who was the attorney general when waco occurred

What happened on April 19th at Waco TX?

The Attorney General approved the operation on Saturday, April 17, ordering that it be implemented beginning Monday, April 19. On April 19, the FBI telephoned the compound at 5:59 a.m. to inform the Davidians that tear gas would be released into the compound, and to assure them that the FBI was not launching an assault.

What happened in the Waco siege?

The Waco Siege began in early 1993, when a government raid on a compound in Axtell, Texas, led to a 51-day standoff between federal agents and members of a millennial Christian sect called the Branch Davidians. The siege ended dramatically on April 19, 1993, when fires consumed the compound, leaving some 75 people dead, including 25 children.

Who was Attorney General Janet Reno?

Janet Reno broke new ground in 1993 as the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General, serving under President Bill Clinton. Who Was Janet Reno? After attending Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and Harvard Law School in 1960, Janet Reno worked as an attorney in Florida for several years.

Was Hillary Clinton responsible for the Waco siege?

Clinton was not in any position that would have given her authority to order or escalate the siege that ended with the deaths of 76 religious cult members in 1993. Hillary Clinton was responsible for the siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, that ended with 76 civilian deaths.

Where was the Waco siege?

How many people died in the Waco siege?

When did the FBI start spraying tear gas?

Who was the attorney that investigated the Reno raid?

When was Koresh arrested?

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Who was the attorney general during the Waco Texas massacre?

Waco Siege During the early days of her tenure as U.S. attorney general, Reno faced one of her biggest challenges.

When was Janet Reno the attorney general?

Janet Reno, (born July 21, 1938, Miami, Florida, U.S.—died November 7, 2016, Miami), American lawyer and public official who became the first woman attorney general (1993–2001) of the United States.

Why did the ATF raid Waco?

At Mount Carmel in Waco, Texas, agents of the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) launch a raid against the Branch Davidian compound as part of an investigation into illegal possession of firearms and explosives by the Christian cult.

What is the true story of Waco?

Waco is a true crime drama from 2018 that recently came to Netflix. The show is about David Koresh, who lead the Branch Davidians and had a 51-day armed standoff with federal agents in Waco, Texas. There are some key differences between the television show and the true story.

Who was the first attorney general?

Edmund Jennings RandolphThe Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Office of the Attorney General. On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

Who was Obama's attorney general?

The Justice Department's Inspector General under Obama refused to prosecute him and later cleared him of the charges. Holder was succeeded as attorney general by Loretta Lynch in April 2015....Eric HolderPresidentGeorge W. BushPreceded byJanet RenoSucceeded byJohn Ashcroft29th United States Deputy Attorney General31 more rows

Why is Waco Texas famous?

Waco is widely known for the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993, when agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh for stockpiling weapons and explosives at a ranch outside town.

Is Rachel Koresh still alive?

April 19, 1993Rachel Jones / Date of death

Does the ATF still exist?

ATF is a law enforcement agency in the United States' Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of ...

Is the movie Waco accurate?

While most of the miniseries does depict an accurate telling of what actually happened in the early 1990s, there are some historical inaccuracies that the show fails to mention, potentially leading confusion amongst viewers.

How many ATF agents were killed in Waco?

four ATF agentsAs a result of the 2 1/2 hour long gunfight, four ATF agents were killed; 20 ATF agents wounded from gunshots or shrapnel and eight agents suffered other injuries. A cease-fire followed and Koresh released 24 members (mostly children, but none of his own) from the compound.

Where is Koresh buried?

Tyler Memorial Funeral Home - Cemetery and Mausoleum, TXDavid Koresh / Place of burial

Who is the longest serving attorney general of India?

MC SetalvadAs the first and longest serving attorney general of India, MC Setalvad was in the thick of resolving the nation's constitutional dilemmas. He appeared for the government in a host of important and, at times, controversial cases.

Who is the current US Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney general

Who is Janet Reno in Unabomber?

Jane LynchManhunt: Unabomber exclusive: Jane Lynch as Janet Reno in 'Publish or Perish' - IMDb.

What jobs did Janet Reno and Madeleine Albright hold during Bill Clinton presidency?

Answer and Explanation: Janet Reno served as Attorney General of the United State from March 11, 1993 until January 20, 2001. Madeleine Albright served as the Secretary of State from January 23, 1997 until January 20, 2001. Both women were the first females to hold their respective positions.

List of dead, known survivors-(Waco cult) | News | journaltimes.com

The known list of people who were in the religious cult compound in Waco, Texas, when it burned Monday. David Koresh, 33, the Branch Davidian cult's leader, also is presumed dead.

Where was the Waco siege?

Waco siege. Flames engulfing the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ending a standoff with federal agents, April 19, 1993. Susan Weems/AP Images. The Branch Davidians were founded by Ben Roden in 1959 as an offshoot of the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which had been established by Victor Houteff several decades earlier.

How many people died in the Waco siege?

