Date: Sun Oct 01, 1995 8:59 pm CST
From: snet l
EMS: INTERNET / MCI ID: 376-5414
MBX: snet-l@world.std.com
TO: * David Beiter / MCI ID: 635-1762
Subject: ATF Director says FBI burned Waco (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 1995 20:00:56 -0400 (EDT)
From:STACKMAN@delphi.com
To: merkaba@styx.ios.com
Cc: stackman2d@aol.com, usbornebks@aol.com
Subject: ATF Director says FBI burned Waco
Sonja Hillgram, V.P. of the National Press Club asked John MaGaw, Director
of the BATF, [I thought it was spelled McGaw, but C-Span used the above
spelling on their screen] at the National Press Club Meeting on the 25th of
September the following question:
You certainly told us how you have changed training in the ATF, yet
nonetheless, some macho FBI agent types think that ATF should be folded
into the FBI because they criticize ATF training and they feel that they
have to go and mop up after ATF makes mistakes. Uh, how do you respond?
[during the second half of this question especially, MaGaw's face begins
to betray a clear discomfiture, possibly even anger]
MaGaw answers:
[clears throat] Well I believe that uh, had we been left in charge of um...
uh, the Waco incident, um... uh, we would _not_ have burned that building...
if you're asking me that question... um [at this point we hear a muffled
sound, possibly of surprise, from Sonja] and also if you're asking me, uh,
the other question, uh, of Ruby Ridge - we arrested Weaver safely.
We bro... We waited til he came off the compound. We arrested him on a
one-way bridge. Both he and his wife were armed. We took him to court,
and had he come back to court, there would have been no problem. Now on
one hand they say you should have gotten... uh Koresh off the compound...
in Waco. Now we _did_ get Weaver off the compound and safely, uh, and uh,
um, we can now be criticized for that, but you can't... uh... We made the
safe arrest. We took the person to court. It became the Marshals'
function and the Justice Department function after that. And as they're
doing tomorrow and the rest of this week and last week, they're answering
those questions. What ATF did was correct. Can a judge, can a jury look
at a case and say, "You know, this person may have been entrapped. I'm not
sure that Weaver would have pro...provided a number more weapons and should
ATF maybe have made one more buy before they arrested him." Uh, they
_miss_ what he said on the tape, "I hope those shotguns are going to Los
Angeles to be used on gangs."
There it is folks! The complete context of the statement wherein MaGaw
tells us it was the FBI who started the fire. I think he got in such a
defensive posture when the subject of folding his bureau into the FBI came
up that he didn't even realize what he said, but then again, the media will
just ignore it, and it'll be just as if he'd never said it.
MaGaw sure is quick on his feet though, isn't he?
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