| Cause of the Waco Fire April 19, 1993 by Ron Cole - February 19, 2010 |
Introduction
Perhaps no event of the late 20th Century incites more ferocious debate today than the fire at the so-called
Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993. Former President Bill Clinton stated in a 2003
interview that the fire that ended the 51-day standoff between American citizens and federal law enforcement
was one of the greatest regrets of his presidency. Another American citizen, Tim McVeigh, was so outraged by
the fire and related events that he bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City two years to the day after the
Waco tragedy. Few events in modern American history have been as debated as "Waco," and few have been
as exploited by political movements on both sides of the issue for political gain.
The question: Who started the fire that killed 79 men, women and children? Was it the FBI, by accident or
through violent intent? Or was it the result of a fanatical religious cult committing suicide?
The truth, and the conclusion of this thesis, is that neither is true.
I am a Branch Davidian. I believe that David Koresh, formerly known as Vernon Howell, was the Lamb of God
spoken of in the prophesies. I know that what happened near Waco in 1993, and all related events since then,
constituted the fulfillment of very specific Biblical forewarnings that were written down thousands of years ago.
In light of that perspective, my inclination is to consider that everything that happens is at God's own hand - in
the same way God "hardened the heart of Pharaoh," up to and including the violent acts of the federal
government that were unquestionably on display near Waco in 1993.
I don't expect anyone reading this thesis to believe that, or possess any empathy for that point of view.
But as a consequence of the above I've been in a position over the last 17 years to learn a great many things
about what did actually happen - both from personal experience and from communing with the survivors of the
actual event.
You may wonder why I would be the one to come forth after all of this time. In fact, others have. In fact, I
published my conclusions way back in 2006, but since the truth of the matter falls short of conforming to any one
preconceived notion; fails to support the previous rhetoric of either extreme opinion - there has been no one
especially eager to promote it!
Thus the fact is that the truth has been out there for some time, but largely ignored by all those most wrapped
up in the issue.
The irony.
In 2006 a noted English Oxford professor, Dr. Kenneth Newport, published 'The Branch Davidians of Waco' - an
attempt at a scholarly revelation of what we Branch Davidians believe (though we don't go by that name
ourselves - one of Dr. Newport's many errors right out of the gate), and most importantly who was responsible
for the fire. As I was involved with Dr. Newport's efforts from the start of his long ten-years of research leading
up to the book, I personally had high hopes that his conclusions would render all further debate moot. But I was
very disappointed with his work in the end, and believed something else had to be put together and presented
that more accurately portrayed the facts.
Short of writing another book, this essay constitutes my best effort to set the record straight. In the interests of
time, I will assume that most readers are already familiar with the background of events in 1993, and have
already been exposed to opinions from both sides of this contentious issue to some degree.
The Standoff
According to Biblical revelations made by David Koresh years prior to the deadly federal attack upon his home,
if he and the people living with him successfully fulfilled their roles as the first specially chosen group of God's
people - then they would be vilified, attacked, and ultimately face death. David pointed not only to numerous -
indeed countless - examples of Old Testament prophesy to support that expectation, but drew heavily from the
words of Jesus Christ as well.
When David took the telephone in hand on the day of the ATF raid, one of the first things he said to the
McLennan County Sheriff Department's Lt. Lynch (besides teasing him for his name) was, "We knew you were
coming before you even knew." A statement later used as proof that David had been forewarned of the raid that
morning - which he had been - but in fact was made in reference to his expectations based on his interpretation
of 2000-year-old writings.
For David, everything was about scripture; everything about the fulfillment of prophesy; all of which was a
language that the FBI, and even the media and most Americans, could not reasonably relate to.
From the perspective of those then under siege for the ensuing 51 days, all that was happening to them and
their families was of critical importance for not just one, but two, reasons: It was their God-given duty to ensure
that God's plan - which is to say, God's plan to ultimately save all humanity; all of God's creation - was played
out in accordance with their understanding of the Bible. The experience they were enduring was thus almost
literally their cross to bear. Also, they were motivated by the certainty that God was putting them through a
series of tests the results of which would not only determine their own salvation - but the salvation of the world.
As vainglorious as that may appear to be on the surface, it's not possible to assess the judgement of those who
died without taking into consideration the years of hard study and dedication to their God that made them a
distinctive society with priorities very different from the majority of people in the "outside world."
That being said, I take issue with those who would write us off as "crazy," "stupid," or "criminal." We were very
far from those things. Neither were we immoral at any point throughout these events, and had only our salvation
and the salvation of others at heart. It should be remembered that the violent story that burst into living rooms
around the world in 1993 had its beginning when others set those events in motion - when agents of the Bureau
of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms attacked us.
As a result of these factors, it should go without saying that there was nobody inside that building after the initial
raid that wanted to leave it. It should also go without saying that nobody, certainly not the parents, wanted to
essentially doom a loved one by encouraging them to surrender to the same forces that had attacked them in
the first place. On the contrary, several people were trying desperately to get into the building during the
standoff - myself included! One man, Mike Schroeder, was actually shot dead by government agents while
trying to get back inside.
