From: [m--o] at [scicom.AlphaCDC.COM] (Michele Lord)
Newsgroups: alt.activism
Subject: Feds Assume Power Above and Beyond Law
Date: 18 Oct 93 02:34:36 GMT

Without permission from the Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 16, 1993.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Feds Assume Powers Above and Beyond Law

by Paul Craig Roberts

   Have the police powers of our government become too great? The
government's own reports on the assault on the Branch Davidian
compound in Waco, Texas, paint a picture of law authorities running
amok and squandering the lives of scores of men, women and
children.
   The Treasury Department's  report is by far the most critical.
It blames Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials for
botching the raid on the compound and then engaging in deception to
hide their mistakes. The bureau's director has resigned, and five
officials have been placed on administrative leave pending further
action.
   The Justice Department's report contradicts Attorney General
Janet REno's reasons for ordering the fatal attack, but raises more
questions than it answers by exonerating all high-ranking FBI and
Justice Department officials.
   But more is amiss here than a botched raid and possible conflict
of interest. Both reports gloss over many legal irregularities and
the government's hostile attitude toward the Davidians that led to
the disaster.
   The Treasury's report notes that despite its shortcomings, "the
raid fit within an historic, well-established and well-defended
government interest in prohibiting and breaking up groups that
sought to arm or fortify themselves." Once the decision was made to
bust up the group, the legal niceties that constrain government
behavior became casualties.
   Some of the evidence used to obtain the warrant that launched
the initial raid apparently was false or fabricated. Film footage
of the violent assault and tapes of telephone conversations with
Davidian leader David Koresh do not appear to be consistent with
the government's explanation of events leading to the fiery deaths
in the compound.
   The government committed more wrongs than merely proceeding with
an attack in full knowledge that the Davidians were expecting them.
By not honestly addressing these wrongs, both reports constitute a
whitewash. 
   Something similar happened in Idaho, where federal marshals
killed two members of Randy Weaver's family after deciding that the
family, living in an isolated cabin in the mountains, constituted a
dangerous gang of "white supremacists." 
   Having suppressed this armed group residing within its borders,
the U.S. brought Weaver to trial. But the jury sided with Weaver
and threw out the case, and U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge
excoriated the FBI for withholding evidence about what really
happened.
   Like it or not, federal agents have assumed the power to decide
whose beliefs are permissible and to use deadly force to regulate
the behavior of those deemed to be outcasts. Nothing in our law
gives government this power. If we permit this illegitimate power
to be used against fringe elements, it will gain legitimacy and
threaten us all. 
   In the post-war era, anti-communism and law-and-order issues
rallied many Americans to the defense of the state. In the process
we neglected to note that many of the means we chose also permitted
the emergence of government power that is accountable only to
itself. 
   The Waco disaster offered an opportunity to confront this issue,
but the Treasury and Justice reports have successfully evaded it.
As Rep. Don Edwards, D., Calif., chairman of the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights, observed, the
governments report is "very disappointing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Michele Lord              + If you have come here to help me,
                            + you are wasting your time.....
                            + But if you have come because
                            + your liberation is bound up with mine,
 [m--o] at [scicom.alphacdc.com]   + then let us work together.
                                          Aboriginal Woman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~