Can David Koresh of Waco, 1993 fame be considered a terrorist?

Question

And I'm pretty sure Timothy McVeigh of the Oklahoma bombing can be. Jim Jones?

Home grown terrorists that are ignored in the current debate that argues all terrorists are "foreign" without white skin.

Chad: is it bombing that's important or killing?
None of those 4 jets were carrying bombs either...

TECH: isn't that what your govt is doing? A little more subtly than me? "You must fear those who are different"

Icarus: excellent point. I agree with what you say.

Ditto Bryan: excellent points

Answer 1

I do not see anyone ignoring homegrown terrorists. With the exception of the Oklahoma City bombing, I do not see many major domestic terrorism attacks to cite. Calling David Koresh a terrorist is a misuse of the term because I am not aware of any terrorist acts he committed. The ATF invaded the man's home because he was stockpiling weapons. Now whether or not the government was correct in this matter is another debate, but Mr. Koresh while fanatical, did not go looking for a fight. Instead, the fight came to him.

Timothy McVeigh has nothing in common with Jim Jones. Mr. McVeigh committed the worst act of domestic terrorism in living memory, but his motivations were not in any way related to religion. It was an attack against the government.

You are subverting the terms and splitting hairs in an attempt to make an indictment against people responding to an ever present threat. Domestic terrorism seemed to be important to the previous administration thus we had constant action aimed at militia groups (The Freemen, Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc.) in the United States, but very little action against Islamic extremists. For the safety of all we need to be vigilant against all forms of terrorism, no matter the source, but you cannot fault people for an honest fear of the more imminent threat of the day.

Answer 2

No David Koresh was not a terrorist. He was a cult leader. Big difference. Had the Clinton administration including Janet Reno not gone after him I doubt anybody would have heard of him and his followers to this day. A lot of children died needlessly in that major blunder. As for the 4 planes that didn't carry bombs I,m assuming your talking about 9-11. Planes full of fuel flying into buildings at 500mph would put them in the missile category and as we all know they had a devastating effect. Nobody has argued that all terrorists are foreign born. Timothy McVeigh was certainly considered a terrorist and there have been several white people that are US citizens that have joined the taliban. And what about Elf the earth liberation front. They are terrorists that go around the country burning down new homes under construction and new cars at car lots. They are white.

Answer 3

Nobody is saying that all terrorists are foreign. Just like no one is saying all terrorists are white. Why does every debate that even includes race as a side-subject have to become an arguement about racism. Things are never that simple.

And David Koresh wasn't a terrorist. He wasn't spreading terror, he was just a looney who decided he was the king of the Jews, and stockpiled weapons. The disaster that was the siege of his Waco compund was largely the fault of the FBI, who decided to take a shoot first and ask questions later approach.

Answer 4

That might be the Government view; on the other hand not just the Militia movement and the Gun Lobby but large swathes of the Right Wing consider that the FBI was the terrorist.

As far as I know, Koresh was no threat to outsiders and thus not a terrorist in any meaningful sense of the word. It was a case of law enforcement gone mad -- law enforcement inexperienced and uncomprehending in matters of cults. One would have thought that somebody would have learned from Jonestown.

Answer 5

McVeigh was definately a terrorist. David Koresh on the other hand didn't attack anyone, or even urge people to attack. He was a paranoid nutjob who was able to convince others to share his delusions.

Answer 6

What shade is the sky on your international? The branch Davidian compound became stormed for the time of bill Clinton's administration. no longer a Conservative. i don't be attentive to of each and every physique who idolizes David Koresh, from the two occasion. in case you sense like blaming the government for burning the compound, bear in mind it extremely is purely as common to accuse the dep. Davidians themselves of burning it. the government says the tear gas canisters began the hearth, yet who fairly is attentive to? We purely have the notice of the Davidians themselves that they did no longer initiate it. Can they be depended on?

Answer 7

I believe that the terrorist in that case was JJJJJJanet Reno, The Godzilla of Washington.

Answer 8

Why not, he stockpiled weapons killed many people, kept a town in fear with his odd doings and all for the sake of his "religion". Anyone who promotes violence and fear on a group people should be considered a terrorist.

Answer 9

Koresh and Jones were both nutjobs who were good at manipulating people to fufill THEIR needs. You trying to tie this up into a race thing is just plain stupid.

Answer 10

No, he never bombed a thing.