The FBI, meanwhile, undertook a curiously at-odds-with-itself approach to dealing with David Koresh. While
their negotiators seemed to genuinely care about the health and well being of all, the tactical commanders - an
apparently autonomous sect of the FBI on the scene - used every means at their disposal to torture every man,
woman, and child through sleep deprivation and textbook psychological warfare. Tanks were used aggressively
- crushing everything from David's own car to the children's go-carts. Agents mooned the mothers, when the
latter were seen peering out the windows. All of these facts have been revealed elsewhere, including the
government's own after-action internal reports and Congressional hearings. I mention them here only to
highlight the daily atmosphere leading up to the fire of April 19th, and underline the fact that from the
perspective of those subjected to that environment - their expectations concerning ill-will and violence against
them was being completely fulfilled by the FBI.
They were being tested by the adversity, and as the conclusion of each passing day marked another obstacle
overcome in the minds of every individual - the passage of time only hardened everyone's collective resolve.
The FBI responded by increasing their pressure, and the cycle escalated that way unabated for 51 days.
The Fire: Part One
In June of 2006 I sat down with Jaime Castillo, one of only nine people who fled the Waco fire so many years
before. He'd been there - through it all. He was actually the last among those nine that I'd had a chance to
meet and talk with, due mostly to the fact that he'd been in federal prison for most of the ensuing years. Even in
2006 he was technically banned from speaking with me. It had to be a secret at the time, and he could have
been sent back to prison if our meeting had become known to the authorities.
Jaime didn't tell me much that I didn't already know very well. In fact, he'd contacted me online only after I'd
written my first essay on the true cause of the Waco fire and had published it on my Cyrus Productions website,
but no one had been as direct as he was concerning the issue.
The FBI began its attack shortly after dawn on April 19, 1993 by using tanks and other armored vehicles to inflict
damage to strategic points of our home - including the underground passageway from the main building to the
tornado shelters. Since the prophesies revealed just such a scene, with "chariots that run like lightening," those
under attack felt that they had seen this film before - written 2400 years ago. The mood was, generally
speaking, calm and resolute. After seeing to the security of the women and children by having them placed into
the kitchen (the kitchen's walk-in cooler was the only all-cement structure available after the tanks successfully
wrecked the tunnel to the underground shelters), David Koresh took some measure of refuge on the second
floor over the foyer area, where he requested to speak privately to several select young men - including Jaime
Castillo.
As others struggled to reestablish direct contact with the FBI negotiators by trying to reconnect the phone line
(physically severed by a tank earlier that morning) and flying a banner from a window that demanded a
continuation of dialogue with the FBI, David prepared for what he believed was God's ultimate final test of both
himself, and all of those with him.
Jaime Castillo explained to me: "The prophesies all agreed that God would bring us from out of the fire, if we'd
been true to His word. David had warned everyone the day before [April 18th, after unprecedented FBI
aggression that day which saw the destruction of everything around the main house by FBI tanks] that we were
going to go through a terrible ordeal; that it would be like giving birth - he said - like standing there placing all of
our strength and faith in God as the tank ran right over us. Like that guy in Tiananmen Square." And who
would precipitate this fire? "David had been cut off from God throughout the siege. He'd kept saying, 'We're in
a waiting period,' you know, as a consequence of our own inequity. [David] didn't really know exactly how it
would play out - that day, I mean, when we knew this was it, and the FBI was telling us on the loudspeaker 'the
standoff is over.'"
Did the Branch Davidians shoot at the FBI tanks that were then inserting a tortuous gas and destroying sections
of the building? Jaime recounted: "No, no. David had told everyone to be passive. Some of the guys talked
about making gas bombs or whatever, to throw at the tanks, but that never was done to my knowledge, and
where do you hear any firing on those audio tapes the FBI has released? You don't. We were to be as Christ;
standing our ground and taking it."
David Thibodeau, another fire survivor who wrote about our long friendship and experiences together in his
book 'A Place Called Waco,' wholeheartedly supports that story. No one fired on the FBI that day. Clive Doyle,
another fire survivor who I shared a house with for two years, claims the same. In spite of hours of recorded
audio picked up by the FBI's many bugging devices of conversation between people inside that day, much of
which is now public record, there is not a shot to be heard.
At this point it is worthwhile to consider, beyond the spiritual perspective already shared, the sort of experiences
that those who lived with David Koresh came to both respect among their own brethren of the past, and to
expect in their own futures. Ours was, and is, an expectation that is definitely not popular among those who
purport to be Christian today. We anticipate suffering in God's name; pain and torment in this temporary life. I
can tell you that I've experienced all of that, spared though I was the test of 1993. I turn to an older rendition of
Christian moral society and spiritual conviction, one not contaminated with modern ideas, and I ask readers to
bear with me through this necessary but brief detour.
Early Christian Martyrdom
Around the year A.D. 40, in the city of Alexandria, a text was written in flawless Hellenistic Greek. The author
was a Jew, probably a teacher of Socratic philosophy, and his work came to be known as The Fourth Book of
Maccabees: Concerning the Sovereignty of Reason. Early Christians, who had this text available to them in the
centuries before Constantine's Council of Nicea suppressed it, are known to have invoked this work and made it
a model by which they sacrificed themselves at the hands of Roman oppression.
The Fourth Book of Maccabees reveals that the people of Abraham and early Christianity did not distinguish
between being killed and martyred, and the taking of one's own life in the face of tyranny. Modern culture and
Western religion, however, does differentiate between the two. In fact, modern Christianity declares that suicide
- even when committed in the face of tyranny and on behalf of religion - is an unpardonable sin. The dramatic
shift in distinction can be traced back to Pagan and Christian Gnostic influences during the 4th and 5th
centuries A.D., as it was they who considered acts of martyrdom to be 'perverse self-indulgence.'
