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In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco

In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Facist Garbage
Review: After reading such books as "A Place Called Waco", and watching the excellent "Waco: The Rules Of Engagement", All I can say is that this is nothing but propoganda to demonize David Koresh and the Davidians, and portray the ATF as heroic dragon slayers. Do yourself a favor, stay away from this one and buy "Waco: The Rules Of Engagement", available on Amazon.com

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Facist Garbage
Review: After reading such books as "A Place Called Waco", and watching the excellent "Waco: The Rules Of Engagement", All I can say is that this is nothing but propoganda to demonize David Koresh and the Davidians, and portray the ATF as heroic dragon slayers. Do yourself a favor, stay away from this one and buy "Waco: The Rules Of Engagement", available on Amazon.com

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good TV movie about a paranoid egomaniac
Review: Although hastily made, (if my memory is correct, it was still being filmed when the 51 day standoff reached its fiery finale) this lightly fictionalised account of the events leading up to the siege is good and thought provoking viewing nonetheless. I watched it for the first time after reading an account of life in the Branch Davidian Cult written by Marc Breault (an American who now resides in Australia and who was Koresh's right hand man for 3 years) and Martin King (who was a reporter for the Australian version of "A Current Affair" and who was the only journalist ever invited into the Branch Davidian compound to conduct a 1992 interview with Koresh and his minions), and I have to say, the book gave me a clearer vision of Koresh than the movie did - enough to say that the outcome was inevitable. But Tim Daly delivers an absolutely compelling portrayal of Koresh, showing the viewer the full depth of his paranoia, his gigantically proportioned libido, his disregard for authority, and most of all, his complete dominance over his followers. I am not going to say anything about the performance of the US government agencies who were involved in this tragedy, since my fellow reviewers have said enough, but after getting a feeling about Koresh from the book and the movie, I daresay that even if the ATF had arrested him whilst he was on one of his forays into Waco and THEN gone to the compound to serve the search warrant, the ensuing shootout would still have occurred, for Koresh had completely ingrained his own paranoia into the psyches of his followers. And although the ATF made MANY mistakes on 28 February 1993, they certainly have paid for them - 4 agents paid with their lives.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good TV movie about a paranoid egomaniac
Review: Although hastily made, (if my memory is correct, it was still being filmed when the 51 day standoff reached its fiery finale) this lightly fictionalised account of the events leading up to the siege is good and thought provoking viewing nonetheless. I watched it for the first time after reading an account of life in the Branch Davidian Cult written by Marc Breault (an American who now resides in Australia and who was Koresh's right hand man for 3 years) and Martin King (who was a reporter for the Australian version of "A Current Affair" and who was the only journalist ever invited into the Branch Davidian compound to conduct a 1992 interview with Koresh and his minions), and I have to say, the book gave me a clearer vision of Koresh than the movie did - enough to say that the outcome was inevitable. But Tim Daly delivers an absolutely compelling portrayal of Koresh, showing the viewer the full depth of his paranoia, his gigantically proportioned libido, his disregard for authority, and most of all, his complete dominance over his followers. I am not going to say anything about the performance of the US government agencies who were involved in this tragedy, since my fellow reviewers have said enough, but after getting a feeling about Koresh from the book and the movie, I daresay that even if the ATF had arrested him whilst he was on one of his forays into Waco and THEN gone to the compound to serve the search warrant, the ensuing shootout would still have occurred, for Koresh had completely ingrained his own paranoia into the psyches of his followers. And although the ATF made MANY mistakes on 28 February 1993, they certainly have paid for them - 4 agents paid with their lives.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good (and ACCURATE) made for TV movie
Review: Despite what some anti-government zealots may say, this was a very good and accurate account of the disaster in Waco. I do agree, though, about what the previous review said (nobody knew that National Guard helicoptors strafed the church. Nobody knew that because it's not true). People that do not know the facts but want to blame the government for something will say that this movie is factually inaccurate, but consider the source. It's bad enough watching Siskel and Ebert sometimes, but imagine a Michigan Militia Siskel and a Freeman Ebert.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Video Bible of FEDERAL CONSPIRACY THEORISTS
Review: Had the cast & crew of this laughable piece of Quackery lived in North Korea, they would be able to churn out this kind of stuff on a monthly basis.

The reality is that were President Clinton to ship over several hundred CIA agents to Northern Ireland & have them adopt the same tactics towards Sinn Fein as they adopted towards the Branch Davidians, then there would be hundreds of dead Catholic women & children.

Monthly.

Back in the early 1970s, the American Psychiatric Assoc. determined that homosexuality was no longer to be classified as a mental illness.

Now is the time for the APA to reverse the process.

The belief that the FBI were "innocent" of murdering dozens & dozens of Branch Davidians must indicate

PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA.

And warrent incarceration in a top security mental hospital.

