge were unduly harsh and deviated from usual
practices. (4/25/00)
Click here for link.
Question of whether FBI shot at Davidians remains open
Country: United States
A preliminary report may back the FBI's claim that its agents
didn't fire during the last day at Waco, but Judge Walter Smith
wants to see more evidence and hear from other experts who
dispute that conclusion. (4/25/00)
Click here for link.
Investigator says test shows gunfire didn't cause flashes on
siege video
Country: United States
A preliminary report from court-appointed British experts suggests
that the flashes recorded on infrared tape of the government's
bloody final assault on the Branch Davidian settlement were not
gunfire. (4/24/00)
Click here for link.
Hearing to determine whether government mishandled key Waco
evidence
Country: United States
U.S. District Judge Walter Smith is set to review the federal
government's handling of evidence from the Waco massacre to
determine if officials withheld, destroyed or tampered with
evidence. (4/24/00)
Click here for link.
Davidians accuse U.S. of distorting law, facts
Country: United States
Federal officials have been accused of fibbing about the law and
the evidence in an attempt to wriggle out of responsibility for
the 1993 deaths at Waco. (4/24/00)
Click here for link.
Branch Davidians observe anniversary of siege
State: TX, Country: United States
The dedication of a new Branch Davidian church on the seventh
anniversary of the fiery end to the government siege of their
settlement was marked by tearful reminiscences and anger toward
the government. (4/20/00)
Click here for link.
Justice Department 'loses' negatives of Waco siege photos
Country: United States
Government officials say they can't find the negatives from an
important roll of film shot on the last day of the Waco siege.
But they insist they haven't tampered with the prints. Honest.
(4/19/00)
Click here for link.
Some actions at Waco were not authorized, Reno testifies
Country: United States
In a videotaped deposition, the attorney general pointed her finger
at agents on the scene for using incendiary devices without
authorization during the siege at Waco. (4/6/00)
Click here for link.
Reno testimony used in bid to halt part of Waco suit
Country: United States
The Justice Department is using the attorney general's testimony as
a lever to get parts of the Waco lawsuit dismissed on the
grounds that the government just can't be held accountable for
much of the misconduct during the siege. (4/6/00)
Click here for link.
Who set the Waco fire?
Country: United States
An expert who heads one of the world's oldest fire-investigation
companies rebutted the government's contention that Davidians
set the blaze at the end of the Waco siege and says that the
real cause may never be known. (4/4/00)
Click here for link.
Branch Davidians attorney critical of Reno's deposition
Country: United States
Lawyers for Branch Davidians suing the government for its conduct
at Waco say that Attorney General Janet Reno was "less than
candid" during her deposition. (3/29/00)
Click here for link.
FBI expert called before grand jury
Country: United States
An FBI expert on tear gas has been called before special counsel
John C. Danforth's grand jury investigating the bloody 1993 Waco
siege. This follows the questioning of the attorney general.
(3/29/00)
Click here for link.
Some Davidians say sharpshooter should remain in lawsuit
Country: United States
Some of the Branch Davidians suing the government for its conduct
at Waco oppose moves to drop the notorious FBI sniper Lon
Horiuchi from the suit. (3/28/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian test copies criticized
Country: United States
It's increasingly likely that last week's recreation of the last
day of the Waco siege was inconclusive, with both sides quietly
demanding better copies of the test data. (3/27/00)
Click here for link.
Two sides claim victory in Waco testing
Country: United States
Little appears to have been settled as both the government and the
Branch Davidians are claiming that the reenactment of the last
day of the Waco siege supports their version of events.
(3/21/00)
Click here for link.
Judge seals footage of Waco siege re-creation
Country: United States
Did the reenactment of the final day at Waco demonstrate that
federal agents fired on Branch Davidians? You'll have to wait
to find out, since the film footage has been sealed for the time
being. (3/20/00)
Click here for link.
Drudge sources say Waco reenactment shows 'obvious gunfire'
Country: United States
According to sources who reviewed the results of a Waco
reenactment, infrared videotape of gunfire captured images that
closely resemble the tapes from the 1993 siege. (3/20/00)
Click here for link.
Branch Davidian lawyers say evidence lost, altered
Country: United States
Lawyers for surviving Branch Davidians suing the government for the
deaths at Waco asked the judge to force defendants to explain
the disturbing pattern of evidence that has been "lost, altered
or tampered with." (3/16/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian inquiry expected to top $10 million this year
Country: United States
John Danforth's investigation into the government coverup at Waco
will cost taxpayers over $10 million this year. (3/15/00)
Click here for link.
Feds spirited body, door away at Waco, trooper says
Country: United States
A Texas state trooper told lawyers for Branch Davidians suing the
government that federal officials made crucial evidence
disappear from the scene at Waco at the end of the siege.