What's important is not the debate itself between early and later definitions of martyrdom, but that 1500 year-old
Pagan and Gnostic influences did not permeate the home of David Koresh. Neither did they intrude upon the
minds of those living within the walls, and those that perished when the walls fell flaming upon them. Since those
who are most critical of the act of self-sacrifice draw upon religion-based morals to support their point of view, it
is important for them to become enlightened to the fact that the authors of their scriptures would probably
disagree with them emphatically.
We turn to the text of The Fourth Book of Maccabees: Concerning the Sovereignty of Reason:
By way of introduction, the story centers around a family of nine orthodox Jews who are being held captive by
Antiochus IV - who was a rather ambitious and often cruel Greek tyrant. Antiochus wishes to absorb these
conquered people into his own culture by causing them to go against their beliefs in a rather trifle but symbolic
way: by making them eat pork. After the father refuses to obey, he is tortured and killed. Antiochus has his
soldiers bring the woman and children to him, and threatens them with a similar fate if they refuse to follow his
orders. The sight of the seven male brothers impresses Antiochus.
"'Young men, with right good will do I admire you, each and every one . . . I urge you to yield to me and enjoy my
friendship. Share in the Greek way; change your mode of life; take pleasure in your youth.'"
The story is hardly representative of other tales of martyrdom during the period, as Antiochus seems
sympathetic to the plight of those he confronts. He's a more subtle tyrant, a better negotiator.
"But they, though they heard his words and looked upon the frightful implements [of death], not only were not
affrighted, but confronted the tyrant with their own philosophy, and by their right reasoning nullified his tyranny.
Yet let us now reflect: if some among them had been feint-hearted and cowardly, what arguments might they
have used? Surely something like this: ' . . . When the king invites us and urges our well-being, should we not
hearken unto him? Let us take pity upon our youth; let us show compassion to our poor mother. Let us lay it
upon our hearts that if we disobey, we die. We shall be pardoned, even by divine justice, for showing fear to the
king under duress.' But none of these arguments did the young men use.
"All together with one voice, as a single spirit, they said: 'Why, tyrant, do you delay? Ready are we to die, rather
than transgress our forefathers' commandments. Proceed, then, with your trial, tyrant; and if you take our lives
and inflict upon us a death for religion's sake, do not think you are injuring us by your torments . . . We, by our
suffering and endurance, shall obtain the prize of virtue; and we shall be with our God."
In accordance with their expressed wish, their tortures and deaths begin - one by one. After Antiochus kills the
six eldest brothers, he then faces the youngest. The king is deeply moved by his youth, and approaches him:
"[The king] tried to persuade him, saying: 'You see how your brothers' folly has ended; for their disobedience
they were tortured, and are dead. Now you too, if you do not obey, and you will die before your time; but if you
do obey, you will be my friend.'"
The young man speaks, and does something that the modern Western world would surely condemn:
"'I shall not prove renegade to the heroism of my brothers. I call upon the God of my fathers to prove merciful to
our nation. You, he will punish, both in the present life and when you are dead.' When he had uttered these
imprecations he flung himself into the braziers, and so gave up his life."
And what of the poor mother? Did she not have a responsibility to protect her children from harm?
"For the mother of the seven youths endured the agonies of every one of her children . . . When two alternatives
lay before her, religion, or the immediate salvation of her sons according to the tyrant's promise, she loved
religion better . . . One by one the mother saw her sons tortured and burned and swerved not, for religion's
sake."
How does the author of this ancient writing intend us to interpret her choice?
"O mother of the nation, champion of the Law, defender of religion, and victor in the contest of the heart! More
noble than men in endurance, and more heroic than heroes in perseverance! Like the ark of Noah, which,
bearing the universe in the midst of universal cataclysm, bravely endured the buffetings of the waves, so did you,
guardian of the Laws, assailed on all sides in the midst of emotions' cataclysm by the powerful blasts of your
sons' torments, with bold persistence withstand the tempests against religion."
What became of this hero of heroes, in the immediate aftermath of her family's destruction?
"Certain of the two guards declared that she too was about to be seized and put to death, so she flung herself
into the fire."
The Fire: Conclusion
There was a point during the closing days of the standoff, as negotiations dragged on, when one of David's
most trusted friends, Steve Schneider, commented to the FBI negotiator that maybe the FBI would choose to
end the siege by setting a fire and burning everyone alive. Indeed, David Koresh and everyone with him
expected that - almost yearned for it - in the interests of moving on to the next phase of their destinies. David
Thibodeau not only alludes to this in his book, but reveals that such an uneasy desire was both universal among
everyone and long pre-dated events of 1993. Wally Kennett, a survivor who lived with David Koresh for four
years and who shared virtually every trial I had after the fire with me, actually left the community in 1992 out of
frustration because the expected fulfillment of this dramatic climax hadn't happened yet.
What was never clear, and many finer details of what we believe to be God's plan were often cloudy at any given
moment, was precisely how a fire would take place for God to bring everyone through. It's not as though the
prophet Zechariah was shown a vision of a guy with a lighter, or flamethrower, or a toppled lantern! And the
uncertainty regarding that one rather significant detail did not become more clear while other prophetic
expectations were met and well defined during the siege.
