Episode Details
Back to Episodes51 Days of Fire: The Waco Siege and the Legacy of Mount Carmel
Description
On this episode of pplpod, we look back at the 1993 Waco siege, a defining tragedy in American law enforcement history that resulted in the deaths of 82 Branch Davidians and four ATF agents. We explore the escalation at the Mount Carmel Center, from the initial failed ATF raid on February 28 regarding suspected weapons violations to the tense 51-day standoff managed by the FBI,.
Listen in as we discuss:
• The Players: Who were David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and why did federal agencies suspect them of stockpiling illegal firearms and abusing children?,.
• The Tactics: How negotiations clashed with aggressive tactical pressure, including the use of sleep deprivation via loud music and the eventual deployment of CS gas,.
• The Inferno: The disputed events of April 19, where a fire engulfed the compound, killing 76 people, including nearly 30 children.
• The Aftermath: The investigations into whether the government or the sect started the fire, and how the siege motivated Timothy McVeigh to carry out the Oklahoma City bombing exactly two years later,.