(3/13/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian lawyers to drop suit against FBI sniper
Country: United States
Notorious FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi has been dropped from the Branch
Davidians' lawsuit against the federal government after fired
casings couldn't be matched to his gun. (3/14/00)
Click here for link.
Waco test pending
Country: United States
This coming Sunday is the day for tests to determine whether
infrared film caught federal agents firing on people trying to
flee from the final fire at Mount Carmel. (3/13/00)
Click here for link.
Judge denies media access to Waco test
Country: United States
Members of the media will not be allowed to observe tests this
Sunday intended to determine whether federal agents fired on
Branch Davidians at Mount Carmel. (3/13/00)
Click here for link.
Part of deposition from Waco team leader aired
Country: United States
The former commander of the FBI's SWAT team at Waco confirmed that
he'd ruled out fighting any fire at Mount Carmel, but insists
that he would have brought in appropriate fire-fighting
equipment if he'd known that it existed. (3/9/00)
Click here for link.
Amount of tear gas fired at Waco siege questioned
Country: United States
The growing mountain of evidence from Waco strongly contradicts the
FBI's story about the number of pyrotechnic tear gas rounds
used, and where and when they were deployed. (3/6/00)
Click here for link.
FBI misled Reno to get tear-gas OK, ex-agent alleged
Country: United States
A respected FBI behavioral expert and profiler told a bureau lawyer
that agents had deliberately slanted information given the
attorney general to get permission for the violent final raid at
Mount Carmel. (3/6/00)
Click here for link.
FBI didn't plan to fight Waco fire
Country: United States
FBI records reveal that agents at Waco never intended to fight any
fires started by the final assault on the Branch Davidians'
settlement. (3/2/00)
Click here for link.
Memo reveals FBI's debate on Waco plan
Country: United States
An FBI memo reveals internal fears that bureau officials in Waco
were pushing for a violent conclusion out of frustration.
(2/28/00)
Click here for link.
Whistle-blower assails federal secrecy
Country: United States
Former Federal prosecutor Bill Johnston told the Freedom of
Information Foundation of Texas that government stonewalling on
the Waco fiasco has eroded official credibility. (2/28/00)
Click here for link.
Computer search angers House Waco panel
Country: United States
A House committee investigating the Waco massacre wants to know why
Justice Department officials searched the computer of a former
federal prosecutor who blew the whistle on a Waco coverup.
(2/25/00)
Click here for link.
Davidian admits firing at ATF agents
Country: United States
Livingstone Fagan, a Branch Davidian who has been in prison since
the trial following the Waco siege, has admitted to firing on
federal agents in self defense during the initial assault.
(2/25/00)
Click here for link.
Ex-FBI official says Waco assault violated plan
Country: United States
Former deputy assistant FBI director Danny Coulson has admitted
that the agency's tank attack on the Branch Davidian settlement
violated the plan approved in D.C. (2/24/00)
Click here for link.
FBI eventually forced to drop claims about Waco test, expert says
Country: United States
By claiming that even basic information about the infrared camera
used at Waco was classified, the FBI blocked a pivotal test --
until British experts stepped forward to share their data.
(2/18/00)
Click here for link.
Major reenactment of Waco attack is planned
Country: United States
The final details have been set for a test to establish whether
federal agents fired on Branch Davidians on the final day of the
Waco siege. (2/18/00)
Click here for link.
Waco tests may show shots, U.S. lawyer says
Country: United States
For the first time, a government attorney has conceded that a test
of an infrared camera of the sort used at Waco might well record
gunshots, though he still maintains that there was no gunfire at
the conclusion of the 1993 siege. (2/17/00)
Click here for link.
Media protest secrecy of planned Waco tests
Country: United States
The government plans to keep under wraps tests designed to
determine whether federal agents fired on Branch Davidians
fleeing from flames on the last day of the Waco siege, and the
press isn't happy. (2/16/00)
Click here for link.
Government refused to test for gunfire at Waco
State: TX, Country: United States
The Justice Department was told in 1996 by one of their own
consultants that the FBI's infrared camera may have recorded
gunshots. They did not pursue the matter. Field tests will
finally be held next month. (2/14/00)
Click here for link.
Blueprint to be drafted for Waco re-creation
Country: United States
Lawyers, scientists and a judge will meet next week to hash out the
details of a test to determine if infrared film captured federal
agents firing on Branch Davidians at Waco. (2/11/00)
Click here for link.
Army's help sought with Davidian tests
Country: United States
The Army has been asked to lend weapons, gear, and personnel to
help recreate conditions for a test to determine if an infrared
camera caught federal agents firing on Branch Davidians at Waco.
(2/10/00)
Click here for link.
