Senate report concludes: no proof of contact between

[Occhidiangela]

Yes, but why was the ARMY involved in beating down common citizens? NatGaurd is one thing, but using the Army to do your jack booted thug dirty work is a whole different issue. Against the law. It is wrong. And it sure as hell aint the American way.

We as American citizens should be outraged. Those people died because our government broke the law and abused its own citizens.

For shame.

Where do you have evidence that the armored vehicles were not Texas National Guard assets? The national guard have tanks, APC's, and chem vehicles. I am unaware of Meth Lab arguments. The articles I have read on this pointed to polygamy, suspected unlawful firearms possession and distribution, and unlawful treatment of minors. Defectors from the cult were a key to the case starting. You want to point fingers, look to the Judas collection.

I was under the impression that the National Guard were the only military assets present, consistent with a governor's discretionary powers. If you have better info, I'd like to be better informed.

As to legality, if the Governor of Texas asked for federal assistance, to include active duty armed forces assistance, and got them from the feds with Congressional sanction, then regular army units being there would be lawful under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. http://law.wustl.edu/WULQ/75-2/752-10.ht...ntary here The Act's language was updated by Congress to add Air Force to ArmyWhoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

I find your analysis of the case to be flawed. Those people are dead because the FBI and ATF folks on scene didn't have the patience and savvy to deal with the leadership of the cult necessary for the situation. Their actions induced a fight or flight response in a man with Messianic delusions whose followers were already under his influence. Whether or not they should have been left well enough alone to be a cult of ex Seventh Day Adventist, End Days, Millenialist whackos forever is another matter that is, sadly, water under the bridge.

EDIT: Got it. US military personnel and equipment that the US Justice Department
admits were used at Mt. Carmel:

"Military Personnel and Equipment

- Personnel
Active Duty Personnel - 15
Texas National Guard Personnel - 13

- Track vehicles

Bradley fighting vehicle (OMZ) - 9
Combat Engineer Vehicle (M728) - 5
Tank Retrieval vehicle (M88) - 1
Abrams Tanks (M1A1) - 2

Source: Department of the Treasury, Report of the Department of the Treasury on the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Investigation of Vernon Wayne Howell also known as David Koresh,
U.S. Government Printing Office, September 1993

Occhi