Editorial

Credibility Problem

On Patriot's Day in 1993, the U.S. government saved 86 Branch Davidians from a fate worse than death -- by killing them. The FBI, supported (arguably unconstitutionally) by the U.S. Army's Delta Force shock troops, used tanks, automatic weapons and incendiary devices to burst their way into David Koresh's Texas homestead.

Sixty-two adults and 24 children died in the fire that day. And Janet Reno, the U.S. attorney general, who publicly accepted "responsibility" for the raid, should have resigned over it.

In fact Ms. Reno's verbal acceptance of responsibility was the first brick in a stonewall that was finally breached only last week.

In the meantime Ms. Reno has had plenty of experience in covering up. She overlooked evidence of illegal Chinese army campaign donations to Bill Clinton. Her department refused the FBI's request to wire-tap Chinese nationals suspected of espionage in U.S. nuclear labs -- maybe the greatest theft of military secrets since the Rosenbergs gave Stalin the H-bomb.

And now, Danny Coulson, the former FBI deputy assistant director who was Ms. Reno's point-man at the Waco attack, has admitted to a Dallas newspaper that incendiary grenades were used there. This admission is important because for years the FBI, the Justice Deptartment and Ms. Reno herself have categorically denied using them. Ms Reno duly conceded: "I don't think it's very good for my credibility. That's why I am going to pursue it until I get to the truth."

That is well said -- as well said as "I take full responsibility."

To be fair, the FBI still denies its incendiary devices could have caused the fire, and Ms. Reno claims she was misinformed about their use. The full truth may take time to come out -- say, not till Ms. Reno retires or the heavens fall.

Whichever comes second.