Posted on 04/19/2003 2:55:57 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
"The FLIR Project" is different from Mr. McNulty's first two Waco massacre documentaries (1997's "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" and 1999's "Waco: A New Revelation"). While the first two videos are sprawling attempts to cover multiple facets of the government's actions and the ensuing cover up, "The FLIR Project" is a tightly focused refutation of Special Counsel John Danforth's official report that concluded "with 100% certainty" that government agents did not fire upon Branch Davidians as they attempted to escape the flames of their burning buildings on April 19, 1993.
Anyone who has seen the FBI's aerial FLIR imagery that instigated the appointment of this Special Counsel knows that Mr. Danforth's conclusion can only be described as a bald-faced lie.
The basis of Mr. Danforth's report (I purposely refrain from using the term "Senator" because in my opinion Mr. Danforth does not deserve the respect the title confers) are simulations conducted under the auspices of the Office of the Special Counsel at Fort Hood on March 19, 2000. The purpose of these simulations was to replicate the weapons, ammunition, uniforms and climatic/atmospheric conditions present at Mount Carmel and determine whether the flashes seen in the FLIR images are the result of automatic gunfire.
The three primary conclusions of Mr. Danforth's report are:
In the fall of 2000 a team of volunteer experts conducted tests at two Western locations to reproduce the work done by the OSC. These experts determined that the conditions chosen by Mr. Danforth's office did not replicate conditions at Mount Carmel. Since the altered conditions chosen "proved" government agents innocent, I conclude that the choice of conditions was premeditated and purposeful. I would like to emphasize, however, that Mr. McNulty makes no such claim in his documentary.
Here are the major observations/conclusions presented by "The FLIR Project."
FLIR imagery depends on differences in temperatures between objects and their backgrounds. The greater the contrast in temperatures, the more visible the contrast there is in the infrared image. There are human figures clearly visible in the Mount Carmel FLIR imagery crossing the storm shelter roof. These figures disappear as they cross open ground. When these figures stand motionless they blend in completely with the background. When they move they can be distinguished from the background.
Not only was the ambient temperature at the Fort Hood simulation twenty degrees lower than at Mount Carmel, much of the ground was soaked with water the day before to keep down the dust. This moisture would also cause the ground to be cooler, further increasing the thermal contrast between human figures and the background. Human figures are clearly visible in the Fort Hood FLIR imagery despite the use of uniforms treated to minimize infrared absorption like the ones worn by the agents at Mount Carmel.
"The FLIR Project" simulation was conducted much closer to 85F ambient temperature, and the resulting FLIR imagery was identical to that at Mount Carmel, meaning that motionless human figures on open ground were invisible.
As can be readily observed from the many FBI still photos of April 19, 1993, federal agents were using CAR-16s (M-4s) with 14 - ½" barrels. The ammunition used was commercial Federal .223.
The firearms used in the Fort Hood simulation were M16-A2s with 20" barrels. The ammunition used was standard military ball with flash-suppressant powder. This combination of firearm and ammunition is specifically designed to minimize muzzle flash.
The flashes seen in the Mount Carmel FLIR images last up to 32 milliseconds. The government claims that the flash from an M16 lasts only 8 milliseconds. "The FLIR Project" confirmed that an M16/20" flash lasts 8 milliseconds, but the flash of the M-4/14 - ½" with commercial ammunition lasts considerably longer.
Finally, due to the heavy tank traffic and 30-mph winds at Mount Carmel, there was a considerable amount of fine dust in the air. "The FLIR Project" demonstrated that these dust particles further amplified the duration of muzzle flash of the M-4s to match that seen in the Mount Carmel imagery.
Mr. McNulty's previous two videos were somewhat of a disappointment to me because they were too disjointed and presented a muddled story. This video, while only thirty minutes in duration, is packed with factual information and presents a razor-sharp argument.
My suggestion to all people who really care about the murders of 80 innocent people by our government at Waco is to buy two copies of this video. Send one to your congressman with orders to do something about it, and send the other to Mr. Danforth with the word "SHAME" emblazoned on the package in red letters.
Interesting question. I wasn't aware of this. But perhaps I read this and simply overlooked the importance of it. Thanks.
Well... considering what the agents were doing, and knowing that an FBI aircraft was flying surveilance with a forward-looking infra-red video camera, the reason to wear infra-red neutral clothing is obvious.
The Davidians certainly didn't have a FLIR camera, so why would the agents on the ground need special suits to render themselves invisible to a orward-looking infrared camera?
Add one more detail... infra-red is usually of utility only in darkness. The raid occurred in broad daylight. Any Davidians who were looking would see them deploying regardless of their garb; they weren't hiding from Davidians, they were hiding from prying eyes overhead.
Infra red can be acted upon by optics, including most mirrors. With most lenses the coefficient of refraction is different with infra red than with visible light, but in general optics will work with infra red.
That having been said, the "solar glint" notion is still bogus. Although the sun is very hot, it is too much of a point source to pick up particularly well on an infra red camera. The amount of infra red reaching the lens from a muzzle flash would be greater than the amount of infra red reaching the lens from the sun. To be sure, more radiation reaches the lens from the sun than from the muzzle flash, but most of the power in the sun's radiation is in shorter wavelengths not detected by the IR camera.
Still, the key point about the muzzle flashes is the regularity. While it is certainly possible to construct reflectors that yield "solar glints" that would look like muzzle flashes, there is no reason to believe any such reflectors were present on 4-19-1993.
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