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03/19/93
FBI challenges Koresh to let followers leave; Leader apparently rejected release of 30 members
By Christy Hoppe / The Dallas Morning News
WACO-An FBI official challenged the leadership of doomsday preacher David Koresh with tough language Thursday, saying that Mr. Koresh is unwilling to take charge and "let his people go.'
Mr. Koresh, who re-entered negotiations to end the standoff between members of his Branch Davidian cult and federal authorities Wednesday, apparently aborted plans to allow as many as 30 of his followers to leave the rural compound.
FBI Special Agent Bob Ricks said three buses were driven to the compound Wednesday to retrieve those who wanted to leave, but when pressed to exert leadership, Mr. Koresh "was not able to handle this direct confrontation,' the agent said. Instead, the cult leader said he had to go to the bathroom and refused to return to the phone.
Meanwhile, a federal magistrate ruled Thursday that Kathryn Schroeder, who left the compound March 12, could be released from jail. Prosecutors immediately asked a federal judge to reconsider the decision, meaning Ms. Schroeder will remain in custody until at least Wednesday.
That's when U.S. District Judge Walter Smith Jr. is scheduled to hear her case. Mrs. Schroeder is being held as a material witness in connection with the Feb. 28 gunbattle between federal agents and the cult members.
At Thursday's briefing, Agent Ricks adopted a more strident tone than usual, saying authorities told Mr. Koresh "that if he's truly a leader of his people, it's time for him to lead, and bring this thing to an end. If he really, truly cares about those people, send those people out, away from harm's way.'
The request to "let those people go' echoes words in the Bible given by God to the prophet Moses, when asking the Egyptian ruler to free the Hebrews from slavery. Mr. Koresh, a self-proclaimed prophet, has said he is waiting on word from God before leaving the cult headquarters.
Agent Ricks also said he believed that the 104 remaining members- including 17 children-are "pawns' of Mr. Koresh who will not leave without his permission.
"We're very concerned as part of Koresh's grand scheme that he would like to see a large number of his people die, which would be justification for his pronouncements and the fulfillment of his scriptures,' he said.
The agent's comment follows the disclosure of a note sent from the compound by a female cult member. When the woman's daughter left the compound, she carried a note from her mother to an older sister, who was in Waco seeking custody of the younger girl.
When the older daughter was asked the contents of the note on CBS' 48 Hours Wednesday night, she said the note read: "By the time you get this . . . I'll be dead.'
According to Kiri Jewell, a 12-year-old girl who lived with the Branch Davidians for four years, suicide has been discussed among cult members. On Donahue last week, Ms. Jewell said she was taught how to kill herself while living at the compound. Former cult members and a deprogrammer who has worked with Branch Davidians later disputed that claim.
Awaiting action
No one has left the compound since last Friday, but Agent Ricks said negotiators had been encouraged by a face-to-face meeting Monday between law officers and two cult members.
At the cult members' request, authorities agreed to provide them with members with a number of items, including two national magazines so they could read coverage of the standoff, which entered its 19th day Thursday.
The followers also asked for the cover sheet of the original search warrant, which ATF agents attempted to serve in their raid. Four agents were killed and 16 wounded. FBI agents also were willing to provide statements about whether sect members could retain possession of the Waco compound.
Attempts to schedule a second meeting to turn over these items have been quashed since Mr. Koresh-after virtually four days of silence -- again entered the talks, Agent Ricks said.
Instead, Mr. Koresh-who authorities now say is sufficiently recovered from gunshot wounds to walk freely around the compound-has challenged negotiators to produce tapes from biblical scholars to disprove his teachings.
"The challenge is that if you can prove David wrong, we will come out, which, of course, is an impossible task because he does his own interpretation of the Bible, which is not consistent with any other scholar,' Agent Ricks said.
The FBI agent said he is frustrated by watching signs of progress in resolving the standoff "vaporize.' Negotiators remain patient, however, and see no need "to force the situation,' he said.
Regarding followers in the compound, Agent Ricks said they continue to be dominated by Mr. Koresh.
"The majority, and it may be the totality of all those inside, they do not express fear of being involved in a firefight of any sort of that nature. Any fear they express is the fear of losing their eternal soul,' he said.
There do seem to be some differing opinions, among cult members, he said, but Mr. Koresh and his top lieutenants carefully control all communication with the outside world.
Federal agents on the other hand, control communication going into the compound.
Family messages
Authorities have delivered recorded messages from relatives to cult members. Thursday, James Brannon of Houston, an attorney for Mr. Koresh's grandmother, Jean Holub, complained about the process.
The attorney told The Associated Press that Ms. Holub was required to delete a reference to legal counsel in her message, as well as a suggestion that the cult send a smoke signal to show the tape had been received.
Agent Ricks said what the Branch Davidians want is for all law enforcement agents to "go away. And we have said that is not going to happen.'
Dan Conroy, deputy assistant director of the ATF, said that those inside the compound face a "wide range of penalties' when they do come out, including charges of murder and conspiracy to murder federal agents.
To date, no plea bargains have been discussed with cult members, Agent Ricks said.
"We do always hold out that if there is cooperation with the government, of course, that's going to be counted in their favor if they come out,' he said.
During the briefing, Agent Ricks also said a car left at the compound by the Waco Tribune-Herald had been flattened inadvertently by an armored personnel carrier driven by an FBI agent.
The car was left by reporters who fled the shooting Feb. 28. When the FBI tried to move two cars off the road earlier this week, one of them was run over.
"We are not professional tank drivers,' Agent Ricks said. "We are FBI agents who are driving those vehicles.'
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