Keeping with the biblical theme, these are the Fires of Gehenna, which some biblical scholars hold to be the end for unsaved souls. It is the biblical theme that both the Davidians and the government were acting out in the confrontation. It is worth investigating all variations upon the theme.
In this regard we must consider the first planned use of destruction by fire in the confrontation between the government and the Branch Davidians. This was the BATF plan to destroy them all by fire using flashbang grenades.
The BATF holds these grenades are not lethal but none have been willing to hold one while it goes off to show just how nonlethal they are. It was their plan to throw these grenades into the building as what are officially called "diversionary devices" in order to set off the methamphetamine laboratory and kill off most of the people inside by explosion and concomitant fire.
From the beginning and in full belief in the laboratory and the explosively flammable chemicals it contained they planned to ignite these chemicals with these grenades. There is no other explanation for their use. It is ridiculous to believe they actually expected to have enough of them to deal with over a hundred people in a building this size.
It is equally ridiculous to think they planned to use only eighty men to subdue over one hundred people with only grenades and hand weapons. It would have been almost one on one, agent to adult Davidian not to mention the control of the children. The idea of holding a mother and child at the point of a machinepistol is too ludicrous to imagine.
The alternative of slamming people into walls, handcuffing them and the like is a possibility but of course, they said they were only after a few people. To threaten the lives of nearly hundred men, women and children with death if they did not comply (that is the threat of guns states) with orders is also nothing rational people would want to get into the media.
Imagine the evening news where a woman is herded outside in handcuffs with small children clinging to her and crying, perhaps the older children in handcuffs also. This certainly could not have been their intention. They had had enough bad press at the time, particularly regarding women and handcuffs would have been too kinky.
But then if they had all died in an explosion and ensuing fire, it would have all been their fault for manufacturing drugs. There would be as many millions supporting the BATF as there are now supporting the FBI. Their deaths would play as their own fault in the media.
And what better way to cause this explosion and fire than indiscriminant grenade use? It would be a minimal risk to the agents as they would be outside when they were thrown in. There was no need to go inside and "light a match" or anything else incriminating. If there were any negative press, some lower level person could take the fall for poor judgment, be fired and then rehired with back pay after a little posturing for the press.
It was a perfect plan. No one would have asked after the
"items and things to be seized" appendix to the warrant that
listed nothing illegal. Everyone would have focussed upon the
"unexpected" explosion and the "fancy that, a drug lab" would be
in all the papers. Maybe people would never have looked into
what they told the army about that lab in the first place.
It is not clear why the BATF is sticking to its Fires of Gehenna story before Congress and the country. Perhaps they have a martyr complex. Perhaps they want to die for a cause. Perhaps the idea of blacks and whites living together was so repellent it overcame their reason.
Whatever the case, they presumably feel satisfied with their contention and are willing to suffer the consequences of it.
May the rest in peace.
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