Waco siege, a 51-day standoff between Branch Davidians and federal agents that ended on April 19, 1993, when the religious group’s compound near Waco, Texas, was destroyed in a fire. Nearly 80 people were killed.

When did the FBI start spraying tear gas?

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. At approximately 6:00 am on April 19, 1993 , the FBI began spraying tear gas into the complex. Soon thereafter, the Branch Davidians began firing weapons.

Who was the attorney that investigated the Reno raid?

Later that year Reno appointed John Danforth, a lawyer and former Republican senator, to investigate the raid. His probe, which concluded in 2000, found that the U.S. government “did not cause the fire” nor did it shoot at the compound.

When was Koresh arrested?

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) obtained both an arrest warrant for Koresh and a search warrant for the compound. On February 28, 1993, more than 70 ATF agents raided the complex.

Who appointed Reno as the first female attorney general?

Reno was thrust into the national spotlight in 1993 when President Bill Clinton appointed her to become the first female U.S. attorney general.

Who was the unabomber in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

Reno was also in charge during the Justice Department's prosecution of several high-profile cases including the convictions of Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for their deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; and Ted Kaczynski, who became known as the “Unabomber” for a 17-year domestic terrorist campaign of mailing letter bombs.

How did Janet Reno die?

Janet Reno died at her home in Miami-Dade County, Florida on November 7, 2016, at the age of 78. The cause of her death was complications from Parkinson's disease, which she had battled since 1995.

Where did Janet Reno go to law school?

After attending Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and Harvard Law School in 1960, Janet Reno worked as an attorney in Florida for several years. Her work in Florida as an attorney and as county prosecutor from 1978 to 1993 established Reno's stern and liberal reputation.

When did Reno order a raid on the Miami home?

Reno became involved in negotiations and when they stalled in April 2000 she ordered a raid on the U.S. relatives’ Miami home that would ultimately return the young refugee back to his father in Cuba. Her controversial intervention enraged the Cuban American community in Miami.

Who was the leader of the Branch Davidians?

In early 1993, cult leader David Koresh and his followers, known as the Branch Davidians, ended up in a 51-day standoff with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Reno was called upon to help resolve the situation.

Who was responsible for the Waco standoff?

Within a few hours of the incident, and at the request of ATF officials, the FBI dispatched trained negotiators to the scene in Waco. By that afternoon, the FBI , in cooperation with the ATF and Department of Treasury officials, had also sent in advance units of its elite Hostage Rescue Team. The next day (March 1, 1993), also at the request of Treasury Department officials, the FBI became the lead agency responsible for resolving the standoff with the Branch Davidians.

Why did Hillary Clinton issue the order for an assault on the Waco compound?

The typical narrative of this conspiracy scenario bizarrely maintains that Hillary Clinton held enough sway to issue the order for an assault on the Waco compound because White House counsel Vince Foster was her “longtime boyfriend” and “sexual partner,” while Associate Attorney General Webster (“Webb”) Hubbell was the real biological father of Clinton’s daughter Chelsea. This scenario even more bizarrely claims that Clinton’s putative motivation for issuing the order was that she was disgruntled over the Branch Davidian issue’s hogging all the headlines while she was working to craft a healthcare reform package:

What was the FBI responsible for?

The next day (March 1, 1993), also at the request of Treasury Department officials, the FBI became the lead agency responsible for resolving the standoff with the Branch Davidians. The Branch Davidians, an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventists, strongly believed that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent, and that the end ...

When did the FBI start the Branch Davidians?

When the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began their fateful 51-day standoff with a religious cult in Waco, Texas, known as the Branch Davidians on 28 February 1993 , Bill Clinton had just taken office as President a month earlier. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was the lead agency on the issue, directing law enforcement operations during the standoff that started on a Sunday when agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) attempted to serve an arrest warrant on the group’s leader, Vernon Howell (better known by an assumed name, David Koresh):

Who was the White House counsel who was responsible for the attack on the Branch Davidian compound?

Appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live, fmr. White House aide Linda Tripp suggested that Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster — at Mrs. Clinton’s direction — transmitted the order to move on the Branch Davidian compound, which culminated in a military style attack.

Who oversees the FBI?

The Department of Justice (DoJ) oversees the FBI, and the attorney general heads the DoJ. At the time of the Waco incident the attorney general was Janet Reno, who — after consulting with the President and FBI officials — gave the final approval for the assault on the compound (although the FBI maintained a great deal of leverage as the lead agency on the ground). A detailed Justice Department report described numerous FBI and Justice Department officials involved in the decision-making process that led up to the end of the siege — but made not a single mention of Hillary Clinton or Vince Foster:

How many ATF agents were killed in the shootout?

Four ATF agents were killed and sixteen were wounded during the shootout with the Branch Davidians on February 28. Additionally, a number of individuals inside the compound were killed and injured; however, the number killed by ATF gunfire cannot be precisely determined.

