Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns,alt.politics.org.batf,alt.politics.usa.misc From: [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William W. Hughes) Subject: Branch Davidian Trial - 28 Jan 94 Date: Sat, 29 Jan 1994 07:30:32 GMT Branch Davidian Trial Update - Friday, 28 Jan 94 Page 1B Headline - FEDERAL AGENT TESTIFIES ABOUT WARNING HIS CHIEF TO CALL OFF RAID IN WACO Subhead - ATF agent testifies Koresh knew of raid ATF Agent Robert Rodriguez described his actions on the day of the ill-fated raid on the Mount Carmel facility during his testimony Thursday. Rodriguez had been sent into the compound to make a last-minute survey of the area before the raid. When he learned that Koresh had been tipped off, he left the compound and attempted to stop the raid. He called Assistant Special Agent in Charge Charles Sarabyn. Sara- byn had the authority to cancel the raid. Immediately upon telling Sarabyn that Koresh knew about the raid, he was asked if he had seen any weapons. When he said he had not, Sarabyn replied "'Ok.'" Rodriguez immediately drove to the ATF command post to speak to Sarabyn personally. He arrived a few minutes after the phone call to find the post deserted. "'They were gone. I was upset because they were continuing the raid, because I knew what was going to happen.'" Other agents have already testified that Sarabyn ordered them to load up and move out quickly, because the Davidians had been alert- ed. Describing the events within the compound before he left, Rodriguez said that everything appeared normal until about 9:00 am, when Koresh received a telephone call. Rodriguez said that Koresh re- turned from the call shaken and agitated. "'He turns, looks at me and says, "Robert, neither the ATF or the National Guard will ever get me. They got me once, and they'll never get me again." I said to myself, "He knows."'" Rodriguez testified that members of the Davidians were blocking the exits from the building, but under cross-examination admitted that no one attempted to prevent his departure. Just before he left, he said that Koresh shook his hand and wished him good luck. Defense attorneys had earlier objected to testimony Rodriguez gave regarding statements he had heard Koresh make prior to the day of the raid. "Rodriguez said Koresh preached that the United States was a nation of non-believers and that he criticized the ATF." Defense attorneys argued that this indicated a "distrust and a dislike" for the ATF, but did not indicate an intent to kill ATF personnel. Judge Smith agreed with the defense, and limited prosecutors' questions to the events on the day of the raid. Defense attorney Douglas Tinker, during his cross-examination of Rodriguez, established that undercover investigation had not re- vealed any evidence of illegal actions by the Davidians. "Rodriguez testified his superiors pressured him to infiltrate the compound" ... "because they had not discovered anything through surveillance from an undercover house." ------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER TO THE EDITOR Page 5B CULTS GROW INTO BIG RELIGIONS Much media attention has been focussed on the trial of members of the small cult of Branch Davidians. Cults are formed by having a charismatic leader who foists beliefs on naive followers. As cults grow in membership and financial and political clout, they are no longer called "cults" but, rather, "organized religions." Sharon Richert =================================================================== SUMMARISER'S COMMENTS Let's see... we have an ATF agent verifying that the Davidians had been tipped off about the raid and that the agent in charge decided to go forth anyway. The same agent also indicates that there was no evidence of illegal activity at the complex. Am I crazy, or does something seem very wrong here? If Rodriguez is to be believed, there was no reason to request a warrant of any kind, since there was no evidence of illegal activity. ------------------------------------------------------------------- KNOWN DISTRIBUTIONS USENET: talk.politics.guns, alt.politics.org.batf, alt.politics.usa.misc - posted by author mailing list Firearms Politics ([firearms politics] at [ns1.rutgers.edu]) - sent by author (gated to moderated newsgroup info.firearms.poli- tics) alt.conspiracy - forwarded by "Searchnet Zec", whoever or whatever that is FIDONET: DEBATE and CONTROVERSY - forwarded by Terry Goodman (terry.goodman @support.com / 1:102/837) LEGAL (non-backbone) - forwarded by Lester Garrett (1:125/101) SmartNet: POLIPHIL - forwarded by Lester Garrett (FIDO 1:125/101) Please feel free to forward these updates to any other groups, conferences and networks that you feel may be interested. KNOWN ARCHIVES The Powder Keg BBS, 707-427-1310, 14.4, 24H7D, directory WACO (SurvNet/PRNet 176:100/24, sysop Peter Nesbitt) If anybody else is archiving these updates, and/or making them available for ftp, gopher, or other access, please let me know and I will include that information in further Administrivia sections. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This summary of the Branch Davidian trial is based on articles published in the San Antonio Express-News. The original articles, and any sections quoted herein are copyrighted by the Express-News. The remainder of the summary is copyright 1994 by William W. Hughes. Copying of these summaries, either by hardcopy or electron- ic means, is authorized and encouraged, as long as this notice remains attached and intact. "I do not work for or represent the San Antonio Express-News" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -- [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William Hughes) | In memory of 85 un-charged, UTSA doesn't agree with me. They're wrong. | un-convicted victims of the U.S. Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants | government in Waco, Texas - Politically Incorrect and proud of it! | including over 20 children.