According to Jaime Castillo, David Koresh had made contingency plans in the event that the FBI or fate did not
provide. Some will say, surely this represents a case of God's allegedly anointed Lamb taking fate into his own
hands; that by the prophet forcing the fulfillment of prophesy - the prophet reveals himself to be a fraud.
Maybe, and it's because of that fear of perception that few survivors of the Waco holocaust are entirely honest
about how the fire physically started.
Clive Doyle has said repeatedly, "We believe that suicide is a mortal sin. We did not commit suicide on April 19,
1993." And that is the truth - from his point of view. The Maccabees didn't either, and while I have yet to
mention the example, neither did the Zealots at Masada in 73 a.d.. They were martyred. And while pressed by
film producer Mike McNulty, co-producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary 'Waco, Rules of
Engagement,' Clive said, "There are some things about the fire that we [Branch Davidians] can't talk about."
Indeed. And I, along with Jaime and a few others to varying degrees, have broken that silence on the matter.
To be sure, as a leaderless community since 1993 those of us who claim identity as believers in David's
message have not always lived in perfect harmony with each other - nor have we always agreed with the way
we've each publicly handled the enormous fallout of the post-fire world. The Internet is replete with such stories
of internal squabbling, with my name often somewhere included, but I digress.
By noon on April 19, 1993 it was clear that two things were coming together to determine the destinies of those
under attack: the FBI hadn't yet set the building on fire, and the FBI was going to expose everyone to
unavoidable capture by continuing to demolish the building piece by piece.
Jaime Castillo: "Christ had deliberately set about fulfilling prophesy around Him, by riding an ass into the Temple
on Passover, by the manner in which He presented His message. He was proactive. David said, this has to
happen - all things written in the [Bible] concerning [us] must be fulfilled."
In the Psalms there is a reference to the destruction that shall befall God's chosen "at the noon day," and
according to Jaime, David was upstairs with Steve Schneider trying to judge the exact moment of solar noon by
the falling shadows when the order was given.
Light the fire.
Numerous recording devices picked up the words as they were passed among those responsible for carrying
out the task - including Jaime Castillo. "Did he say light it?" "Are you sure?" "He said light the fire?" Hay and
lamp oil were used along the upper corridors. That's why the smoke the world witnessed was jet black.
Clive Doyle sat beside his longtime friend Wayne Martin amid the chapel as the ceiling of smoke began to lower
down upon them. The sentiment of most everyone inside was articulated by the following exchange:
Clive: "What are we going to do now?"
Wayne: "We wait on God, I guess."
Upstairs, people heard the unmistakable cries of Steve Schneider, "Where are you, God! Where are you, God!"
Before the terrific noise of the inferno drowned out all attempts to be heard over it.
Clive recalled the moment of his choice: "I was surrounded by smoke and heat. I knew there was this hole a
tank had made right in front of me. I was scared of being shot, or whatever [by the FBI], but the screams, the
sound [of Wayne Martin burning] behind me - I don't know, it shook me I guess. I lunged forward, not realizing
that both my arms were on fire, and ran full-force into a strand of the FBI's razor wire barrier."
Escaped. Sort of.
Dave Thibodeau also "escaped" out that same hole in the wall, just before Clive. Dave explained to me while we
were traveling together in Florida after the fire, "I remember standing under a shower in [the McLennan County]
jail. God, it felt good - the hot water I mean - after not having a shower for 51 days. But my thoughts were all on
one thing: Oh my God I'm lost! I'm so lost!" Later on, Dave articulated it even better, "They are not dead, the
ones who 'died' in the fire - they are the ones who are alive. I am dead."
Dead, for having escaped. Dead, for having flinched in the face of the ultimate test of faith; for taking a dive
when the tank was bearing down; for having "proved renegade to the heroism" of the others. And that's the
other reason some of the survivors avoid blunt honesty regarding what actually happened: Shame.
Today
I am of the opinion that it is now critical for as many people as possible to know the truth behind the Waco fire.
There has been some wild speculation in the media, as any Internet search shows and as Dr. Newport suggests
in the final chapter of his book, that I consider myself the new leader of our spiritual movement. Excuse the
invocation of an inelegant phrase - but that's retarded. What is true is that I believe it my place to reveal the
accurate nature of God as it was demonstrated to the world near Waco, Texas between February 28 and April
19, 1993. That, in the words of survivor Bob Kendrick upon his release from federal custody in 1994, "God is
loving and kind and his mercy endures forever, but He's also a warrior - and He is coming!"
I suppose that's grandiose enough of me, short of proclaiming some kind of divine guidance - which I most
certainly am not. I proclaim no special ability or insight regarding prophesy or the ways of God - except to point
to the reality behind real world events and by so doing warn people to consider their own future standing before
their creator.
What happened in Waco to a tiny few will ultimately befall all mankind - ready or not. Those that perished from
this world in 1993 were the first of God's chosen people - but certainly not all of them.
On a human level the revelation of the truth is also important to me because of what has been done as a
consequence of it's remaining elusive. Tim McVeigh purchased a copy of my book on Waco, 'Sinister Twilight,'
from me while Dave Thibodeau and I were speaking to a Militia gathering in Florida prior to the OKC bombing a
year later. Tim carried that book in his hands the day he drove the Ryder truck into position at the base of that
federal building. In Tim's own words, "I wanted people to know why I did what I did, in case something happened
to me while carrying it out."
