WASHINGTON (AP) — Prompted by the latest furor over federal law enforcement's conduct during the final, fateful hours in the 1993 standoff with the Branch Davidians, Congress is scurrying to review years-old hearing records and organize a fresh round of inquiries.
Congressional ire was raised with the FBI's admission Wednesday — after years of claims to the contrary — that a "very limited number'' of incendiary tear gas grenades were lobbed near the Davidians' compound outside Waco, Texas, in the hours before the wooden structure erupted in flames. The acknowledgment came on the heels of a newspaper report challenging the earlier statements.
"It is now clear that the Justice Department misled the Congress and the American people,'' said House Government Reform Committee Chairman Dan Burton, R-Ind., accusing officials of "sitting on this evidence for six years, all the while maintaining that it didn't exist.''
Burton, who dispatched investigators to Austin this week to review evidence gathered from the compound's charred remains, pledged to convene hearings, calling them "absolutely essential.''
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, agreed: "We've got to get to the truth,'' he said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who pronounced the credibility of Attorney General Janet Reno's Justice Department at "an all-time low,'' is moving towards hearings as well. House Judiciary Committee staffers are wading through testimony from the 10 days of nationally televised House hearings in 1995 to determine if new inquiries are warranted.
And Rep. Bob Barr, who participated in the earlier hearings, suggested that Congress should consider perjury charges.
A clearly frustrated Reno, who had earlier assured Congress that only non-burning tear gas was used during the April 19, 1993, assault, ordered up a probe of her own. "I don't think it's very good for my credibility,'' she said of the FBI's about-face. "That's the reason I'm going to pursue it until I get to the truth.''
DeLay, for one, said he expects little from the Justice probe. "I'm sure information will be slow in coming,'' the frequent Clinton administration critic said. "With this administration, it's always that way.''
Reno, who has been a favorite target of congressional Republicans over her handling of issues including Whitewater and Democratic campaign fund-raising, will face the hot seat again. Burton said he will summon Reno to testify.
Before Burton's announcement, Reno said she would welcome congressional oversight. "I'll be happy to cooperate in every way that I can,'' she said.
But neither the Justice Department nor Congress can properly investigate the matter, argued Danny Coulson, the former senior FBI official who touched off the controversy by publicly revealing that military pyrotechnic canisters were used in the waning hours of the 51-day siege.
He said the Justice Department "has no business'' investigating itself and called congressional hearings political theater. He suggested an independent investigation.
"It needs to be investigated and decided in a cooler environment, one away from the TV cameras,'' said Coulson, who was a deputy assistant FBI director during the standoff.
Spurred by the FBI's reversal, Barr and others are pressing for inquiries far afield of the tear gas issue. They are demanding answers to some nagging controversies, among them why the Army's secretive Delta Force was on the scene, and whether shots were fired into the compound by federal agents on the siege's final day — a contention the government has vigorously denied.
"There have always been serious lingering questions and now, with this latest information, I think it's imperative that we look into it,'' Barr said.
Film producer Michael McNulty, who next month will release a documentary that alleges government cover-ups at Waco, is hoping Congress will investigate. That said, the producer of "Waco: A New Revelation'' gave Congress an "F-minus'' for its hearings, saying both parties used the sessions chiefly to score political points.
"They missed the most important issue of all: What happened at Waco,'' said McNulty.
The FBI's admission doesn't change earlier findings that the fires were set by people inside the compound, Reno and FBI officials maintain. "I have no reason at this point to believe the FBI is responsible for the deaths of those people,'' Reno said of cult leader David Koresh and some 80 followers who died during the inferno.
The FBI says the incendiary rounds were fired hours before the fire at a concrete bunker 40 yards from the compound after non-burning canisters proved ineffective. The pyrotechnic devices, which bounced off the bunker's roof and rolled into a field, could not have ignited the blaze, they say.
That assessment is shared by a member of the team of independent arson investigators who determined, during the 1993 Justice Department post-siege inquiry, that the fire was deliberately set in three places simultaneously inside the compound.
Thomas Hastings, chief deputy fire marshal for Alleghany County, Pa., said the pyrotechnic canisters
could not in "any way, shape or form'' have started the fire.
Before Burton's announcement, Reno said she would welcome congressional oversight. "I'll be happy to cooperate in every way that I can,'' she said.
Go take a long walk off a short pier, Butcher of Waco!
Come on Freepers! Flood your Senators and House members offices with written expressions of outrage over this. Let them know exactly what you are thinking, and don't let this issue die!
"But neither the Justice Department nor Congress can properly
investigate the matter, argued Danny Coulson
the former FBI official..."
Mr. Coulson has it right.
Instead of just swamping them demanding hearings, we should be demanding answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 or however many each of us can come up with!