Judge seeks final plan for Davidian field tests
Country: United States
Plans are being finalized for a test to determine if infrared film
captured evidence that government agents fired on Branch
Davidians as they tried to flee their burning home. (2/9/00)
Click here for link.
Reno skirts Branch Davidian questions during Austin visit
Country: United States
During a visit to Austin, Texas by the attorney general, people had
plenty of questions about the Waco fiasco, but Reno wasn't
giving any answers. (2/8/00)
Click here for link.
Tank action at Waco siege draws criticism
Country: United States
The use of tanks to smash through the Branch Davidian settlement at
Waco has drawn calls to strip the responsible FBI commanders of
immunity to lawsuits. (2/7/00)
Click here for link.
FBI plan not followed, Davidian lawyers say
Country: United States
Driving tanks into the Branch Davidians' building violated the plan
approved by FBI superiors in D.C., say lawyers for survivors.
This could nullify government claims of immunity to lawsuits
over official actions. (2/3/00)
Click here for link.
Attorneys for FBI sharpshooter at Davidian siege seek client's dismissal from lawsuit
Country: United States
FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi, who first earned infamy at Ruby Ridge,
wants to be dropped as a defendant from the surviving Branch
Davidians' lawsuit resulting from government conduct at Waco.
(2/3/00)
Click here for link.
FBI agents contradict official explanation for actions at Mount Carmel
Country: United States
During depositions, FBI agents directly contradicted the official
explanation for why an armored vehicle was sent crashing through
the Davidian's dwelling. (2/1/00)
Click here for link.
FBI cameras at Waco same as ones used by British military, expert says
Country: United States
The FBI has claimed that it's impossible to experiment to see if
flashes on infrared film of the Waco siege are gunfire because
the cameras are no longer available, but the British have plenty
on hand. (1/31/00)
Click here for link.
Special counsel uses polygraph on Waco commando
Country: United States
A former Delta Force soldier passed a lie-detector test in a
dispute with another trooper's testimony about his whereabouts
on the fiery final day of the Waco siege. (1/31/00)
Click here for link.
Branch Davidian lawyers: Government denial of gunfire not enough
Country: United States
Qualified denials by government officials that agents fired at
Branch Davidians on the final day at Waco have raised eyebrows
among plaintiffs' attorneys. (1/28/00)
Click here for link.
Special counsel seeks tests on Branch Davidian recordings
Country: United States
The office of the special counsel investigating the Waco massacre
wants to perform tests on FBI surveillance tapes to settle
allegations that they've been altered. (1/28/00)
Click here for link.
Feds accused of 'torturing babies'
Country: United States
The Branch Davidian lawsuit against the federal government is
intended to hold officials responsible for "the torture of
innocent children" during the bloody siege. Deposed agents are
making it difficult with "an epidemic of amnesia." (1/26/00)
Click here for link.
ATF, military deny shots in final Waco siege
Country: United States
After months of foot-dragging, officials from the BATF and the
military denied under oath that their personnel were involved in
a gunfight with Branch Davidians during the last day of the
bloody Waco siege. (1/26/00)
Click here for link.
Prosecutor who warned Reno of possible cover-up in Waco to resign
Country: United States
Five months after warning Attorney General Janet Reno of a cover-up
of the Branch Davidian scandal, for which he's been ostracized
by colleagues, the chief federal prosecutor in Waco is leaving
his post at the Justice Department. (1/25/00)
Click here for link.
Gov't. opposes fine in Waco case
Country: United States
Attorneys for the federal government argued that they shouldn't be
fined for dragging their feet on surrendering documents in a
lawsuit stemming from the Waco disaster. (1/25/00)
Click here for link.
Danforth seeks tests on remains of Davidians
Country: United States
Former senator John Danforth, the special counsel in the Waco
investigation, asked a federal judge for permission to test
tissue and bone samples. Tests could show that Branch Davidians
died from cyanide poisoning. (1/24/00)
Click here for link.
Editorial: Vin Suprynowitz
State: Utah
Vin weighs in on WACO: A New Revelation (1/23/00)
Click here for link.
Chapel rising from ashes of Branch Davidian camp
State: TX, Country: United States
Constructed by Branch Davidians and an army of volunteers, a new
church is going up at the scene of the 1993 siege in Waco.
(1/17/00)
Click here for link.
High court to hear Davidians' appeal
Country: United States
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Branch Davidians' appeal
of the harsh sentences they received after the 1993
confrontation with federal forces. (1/17/00)
Click here for link.
Deadline upheld on Davidian documents
Country: United States
U.S. District Judge Walter Smith won't cut the feds any slack; they
have to surrender Waco-related documents as ordered. (1/14/00)
Click here for link.