Blood, on my own hands! So let the truth be known.
- Ron Cole
Perhaps no event of the late 20th Century incites more ferocious debate today than the fire at the so-called
Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993. Former President Bill Clinton stated in a 2003
interview that the fire that ended the 51-day standoff between American citizens and federal law enforcement
was one of the greatest regrets of his presidency. Another American citizen, Tim McVeigh, was so outraged by
the fire and related events that he bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City two years to the day after the
Waco tragedy. Few events in modern American history have been as debated as "Waco," and few have been
as exploited by political movements on both sides of the issue for political gain.
The question: Who started the fire that killed 79 men, women and children? Was it the FBI, by accident or
through violent intent? Or was it the result of a fanatical religious cult committing suicide?
The truth, and the conclusion of this thesis, is that neither is true.
I am a Branch Davidian. I believe that David Koresh, formerly known as Vernon Howell, was the Lamb of God
spoken of in the prophesies. I know that what happened near Waco in 1993, and all related events since then,
constituted the fulfillment of very specific Biblical forewarnings that were written down thousands of years ago.
In light of that perspective, my inclination is to consider that everything that happens is at God's own hand - in
the same way God "hardened the heart of Pharaoh," up to and including the violent acts of the federal
government that were unquestionably on display near Waco in 1993.
I don't expect anyone reading this thesis to believe that, or possess any empathy for that point of view.
But as a consequence of the above I've been in a position over the last 17 years to learn a great many things
about what did actually happen - both from personal experience and from communing with the survivors of the
actual event.
You may wonder why I would be the one to come forth after all of this time. In fact, others have. In fact, I
published my conclusions way back in 2006, but since the truth of the matter falls short of conforming to any one
preconceived notion; fails to support the previous rhetoric of either extreme opinion - there has been no one
especially eager to promote it!
Thus the fact is that the truth has been out there for some time, but largely ignored by all those most wrapped
up in the issue.
The irony.
In 2006 a noted English Oxford professor, Dr. Kenneth Newport, published 'The Branch Davidians of Waco' - an
attempt at a scholarly revelation of what we Branch Davidians believe (though we don't go by that name
ourselves - one of Dr. Newport's many errors right out of the gate), and most importantly who was responsible
for the fire. As I was involved with Dr. Newport's efforts from the start of his long ten-years of research leading
up to the book, I personally had high hopes that his conclusions would render all further debate moot. But I was
very disappointed with his work in the end, and believed something else had to be put together and presented
that more accurately portrayed the facts.
Short of writing another book, this essay constitutes my best effort to set the record straight. In the interests of
time, I will assume that most readers are already familiar with the background of events in 1993, and have
already been exposed to opinions from both sides of this contentious issue to some degree.
The Standoff
According to Biblical revelations made by David Koresh years prior to the deadly federal attack upon his home,
if he and the people living with him successfully fulfilled their roles as the first specially chosen group of God's
people - then they would be vilified, attacked, and ultimately face death. David pointed not only to numerous -
indeed countless - examples of Old Testament prophesy to support that expectation, but drew heavily from the
words of Jesus Christ as well.
When David took the telephone in hand on the day of the ATF raid, one of the first things he said to the
McLennan County Sheriff Department's Lt. Lynch (besides teasing him for his name) was, "We knew you were
coming before you even knew." A statement later used as proof that David had been forewarned of the raid that
morning - which he had been - but in fact was made in reference to his expectations based on his interpretation
of 2000-year-old writings.
For David, everything was about scripture; everything about the fulfillment of prophesy; all of which was a
language that the FBI, and even the media and most Americans, could not reasonably relate to.
From the perspective of those then under siege for the ensuing 51 days, all that was happening to them and
their families was of critical importance for not just one, but two, reasons: It was their God-given duty to ensure
that God's plan - which is to say, God's plan to ultimately save all humanity; all of God's creation - was played
out in accordance with their understanding of the Bible. The experience they were enduring was thus almost
literally their cross to bear. Also, they were motivated by the certainty that God was putting them through a
series of tests the results of which would not only determine their own salvation - but the salvation of the world.
As vainglorious as that may appear to be on the surface, it's not possible to assess the judgement of those who
died without taking into consideration the years of hard study and dedication to their God that made them a
distinctive society with priorities very different from the majority of people in the "outside world."
That being said, I take issue with those who would write us off as "crazy," "stupid," or "criminal." We were very
far from those things. Neither were we immoral at any point throughout these events, and had only our salvation
and the salvation of others at heart. It should be remembered that the violent story that burst into living rooms
around the world in 1993 had its beginning when others set those events in motion - when agents of the Bureau
of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms attacked us.
As a result of these factors, it should go without saying that there was nobody inside that building after the initial
raid that wanted to leave it. It should also go without saying that nobody, certainly not the parents, wanted to
essentially doom a loved one by encouraging them to surrender to the same forces that had attacked them in
the first place. On the contrary, several people were trying desperately to get into the building during the
standoff - myself included! One man, Mike Schroeder, was actually shot dead by government agents while
trying to get back inside.