For life.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Video Bible of FEDERAL CONSPIRACY THEORISTS
Review: Had the cast & crew of this laughable piece of Quackery lived in North Korea, they would be able to churn out this kind of stuff on a monthly basis.

The reality is that were President Clinton to ship over several hundred CIA agents to Northern Ireland & have them adopt the same tactics towards Sinn Fein as they adopted towards the Branch Davidians, then there would be hundreds of dead Catholic women & children.

Monthly.

Back in the early 1970s, the American Psychiatric Assoc. determined that homosexuality was no longer to be classified as a mental illness.

Now is the time for the APA to reverse the process.

The belief that the FBI were "innocent" of murdering dozens & dozens of Branch Davidians must indicate

PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA.

And warrent incarceration in a top security mental hospital.

For life.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great!!!
Review: I have seen the film on TV last weekend, and I can only say:GREAT!!!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Facist Garbage
Review: I saw this made-for-TV movie when it was first ran on TV back in the spring of 1993. Production values are pretty good. As I recall, it was aired less than two weeks after the FBI burned the church to the ground and then bulldozed the site to remove evidence of FBI crimes.

As a result of this time-frame, the movie has a pro-government slant. It is forgivable, I suppose, since the only views getting out to the media at that time came through the filter of a BATF and FBI desperately trying to cover up. So, no one outside of the federal government knew that Alabama National Guard helicopters were flown into Texas (without the knowledge of the governors) and used to strafe the living quarters (2nd floor) of the women and children with automatic weapons. No one knew that the government likely fired first. No one knew that Koresh had invited the BATF to come in and inspect his firearms anytime (BATF declined). No one knew the BATF were stung by racial and sex discrimination lawsuits and risked having funding deleted by Congress, and so, planned to use Waco as a feather in their cap for the upcoming budget hearings. No one knew the search warrant was fraudulent and that the judge rubber stamped it. No one knew that the BATF lied about drugs at the compound so that they could qualify for special Army training and support. No one knew that the FBI "punished" the Branch Davidians for releasing children by increasing "psy-ops" activity, running over vehicles and fresh graves with Bradley tanks. No one knew that the FBI shot incendary devices into the plywood structure just before the fire started. And definately, no one knew that the feds were shooting into the building with automatic weapons as the fire raged and people screamed (FBI audio) to get out. And so on. The federal government committed many crimes during that 51 day seige. And thanks to a federal law designed to assist in the "drug war" by disallowing suits against federal agents "acting within their duty," they have not been brought to justice.

If you want a better take on it, buy "Waco: The Rules of Engagement." Still, as bad as W:TROE makes the situation out to be, the reality is even worse. If you want information over-load, go over to the book section and order Kopel's heavily foot-noted "No More Wacos...". "W:TROE" and Kopel's book make a great pairing. The book, "Ashes of Waco" is another good source, I am told.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What was the rush?
Review: I saw this made-for-TV movie when it was first ran on TV back in the spring of 1993. Production values are pretty good. As I recall, it was aired less than two weeks after the FBI burned the church to the ground and then bulldozed the site to remove evidence of FBI crimes.

As a result of this time-frame, the movie has a pro-government slant. It is forgivable, I suppose, since the only views getting out to the media at that time came through the filter of a BATF and FBI desperately trying to cover up. So, no one outside of the federal government knew that Alabama National Guard helicopters were flown into Texas (without the knowledge of the governors) and used to strafe the living quarters (2nd floor) of the women and children with automatic weapons. No one knew that the government likely fired first. No one knew that Koresh had invited the BATF to come in and inspect his firearms anytime (BATF declined). No one knew the BATF were stung by racial and sex discrimination lawsuits and risked having funding deleted by Congress, and so, planned to use Waco as a feather in their cap for the upcoming budget hearings. No one knew the search warrant was fraudulent and that the judge rubber stamped it. No one knew that the BATF lied about drugs at the compound so that they could qualify for special Army training and support. No one knew that the FBI "punished" the Branch Davidians for releasing children by increasing "psy-ops" activity, running over vehicles and fresh graves with Bradley tanks. No one knew that the FBI shot incendary devices into the plywood structure just before the fire started. And definately, no one knew that the feds were shooting into the building with automatic weapons as the fire raged and people screamed (FBI audio) to get out. And so on. The federal government committed many crimes during that 51 day seige. And thanks to a federal law designed to assist in the "drug war" by disallowing suits against federal agents "acting within their duty," they have not been brought to justice.

If you want a better take on it, buy "Waco: The Rules of Engagement." Still, as bad as W:TROE makes the situation out to be, the reality is even worse. If you want information over-load, go over to the book section and order Kopel's heavily foot-noted "No More Wacos...". "W:TROE" and Kopel's book make a great pairing. The book, "Ashes of Waco" is another good source, I am told.


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