Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator

by Gary Noesner

We realized that these exchanges helped Koresh to retain his image as a caring and benign autocrat among his followers. I didn’t believe he was allowing these children to leave out of genuine concern for their safety; rather his intent seemed to be to embolden the parents who stayed behind, freeing them from parental concern so that they would fight to the death for him.

"We realized that these exchanges helped Koresh to retain his image as a caring and benign autocrat among his followers. I didn’t believe he was allowing these children to leave out of genuine concern for their safety; rather his intent seemed to be to embolden the parents who stayed behind, freeing them from parental concern so that they would fight to the death for him." Gary seems to want to have it both ways. Here he acknowledges his belief that Koresh is setting the stage for the ending that eventually takes place at Waco, while also maintainig a "trickle, flow, gush" theory.

At 8:15 a.m., March 2, Koresh released two more children, bringing our total to sixteen. He also released two women in their seventies who lived in a trailer adjacent to the compound. Unfortunately, though long-term Davidians, they seemed a little out of it and couldn’t give us any useful information about conditions inside, or what, if anything, the Davidians were planning. At 1:20 p.m., following further negotiations, Koresh released another two children.

"At 8:15 a.m., March 2, Koresh released two more children, bringing our total to sixteen. He also released two women in their seventies who lived in a trailer adjacent to the compound. Unfortunately, though long-term Davidians, they seemed a little out of it and couldn’t give us any useful information about conditions inside, or what, if anything, the Davidians were planning. At 1:20 p.m., following further negotiations, Koresh released another two children. That made eighteen children and two adults out. Each additional person released gave us hope that we were headed in the right direction." Ever optomistic, at this point Gary and his team are not seeing the big picture . As implied here by Gary, the people Koresh is releasing are misfits who are useless to Koresh, or are children who do not share Koresh's blood.

That made eighteen children and two adults out. Each additional person released gave us hope that we were

headed in the right d...

Throughout these days, we kept pushing for the release of more kids. Of the twenty-one released so far,

the last had come out on March 5.

On March 7, after we continued to press for more releases, Koresh had finally snapped at us, saying, “Hey! You don’t understand. The rest of the kids in here are my children—they’re not coming out!”

"Throughout these days, we kept pushing for the release of more kids. Of the twenty-one released so far, the last had come out on March 5. On March 7, after we continued to press for more releases, Koresh had finally snapped at us, saying, 'Hey! You don’t understand. The rest of the kids in here are my children—they’re not coming out!'" At this point I believe only relunctantly did Gary come to believe what the rest of suspected for a long time. David Koresh did not want to go to jail and solidfied his pact with the devil. He had the world's attention and was willing to sacrifice his children in the process of becoming a martyr. Gary and his team labored on, but it was with a degree of false hope, as some more Davidians came out, but none of them were his natural children. Like children, the adults who remained allowed Koresh to run their lives.

These two were willing to talk about possibilities in a calm manner, but, unfortunately, both of them were loyal to Koresh and repeatedly made it clear that he alone made all the decisions.

"These two were willing to talk about possibilities in a calm manner, but, unfortunately, both of them were loyal to Koresh and repeatedly made it clear that he alone made all the decisions." Enough said...........

I couldn’t believe they had done this when nine individuals had come out over the preceding three days. Were they blind to this fact? Once again I made the case to Jamar that positive behavior—the release of individuals—needed to be met with positive reinforcement, not humiliating punishment. This is one of the most basic tenets of psychology going back to Pavlov. If you want to train your dog to fetch a newspaper, you don’t kick the dog when it brings you the paper. We had just kicked the dog for doing what we wanted.

Despite this, at 10:12 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23, Livingstone Fagan came out, bringing the total to thirty-five. Two days later, on March 25, more clearing operations took place.

"I couldn’t believe they had done this when nine individuals had come out over the preceding three days. Were they blind to this fact? Once again I made the case to Jamar that positive behavior—the release of individuals—needed to be met with positive reinforcement. This is one of the most basic tenets of psychology going back to Pavlov. If you want to train your dog to fetch a newspaper, you don’t kick the dog when it brings you the paper. We had just kicked the dog for doing what we wanted. Despite this, at 10:12 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23, Livingstone Fagan came out, bringing the total to thirty-five. Two days later, on March 25, more clearing operations took place." Again, in Gary's own words he is trying to have it both ways. Koresh let another person out, despite what the tactical element was or was not doing. Koresh was clearly in control and only let out those he did not have absolute power over.

“No one else will be coming out.”

"'No one else will be coming out.'" At this point, Koresh now only had inside the compound those he believed were totally loyal to him or those he believed he could completely manipulate, and who he thought would give up their lives if he told them to. Despite this, when the fire started, nine more came out; mostly fire starters who did not have the courage to inflict on themselves the horrific suffering they caused the other Davidians.

Before the incident began, I had scheduled a trip to Amman, Jordan, for a negotiation training mission. I had a few days at home with my family before I had to leave again for the Middle East.

"Before the incident began, I had scheduled a trip to Amman, Jordan, for a negotiation training mission. I had a few days at home with my family before I had to leave again for the Middle East." For whatever reason, Gary did not stay in Waco after he did what was by all standards good work. Those of us who remained were left with having to figure it out without his talent. He helped save lives, but left when things were not going his way. By contrast, we had a teammate whose child was born while he was at Waco who refused to come off the line.

My own view is that Koresh was still ambivalent. Part of him wanted to live, and part of him was attracted to martyrdom. Despite his attorneys’ efforts to convince him otherwise, he must have known that he was unlikely to avoid the death penalty for killing the ATF agents. This knowledge may have set the stage for the mass suicide he seemed to be planning.

"My own view is that Koresh was still ambivalent. Part of him wanted to live, and part of him was attracted to martyrdom. Despite his attorneys’ efforts to convince him otherwise, he must have known that he was unlikely to avoid the death penalty for killing the ATF agents. This knowledge may have set the stage for the mass suicide he seemed to be planning." As I read Gary's words, I am reminded of the parable of the scorpion and the fox who both want to get across a river. The scorpion tells the fox he will not sting the fox if the fox allows the scorpion to ride on his back as he swims across the water. Half way across the river the scorpion stings the fox and the poison slowly causes the fox to lose his ability to swim. Both knowing that the other immeniently will die the fox asks why? The scorpion replies, "It is in my nature." I am not sure why Gary believes Koresh is "ambivalent." Despite what the FBI did or failed to do, at this point David Koresh was responsible for the deaths of four federal law enforcement officers and, indirectly, some of the Davidians; he repeatedly lied to negotiators; he was sleeping with underage girls; and was violating weapons ordinances. By all accounts he was manipulative, not ambivalent.