The FBI, meanwhile, undertook a curiously at-odds-with-itself approach to dealing with David Koresh. While
their negotiators seemed to genuinely care about the health and well being of all, the tactical commanders - an
apparently autonomous sect of the FBI on the scene - used every means at their disposal to torture every man,
woman, and child through sleep deprivation and textbook psychological warfare. Tanks were used aggressively
- crushing everything from David's own car to the children's go-carts. Agents mooned the mothers, when the
latter were seen peering out the windows. All of these facts have been revealed elsewhere, including the
government's own after-action internal reports and Congressional hearings. I mention them here only to
highlight the daily atmosphere leading up to the fire of April 19th, and underline the fact that from the
perspective of those subjected to that environment - their expectations concerning ill-will and violence against
them was being completely fulfilled by the FBI.
They were being tested by the adversity, and as the conclusion of each passing day marked another obstacle
overcome in the minds of every individual - the passage of time only hardened everyone's collective resolve.
The FBI responded by increasing their pressure, and the cycle escalated that way unabated for 51 days.
The Fire: Part One
In June of 2006 I sat down with Jaime Castillo, one of only nine people who fled the Waco fire so many years
before. He'd been there - through it all. He was actually the last among those nine that I'd had a chance to
meet and talk with, due mostly to the fact that he'd been in federal prison for most of the ensuing years. Even in
2006 he was technically banned from speaking with me. It had to be a secret at the time, and he could have
been sent back to prison if our meeting had become known to the authorities.
Jaime didn't tell me much that I didn't already know very well. In fact, he'd contacted me online only after I'd
written my first essay on the true cause of the Waco fire and had published it on my Cyrus Productions website,
but no one had been as direct as he was concerning the issue.
The FBI began its attack shortly after dawn on April 19, 1993 by using tanks and other armored vehicles to inflict
damage to strategic points of our home - including the underground passageway from the main building to the
tornado shelters. Since the prophesies revealed just such a scene, with "chariots that run like lightening," those
under attack felt that they had seen this film before - written 2400 years ago. The mood was, generally
speaking, calm and resolute. After seeing to the security of the women and children by having them placed into
the kitchen (the kitchen's walk-in cooler was the only all-cement structure available after the tanks successfully
wrecked the tunnel to the underground shelters), David Koresh took some measure of refuge on the second
floor over the foyer area, where he requested to speak privately to several select young men - including Jaime
Castillo.
As others struggled to reestablish direct contact with the FBI negotiators by trying to reconnect the phone line
(physically severed by a tank earlier that morning) and flying a banner from a window that demanded a
continuation of dialogue with the FBI, David prepared for what he believed was God's ultimate final test of both
himself, and all of those with him.
Jaime Castillo explained to me: "The prophesies all agreed that God would bring us from out of the fire, if we'd
been true to His word. David had warned everyone the day before [April 18th, after unprecedented FBI
aggression that day which saw the destruction of everything around the main house by FBI tanks] that we were
going to go through a terrible ordeal; that it would be like giving birth - he said - like standing there placing all of
our strength and faith in God as the tank ran right over us. Like that guy in Tiananmen Square." And who
would precipitate this fire? "David had been cut off from God throughout the siege. He'd kept saying, 'We're in
a waiting period,' you know, as a consequence of our own inequity. [David] didn't really know exactly how it
would play out - that day, I mean, when we knew this was it, and the FBI was telling us on the loudspeaker 'the
standoff is over.'"
Did the Branch Davidians shoot at the FBI tanks that were then inserting a tortuous gas and destroying sections
of the building? Jaime recounted: "No, no. David had told everyone to be passive. Some of the guys talked
about making gas bombs or whatever, to throw at the tanks, but that never was done to my knowledge, and
where do you hear any firing on those audio tapes the FBI has released? You don't. We were to be as Christ;
standing our ground and taking it."
David Thibodeau, another fire survivor who wrote about our long friendship and experiences together in his
book 'A Place Called Waco,' wholeheartedly supports that story. No one fired on the FBI that day. Clive Doyle,
another fire survivor who I shared a house with for two years, claims the same. In spite of hours of recorded
audio picked up by the FBI's many bugging devices of conversation between people inside that day, much of
which is now public record, there is not a shot to be heard.
At this point it is worthwhile to consider, beyond the spiritual perspective already shared, the sort of experiences
that those who lived with David Koresh came to both respect among their own brethren of the past, and to
expect in their own futures. Ours was, and is, an expectation that is definitely not popular among those who
purport to be Christian today. We anticipate suffering in God's name; pain and torment in this temporary life. I
can tell you that I've experienced all of that, spared though I was the test of 1993. I turn to an older rendition of
Christian moral society and spiritual conviction, one not contaminated with modern ideas, and I ask readers to
bear with me through this necessary but brief detour.
Early Christian Martyrdom
Around the year A.D. 40, in the city of Alexandria, a text was written in flawless Hellenistic Greek. The author
was a Jew, probably a teacher of Socratic philosophy, and his work came to be known as The Fourth Book of
Maccabees: Concerning the Sovereignty of Reason. Early Christians, who had this text available to them in the
centuries before Constantine's Council of Nicea suppressed it, are known to have invoked this work and made it
a model by which they sacrificed themselves at the hands of Roman oppression.
The Fourth Book of Maccabees reveals that the people of Abraham and early Christianity did not distinguish
between being killed and martyred, and the taking of one's own life in the face of tyranny. Modern culture and
Western religion, however, does differentiate between the two. In fact, modern Christianity declares that suicide
- even when committed in the face of tyranny and on behalf of religion - is an unpardonable sin. The dramatic
shift in distinction can be traced back to Pagan and Christian Gnostic influences during the 4th and 5th
centuries A.D., as it was they who considered acts of martyrdom to be 'perverse self-indulgence.'
