EXECUTIVE MEMO
Freeh vs. Freemen
halk one up for the FBI. Simply by waiting out the 26 "Freemen" at their complex in Jordan, Mont., the agency scored a major victory in June in the battle to polish the reputation of federal law enforcement agencies.
From the beginning of the siege at the Freemen complex, FBI officials were determined to avoid the disasters that occurred at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas, and at the home of Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. So they played along with the Freemen for months. Only after numerous mediation efforts failed did the agency put the squeeze on, cutting off electricity to the compound just as supplies started to run out.
The strategy worked, but it wasn't cheap: A staggering 633 agents took part in the 81-day siege.
"The prudent thing was to put patience above the risk of bloodshed," said FBI Director Louis Freeh at a press conference after the standoff finally ended. "That approach may not always work, but it worked here."
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