Yesterday, I replayed Waco, The Big Lie Continues---regardless of whether anyone approves of Linda Thompson or not--there is footage there that is important. I've watched this a number of times, and yesterday came away with even more questions.
Many of you have seen Waco: Rules of Engagement, and I'm certain are much more well-read, methodical, and logical than I am who certainly have questions that DEMAND AND ARE CRYING OUT FOR ANSWERS!.
If the "good" representatives and senators are innundated with questions from zillions of us, maybe, just maybe, they will take this a little more seriously than in the past when they realize we know a hell of a lot more about it than they do.
Why not shoot copies of these questions to all the media (I know, I know) whether tv, radio, papers, and magazines...and hit the letters to the editors.
Instead of just swamping them demanding hearings, we should be demanding answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 or however many each of us can come up with!
Yesterday, I replayed Waco, The Big Lie Continues---regardless of whether anyone approves of Linda Thompson or not--there is footage there that is important. I've watched this a number of times, and yesterday came away with even more questions.
Many of you have seen Waco: Rules of Engagement, and I'm certain are much more well-read, methodical, and logical than I am who certainly have questions that DEMAND AND ARE CRYING OUT FOR ANSWERS!.
If the "good" representatives and senators are innundated with questions from zillions of us, maybe, just maybe, they will take this a little more seriously than in the past when they realize we know a hell of a lot more about it than they do.
Why not shoot copies of these questions to all the media (I know, I know) whether tv, radio, papers, and magazines...and hit the letters to the editors.
Arlen Spectre just had his face on CNN just now (Evans, Novak, Hunt & Shields), wanting a Congressional Investigation. He cites Ruby Ridge and how the Congress had to "back the ATF into a corner" to get the facts. Maybe even the milque-toasts will jump on this, if nothing more than to get air time. He said that the Attorney General would not even come to the Ruby Ridge hearings...sent a deputy.
I can't stand most of them, but anything to get at the truth (even the circus it usually is), would be, as they say "helpful" to get to the "bottom" of these "troubling" developments.
I don't have any faith in Arlen Spector the defector to do the right thing.
He had his opportunity to remove Clinton, and chose instead to cite Scottish law and say "not proved" If you listened carefully, the Chief Justice corrected it to "Not Guilty" for the record.
I do have faith in other members of Congress though. Please keep the letters and faxes rollong into your congressman's offices, and to the Judiciary Committee, and the press.
What we need is an independent panel. I suggest the panel be headed by Mr. Shippers and Mr. LaBella. I suggest they request the services of the Texas Rangers for their investigative team. I believe the governor of Texas might grant that request.
I have no quarrel with having Mr. Shippers and Mr. LaBella conducting the investigation. I just don't want to see Janet Reno sit on their findings like she has done with the last LaBella memo.
I really think that this should be done independant of the Government, and the results released in their entirety so that the Clinton Administration and Congress learn the facts at the same time as the American people do. I just don't trust the Clinton Administration to let the truth out.
By the way, we still haven't seen the 1/3 of the Cox report that Clinton had redacted, now have we?
HERE IS EVERTHING YOU NEED TO GET STARTED!
PETITION TO JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FOR IMPEACHMENT OF CLINTON & RENO
Judiciary Committee Chairman
Rep. Henry Hyde
(No public e-mail address)
PHONE: TOLL-FREE 1.877.722.7494
202.225.4561
Fax: 202.225.1166
Web site: www.house.gov/hyde
Snail mail: 2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 2110
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE PUBLIC e-MAIL ADDRESSES:
judiciary@mail.house.gov, speaker@mail.house.gov, cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov, sensen09@mail.house.gov, bill.mccollum@mail.house.gov, howard.coble@mail.house.gov, rep.charles.canady@mail.house.gov, barr.ga@mail.house.gov, talk2bob@mail.house.gov, asa.hutchinson@mail.house.gov, pease@mail.house.gov, jer@mail.house.gov, lindsey.graham@mail.house.gov, fl01@mail.house.gov, john.conyers@mail.house.gov, howard.berman@mail.house.gov, ninthnet@mail.house.gov, jerrold.nalder@mail.house.gov, nc12.public@mail.house.gov, zoe@lofgren.house.gov, tx18@mail.house.gov, martin.meehan@mail.house.gov, william.delahunt@mail.house.gov, steven.rothman@mail.house.gov, tammy.baldwin@mail.house.gov,gephardt@mail.house.gov, senatorlott@lott.senate.gov, daschle@daschle.senate.gov, hastert@mail.house.gov, samfarr@mail.house.gov, congjones@mail.house.gov, christopher.cox@mail.house.gov, campbell@mail.house.gov, annagram@mail.house.gov, rep.coburn@mail.house.gov, rep.jcwatts@mail.house.gov, curtpa07@mail.house.gov, senator@nickles.senate.gov, jim_inhofe@inhofe.senate.gov, jesse_helms@helms.senate.gov, barbara.lee@mail.house.gov, talk2tom@mail.house.gov, robert.marsui@mail.house.gov, george.miller-pub@mail.house.gov, sf.nancy@mail.house.gov, petemail@stark.house.gov, lynn.woolsey@mail.house.gov, doug.ose@mail.house.gov, m.thompson@mail.house.gov, ellen.tauscher@mail.house.gov, senator@feinstein.senate.gov, senator@boxer.senate.gov, chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov, senator_hatch@hatch.senate.gov, tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov, senator.hutchinson@hutchinson.senate.gov, senator@hutchison.senate.gov, blanche_lincoln@lincoln.senate.gov, senator@dpm.senate.gov, russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov, senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov, senator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov
Rep. Dan Burton
(No public e-mail address)
PHONE: TOLL-FREE 1.877.722.7494
202.225.2276
Fax: 202.225.0016
Web site: www.house.gov/burton
Snail mail: 2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
PUT HEAT ON THE MEDIA - MEDIA ADDRESSES I
PUT HEAT ON THE MEDIA - MEDIA ADDRESSES II
CALL CONGRESS TOLL-FREE
1 • 877 • 722 • 7494
WRITE GENERAL STONEWALL RENO:
Janet Reno
Department of (IN)Justice
Washington, D.C.
20530
WHILE WE ARE RAISING HELL,
DER ARKAN FURHER
NEEDS TO HEAR FROM US ABOUT PARDONING
THE 16 PUERTO RICAN FALN TERRORISTS
TO BENEFIT HITLERY'S SENATE NON-CAMPAIGN!
president@whitehouse.gov
firstlady@whitehouse.gov
hillary@hillary2000.org
I have no quarrel with having Mr. Shippers and Mr. LaBella conducting the investigation. I just don't want to see Janet Reno sit on their findings like she has done with the last LaBella memo.
I believe both of these gentlemen are now in private practice. You're absolutely right about them reporting to the people directly. If congress wishes to regain our confidence, they would make this a requirement. They should be unrestricted and tell it all, after all, we don't exactly have any secrets left to protect. China and Russia probably already know the answers.
Hey, maybe we should ask them! :-)
Shippers, LaBella and "Hold-on-now. (Mark the Shark Levin)
Is Mark the Shark Levin the same as F Lee Levin, the giver of sage advise to El Rushbo? If so, I'll also give him my vote.
"He said the Justice Department "has no business'' investigating itself and called congressional hearings political theater. He suggested an independent investigation. "
Here we go again. I feel sorry for the poor shmuck who gets this job. We won't hear anything for years if all this goes to a GJ. The IC statue has been dead for 2 months and we already need an IC. But he is exactly right, congressional hearings are nothing but political theater. What they maybe should do is have a bi-partisan committee appoint a Special Prosector who then has to be confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. What a mess.
"I really think that this should be done independant of the Government."
Me too... but how can you that? I don't think it can be done.
I'm with you rowdee. Send FR website to five friends and then write the media, your congress critters and the media.
This will be another coverup. Reno will focus microscopicaly on those two bloop gun CS rounds. In the mean time, someone has uncovered the Texas Ranger's list of what they used, and misfiled under "supressors and silencers" they found flashbang rounds that had been used.
I have heard rumors that there are vids of a helicopter shooting MG rounds into the roof. Then there's stuff about the mythical Delta Force "operationally involved".
When all this is over we will know who was the final inspector of the 40mm rounds and the maiden name of the mother of the guy who shot them...and nothing else!
Freepers, lets not forget Ruby Ridge, and Waco. Because of these instances of Government violating the rights of private citizens, Timothy Mcveigh bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
There were approximately 160 innocent people killed there. McVeigh's act was cowardly and wrong. But I do not think he would have bombed the Murra building except for Waco.
Remember, he chose the anniversary of Waco and Ruby Ridge to send a message. We really should include the victims of Oklahoma City when we count the victims of Waco.
Bump it again.
Reno, who has been a favorite target of congressional Republicans over her handling of issues including
"Reno, who has been a favorite whining target of congressional Republicans over her frequent displays of corruption..."
She should have been impeached and removed, if not before, then certainly when it became clear she prohibited any investigations of campaign finance violations unless conclusive proof of violations of the laws was already available.
Instead of just swamping them demanding hearings, we should be demanding answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 or however many each of us can come up with!
Something that was completely glossed over in Congressional hearings in light of the debacle at the end is: Why did the ATF go in to begin with? Why was the ATF TRYING to force a response?
Was the mission WAR or HOSTAGE RESCUE? Higgins and Aquereleo should be asked that question.
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