What's important is not the debate itself between early and later definitions of martyrdom, but that 1500 year-old
Pagan and Gnostic influences did not permeate the home of David Koresh. Neither did they intrude upon the
minds of those living within the walls, and those that perished when the walls fell flaming upon them. Since those
who are most critical of the act of self-sacrifice draw upon religion-based morals to support their point of view, it
is important for them to become enlightened to the fact that the authors of their scriptures would probably
disagree with them emphatically.
We turn to the text of The Fourth Book of Maccabees: Concerning the Sovereignty of Reason:
By way of introduction, the story centers around a family of nine orthodox Jews who are being held captive by
Antiochus IV - who was a rather ambitious and often cruel Greek tyrant. Antiochus wishes to absorb these
conquered people into his own culture by causing them to go against their beliefs in a rather trifle but symbolic
way: by making them eat pork. After the father refuses to obey, he is tortured and killed. Antiochus has his
soldiers bring the woman and children to him, and threatens them with a similar fate if they refuse to follow his
orders. The sight of the seven male brothers impresses Antiochus.
"'Young men, with right good will do I admire you, each and every one . . . I urge you to yield to me and enjoy my
friendship. Share in the Greek way; change your mode of life; take pleasure in your youth.'"
The story is hardly representative of other tales of martyrdom during the period, as Antiochus seems
sympathetic to the plight of those he confronts. He's a more subtle tyrant, a better negotiator.
"But they, though they heard his words and looked upon the frightful implements [of death], not only were not
affrighted, but confronted the tyrant with their own philosophy, and by their right reasoning nullified his tyranny.
Yet let us now reflect: if some among them had been feint-hearted and cowardly, what arguments might they
have used? Surely something like this: ' . . . When the king invites us and urges our well-being, should we not
hearken unto him? Let us take pity upon our youth; let us show compassion to our poor mother. Let us lay it
upon our hearts that if we disobey, we die. We shall be pardoned, even by divine justice, for showing fear to the
king under duress.' But none of these arguments did the young men use.
"All together with one voice, as a single spirit, they said: 'Why, tyrant, do you delay? Ready are we to die, rather
than transgress our forefathers' commandments. Proceed, then, with your trial, tyrant; and if you take our lives
and inflict upon us a death for religion's sake, do not think you are injuring us by your torments . . . We, by our
suffering and endurance, shall obtain the prize of virtue; and we shall be with our God."
In accordance with their expressed wish, their tortures and deaths begin - one by one. After Antiochus kills the
six eldest brothers, he then faces the youngest. The king is deeply moved by his youth, and approaches him:
"[The king] tried to persuade him, saying: 'You see how your brothers' folly has ended; for their disobedience
they were tortured, and are dead. Now you too, if you do not obey, and you will die before your time; but if you
do obey, you will be my friend.'"
The young man speaks, and does something that the modern Western world would surely condemn:
"'I shall not prove renegade to the heroism of my brothers. I call upon the God of my fathers to prove merciful to
our nation. You, he will punish, both in the present life and when you are dead.' When he had uttered these
imprecations he flung himself into the braziers, and so gave up his life."
And what of the poor mother? Did she not have a responsibility to protect her children from harm?
"For the mother of the seven youths endured the agonies of every one of her children . . . When two alternatives
lay before her, religion, or the immediate salvation of her sons according to the tyrant's promise, she loved
religion better . . . One by one the mother saw her sons tortured and burned and swerved not, for religion's
sake."
How does the author of this ancient writing intend us to interpret her choice?
"O mother of the nation, champion of the Law, defender of religion, and victor in the contest of the heart! More
noble than men in endurance, and more heroic than heroes in perseverance! Like the ark of Noah, which,
bearing the universe in the midst of universal cataclysm, bravely endured the buffetings of the waves, so did you,
guardian of the Laws, assailed on all sides in the midst of emotions' cataclysm by the powerful blasts of your
sons' torments, with bold persistence withstand the tempests against religion."
What became of this hero of heroes, in the immediate aftermath of her family's destruction?
"Certain of the two guards declared that she too was about to be seized and put to death, so she flung herself
into the fire."
The Fire: Conclusion
There was a point during the closing days of the standoff, as negotiations dragged on, when one of David's
most trusted friends, Steve Schneider, commented to the FBI negotiator that maybe the FBI would choose to
end the siege by setting a fire and burning everyone alive. Indeed, David Koresh and everyone with him
expected that - almost yearned for it - in the interests of moving on to the next phase of their destinies. David
Thibodeau not only alludes to this in his book, but reveals that such an uneasy desire was both universal among
everyone and long pre-dated events of 1993. Wally Kennett, a survivor who lived with David Koresh for four
years and who shared virtually every trial I had after the fire with me, actually left the community in 1992 out of
frustration because the expected fulfillment of this dramatic climax hadn't happened yet.
What was never clear, and many finer details of what we believe to be God's plan were often cloudy at any given
moment, was precisely how a fire would take place for God to bring everyone through. It's not as though the
prophet Zechariah was shown a vision of a guy with a lighter, or flamethrower, or a toppled lantern! And the
uncertainty regarding that one rather significant detail did not become more clear while other prophetic
expectations were met and well defined during the siege.