When did the Waco siege start?

KORESH AND THE FBI. FIRE ENGULFS WACO COMPOUND. LEGACY OF THE WACO SIEGE. Sources. The Waco Siege began in early 1993, when a government raid on a compound near Waco, Texas, led to a 51-day standoff between federal agents and members of a millennial Christian sect called the Branch Davidians. The siege ended dramatically on April 19, 1993, ...

Who took responsibility for the Waco raid?

From the beginning, the government’s handling of the Waco siege (which played out in the national and international media) was heavily criticized. Reno took responsibility for the botched raid, later admitting there was no evidence of ongoing child abuse within the compound (which had been one of the justifications for ordering the gas attack).

What did Koresh say about the Waco siege?

In his negotiations with the FBI during the Waco siege, Koresh claimed he was a messianic figure prophesied in the Bible and that God had given him his surname. He threatened violence against those who would attack him and his family, but asserted that the Davidians weren’t planning a mass suicide.

Who was the leader of the Branch Davidians?

DAVID KORESH. On February 28, 1993, some 80 agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) raided a religious compound at Mount Carmel, near Waco, Texas, after receiving reports that the Branch Davidians and their leader, David Koresh, were violating federal firearms regulations. After four ATF agents and six Davidians were ...

When did the FBI arrive in Waco?

March 1. During the early morning hours of March 1 , FBI personnel continued to arrive in Waco to prepare for their eventual control of the situation. Although FBI personnel in Waco and in Washington, D.C. were making preparations to be the lead agency, no formal decision had yet been made at the Treasury Department.

Why did Jamar leave Waco?

However, at that point the FBI could send only advance HRT units to Waco, because FBI policy prohibits deploying the full HRT unless an FBI SAC has full on-site control. In anticipation of this possibility, Jamar was instructed to leave immediately for Waco.

How long did the FBI have a conversation with the ATF?

Three different negotiators maintained contact with numerous individuals in the compound from 2:11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Overall, two FBI agents and one ATF agent, had sixty-three different conversations with approximately 15 individuals lasting a total of approximately seven hours.

How many Texas Rangers were in Waco?

The Texas Rangers were also immediately deployed to Waco. Within a few days, 32 Rangers were assigned to Waco, first to assist the ATF, then later to be the lead agency for the ongoing criminal investigation.

When did the Koresh standoff happen?

Chronology: February 28 to April 19, 1993. The following chronology highlights the important events occurring each day of the 51-day standoff. February 28, 1993. The ATF began to execute the arrest warrant for David Koresh and the search warrant for the compound at approximately 9:30 a.m., and came under immediate gunfire.

Who assisted the Texas Rangers in the preparation of the warrants?

Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Bill Johnston assisted the ATF in the preparation of the initial warrants, and, during the evening of February 28, began working with the Texas Rangers to determine if there had been a "leak" of the ATF's plan.

Who was the first assistant to Ronald Ederer?

United States Attorney Ronald Ederer and his First Assistant, James DeAtley, also travelled to Waco to assist. Finally, AUSA Kelly Loving was assigned to handle matters relating to electronic surveillance, and AUSAs LeRoy Jahn, John Convery, and Joe Marshall were assigned to handle legal research.

I. Introduction

On the morning of Sunday, February 28, 1993, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Vernon Howell, a/k/a David Koresh, and a search warrant at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.

A. The Branch Davidians

The Branch Davidians are generally considered to be a splinter group of the Seventh Day Adventists. In 1934, Victor Houteff founded a sect known as the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. In 1935, Houteff moved to the outskirts of Waco, Texas where he started a commune.

B. The FBI's Response to Crisis Situations

The FBI has a detailed crisis management program that is specifically designed to identify, acquire, and plan for the use of all available resources to resolve a crisis situation.

Where was the Waco siege?

Waco siege. Flames engulfing the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ending a standoff with federal agents, April 19, 1993. Susan Weems/AP Images. The Branch Davidians were founded by Ben Roden in 1959 as an offshoot of the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which had been established by Victor Houteff several decades earlier.

How many people died in the Waco siege?

Waco siege, a 51-day standoff between Branch Davidians and federal agents that ended on April 19, 1993, when the religious group’s compound near Waco, Texas, was destroyed in a fire. Nearly 80 people were killed.

When did the FBI start spraying tear gas?

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. At approximately 6:00 am on April 19, 1993 , the FBI began spraying tear gas into the complex. Soon thereafter, the Branch Davidians began firing weapons.

Who was the attorney that investigated the Reno raid?

Later that year Reno appointed John Danforth, a lawyer and former Republican senator, to investigate the raid. His probe, which concluded in 2000, found that the U.S. government “did not cause the fire” nor did it shoot at the compound.

When was Koresh arrested?

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) obtained both an arrest warrant for Koresh and a search warrant for the compound. On February 28, 1993, more than 70 ATF agents raided the complex.