FBI machine-gunned Davidians, experts say
Country: United States
Mike McNulty, who has made two documentaries about the Waco
massacre, and other commentators, differ with an assertion that
a single photograph from the scene rules out claims that federal
agents fired on the Davidians. (1/13/00)
Click here for link
Branch Davidians seek sanction against government
Country: United States
The federal government's foot-dragging on giving plaintiffs
documents related to the bloody 1993 siege may result in $50,000
worth of sanctions. (1/12/00)
Click here for link
WACO: Still Burning Issues
Source: Soldier Of Fortune Magazine
Soldier of Fortune magazine has in the
December 1999 issue two Waco articles and several related political cartoons. SOF has
been the only publication consistently publishing truthful and hard-hitting articles
concerning this debacle, and this month is saying "I told you so" with considerable
justification.
Waco negotiators felt powerless to stop the use of tear gas
Country: United States
FBI negotiators at Waco were overwhelmed by the paramilitary
tacticians, and felt powerless to stop them from using tear gas.
The chief negotiator agreed to limited use of gas in an effort
to head off those who just wanted to pump the stuff in.
(12/30/99)
Click here for link.
FBI was warned Waco noise broadcasts would backfire
Country: United States
FBI behavioral experts warned their colleagues that their use of
loud noises as psychological warfare at Waco would actually
strengthen the Davidians' resolve. Negotiators "knew of no
situation where this ever worked." (12/30/99)
Click here for link.
FBI missteps doomed siege talks, memos say
Country: United States
Justice Department memos blame the FBI for "tactical missteps" that
destroyed chances for a peaceful resolution at Waco. These memos
were not included in the 1993 Justice Department report on the
siege. (12/30/99)
Click here for link.
Davidian lawyer raises questions on Delta Force
Country: United States
After reviewing testimony given by two members of Delta Force who
were at Waco, a lawyer for the Branch Davidians has questions
about the actions of a third soldier. (12/21/99)
Click here for link.
U.S. seeks to shield Waco files
Country: United States
Claiming that federal agents and military personnel are at risk,
the government wants to keep the public from gaining access to
documents recently surrendered to lawyers for the Branch
Davidians. (12/17/99)
Clike here for link.
Davidian lawyers start questioning FBI agents about cameras, bugging
Country: United States
In the opening moves of a wrongful death lawsuit against the
federal government, lawyers for surviving Branch Davidians began
questioning FBI agents under oath. They also revealed that the
government is trying to prevent release of virtually all
relevant documents to the public. (12/9/99)
Click here for link.
Skipping Scotty and the exit
Country: United States
Former Sen. Danforth's investigation of the Waco siege is already
off to a bad start, given the plowed-under scene of the crime
and overlooked evidence. (12/8/99)
Click here for link.
Waco returns
Author: James Bovard
Country: United States
It's now back in the headlines and under investigation, but will
anything come of the newfound interest in Waco? (11/30/99)
Click here for link.
Waco investigator gets shell casings
Country: United States
The FBI was ordered to surrender shell casings collected at Waco to
the special counsel investigating official conduct during the
siege. (11/26/99)
Click here for link.
U.S. fights gunfire test in siege case
Country: United States
Despite a court order to participate in a recreation of the last
day of the Waco siege to test how gunfire would appear on
infrared film, the federal government is dragging its heels,
insisting that such a test would be unreliable. (11/23/99)
Click here for link.
Danforth's team will question two FBI agents who drove converted tank
Country: United States
Two FBI agents who might have been in a position to see whether
their colleagues opened fire on Branch Davidians at Waco will be
questioned by investigators for special counsel John C.
Danforth. (11/22/99)
Click here for link.
Waco test impossible, officials say
Country: United States
Federal officials say that any attempt to restage the final day of the
Waco siege to see if infrared film captured government gunfire
will be irrelevant because the camera used that day no longer
exists. (11/18/99)
Click here for link.
The moral promise of freedom
Author: Rep. Ron Paul
Country: United States
In this 1994 essay, Rep. Ron Paul takes the federal government to
task for the moral and legal transgressions which culminated in
the Waco massacre. (3/94)
Click here for link.
Investigators to begin review of siege evidence
Country: United States
Texas Ranger's and personnel from former Sen. Danforth's
investigative team will begin searching through evidence from
the Waco disaster to see what's contained in the 12 tons of
material. (11/17/99)
Click here for link.
Justice officials turn over Waco files
Country: United States
Facing penalties for contempt of court, Justice Department
officials surrendered files demanded by the judge in wrongful
death lawsuit filed by surviving Branch Davidian. (11/16/99)
Click here for link.
Testing ordered to see if agents fired on Davidian compound
Country: United States
Independent field tests to determine whether infrared film at Waco
recorded government gunfire have been ordered by Judge Walter S.
Smith Jr. (11/16/99)
Click here for link.
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