According to Jaime Castillo, David Koresh had made contingency plans in the event that the FBI or fate did not
provide. Some will say, surely this represents a case of God's allegedly anointed Lamb taking fate into his own
hands; that by the prophet forcing the fulfillment of prophesy - the prophet reveals himself to be a fraud.
Maybe, and it's because of that fear of perception that few survivors of the Waco holocaust are entirely honest
about how the fire physically started.
Clive Doyle has said repeatedly, "We believe that suicide is a mortal sin. We did not commit suicide on April 19,
1993." And that is the truth - from his point of view. The Maccabees didn't either, and while I have yet to
mention the example, neither did the Zealots at Masada in 73 a.d.. They were martyred. And while pressed by
film producer Mike McNulty, co-producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary 'Waco, Rules of
Engagement,' Clive said, "There are some things about the fire that we [Branch Davidians] can't talk about."
Indeed. And I, along with Jaime and a few others to varying degrees, have broken that silence on the matter.
To be sure, as a leaderless community since 1993 those of us who claim identity as believers in David's
message have not always lived in perfect harmony with each other - nor have we always agreed with the way
we've each publicly handled the enormous fallout of the post-fire world. The Internet is replete with such stories
of internal squabbling, with my name often somewhere included, but I digress.
By noon on April 19, 1993 it was clear that two things were coming together to determine the destinies of those
under attack: the FBI hadn't yet set the building on fire, and the FBI was going to expose everyone to
unavoidable capture by continuing to demolish the building piece by piece.
Jaime Castillo: "Christ had deliberately set about fulfilling prophesy around Him, by riding an ass into the Temple
on Passover, by the manner in which He presented His message. He was proactive. David said, this has to
happen - all things written in the [Bible] concerning [us] must be fulfilled."
In the Psalms there is a reference to the destruction that shall befall God's chosen "at the noon day," and
according to Jaime, David was upstairs with Steve Schneider trying to judge the exact moment of solar noon by
the falling shadows when the order was given.
Light the fire.
Numerous recording devices picked up the words as they were passed among those responsible for carrying
out the task - including Jaime Castillo. "Did he say light it?" "Are you sure?" "He said light the fire?" Hay and
lamp oil were used along the upper corridors. That's why the smoke the world witnessed was jet black.
Clive Doyle sat beside his longtime friend Wayne Martin amid the chapel as the ceiling of smoke began to lower
down upon them. The sentiment of most everyone inside was articulated by the following exchange:
Clive: "What are we going to do now?"
Wayne: "We wait on God, I guess."
Upstairs, people heard the unmistakable cries of Steve Schneider, "Where are you, God! Where are you, God!"
Before the terrific noise of the inferno drowned out all attempts to be heard over it.
Clive recalled the moment of his choice: "I was surrounded by smoke and heat. I knew there was this hole a
tank had made right in front of me. I was scared of being shot, or whatever [by the FBI], but the screams, the
sound [of Wayne Martin burning] behind me - I don't know, it shook me I guess. I lunged forward, not realizing
that both my arms were on fire, and ran full-force into a strand of the FBI's razor wire barrier."
Escaped. Sort of.
Dave Thibodeau also "escaped" out that same hole in the wall, just before Clive. Dave explained to me while we
were traveling together in Florida after the fire, "I remember standing under a shower in [the McLennan County]
jail. God, it felt good - the hot water I mean - after not having a shower for 51 days. But my thoughts were all on
one thing: Oh my God I'm lost! I'm so lost!" Later on, Dave articulated it even better, "They are not dead, the
ones who 'died' in the fire - they are the ones who are alive. I am dead."
Dead, for having escaped. Dead, for having flinched in the face of the ultimate test of faith; for taking a dive
when the tank was bearing down; for having "proved renegade to the heroism" of the others. And that's the
other reason some of the survivors avoid blunt honesty regarding what actually happened: Shame.
Today
I am of the opinion that it is now critical for as many people as possible to know the truth behind the Waco fire.
There has been some wild speculation in the media, as any Internet search shows and as Dr. Newport suggests
in the final chapter of his book, that I consider myself the new leader of our spiritual movement. Excuse the
invocation of an inelegant phrase - but that's retarded. What is true is that I believe it my place to reveal the
accurate nature of God as it was demonstrated to the world near Waco, Texas between February 28 and April
19, 1993. That, in the words of survivor Bob Kendrick upon his release from federal custody in 1994, "God is
loving and kind and his mercy endures forever, but He's also a warrior - and He is coming!"
I suppose that's grandiose enough of me, short of proclaiming some kind of divine guidance - which I most
certainly am not. I proclaim no special ability or insight regarding prophesy or the ways of God - except to point
to the reality behind real world events and by so doing warn people to consider their own future standing before
their creator.
What happened in Waco to a tiny few will ultimately befall all mankind - ready or not. Those that perished from
this world in 1993 were the first of God's chosen people - but certainly not all of them.
On a human level the revelation of the truth is also important to me because of what has been done as a
consequence of it's remaining elusive. Tim McVeigh purchased a copy of my book on Waco, 'Sinister Twilight,'
from me while Dave Thibodeau and I were speaking to a Militia gathering in Florida prior to the OKC bombing a
year later. Tim carried that book in his hands the day he drove the Ryder truck into position at the base of that
federal building. In Tim's own words, "I wanted people to know why I did what I did, in case something happened
to me while carrying it out."
Blood, on my own hands! So let the truth be known.
- Ron Cole
