As the Waco cover-up finally unravels, is it time to put Janet Reno on trial?
WASHINGTON, DC -- Forget more Congressional hearings -- now that the FBI has admitted it used "pyrotechnic devices" during the massacre at Waco, it may be time to move directly to criminal trials for Janet Reno and other law enforcement officials, the Libertarian Party said today.
"It's time to send a message: Hate crimes and cover-ups won't be tolerated in America," said Steve Dasbach, the party's national director. "And the way to send that message is to start criminal proceedings against the government officials responsible for the deaths of 86 people at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.
"At this point, we're not saying that Janet Reno -- or any other individual -- is guilty of premeditated mass murder, or guilty of a criminal conspiracy to cover up the facts. But enough new evidence has emerged that a jury should consider that question."
Yesterday, the FBI admitted it had been lying for six years when it claimed never to have used incendiary devices during the siege at Waco. In fact, a spokesman has now acknowledged, FBI agents had fired at least two flammable 40mm tear-gas canisters into the compound.
Shortly after that military-style ordnance was deployed on April 19, 1993, a blazing fire engulfed the Branch Davidian complex, incinerating 86 people, including 24 children.
The FBI's abrupt about-face came after Texas Rangers investigators uncovered new evidence, videotapes, and photographs that called into question the government's account of the massacre. Other evidence -- first publicized in the Academy Award-nominated documentary, Waco: The Rules of Engagement -- also suggested that an FBI helicopter had opened fire on the Branch Davidians with a machine gun, according to the Washington Post.
Reaction to the new evidence was swift. Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) said that if federal officials "have been lying," their "testimony on other matters should also be examined." And Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA) suggested that "charges of perjury" could be filed, and that "serious questions" have been raised about "who is responsible for the deaths of over 80 American men, women, and children." Both called for new Congressional hearings.
But hearings aren't enough, said Dasbach: It's time to strip away the shield of "sovereign immunity" that protects government officials, and treat them like any other person suspected of criminal assault or mass murder.
"Buford O'Neil Furrow, for example, faces state and federal charges for opening fire on a Jewish community center earlier this month, wounding five people, including three children," noted Dasbach. "At the very least, shouldn't Janet Reno face similar charges for the fiery deaths of 24 children?
"Buford O'Neil Furrow launched his rampage because of irrational religious prejudice, and federal investigators may charge him with committing a hate crime. Part of the original explanation for the federal government's assault on the Branch Davidian compound was that it was a religious cult -- which is a prejudicial code word for any non-traditional religion. So, shouldn't a hate crime investigation be launched against Janet Reno, too?"
Dasbach stressed that until all the evidence is in, Janet Reno and other high officials in the FBI and the BATF must be considered innocent.
"But 86 people are dead, and the cover-up is starting to unravel," he said. "Fairness and justice demand that 12 ordinary Americans -- a jury of her peers -- should examine the evidence against Janet Reno in a court of law, and decide if she is criminally liable for this tragedy.
"After all, a fair trial is the American way," said Dasbach. "But, unfortunately, a fair trial is a courtesy that Janet Reno did not extend to the 86 men, women, and children who, on her orders, were subjected to a barrage of gunfire, a 51-day siege, psychological harassment, toxic gas, and military-style pyrotechnic devices. It's time to right that wrong."
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