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For John, BLUF:  I don't think it is a given that the Feds know what they are doing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The 31 March issue of The New Yorker has an article by Author and Journalist Malcom Gladwell, "Sacred and Profane", about the Federal Government's seige of the Dividian Compound in Waco, Texas, the Mount Carmel community.  The sub-headline is "How not to negotiate with believers."

This article is a look at the US Attorney General's approach to Mount Carmel Leader David Koresh and his followers.  Of Mr Malcolm Gladwell, the author, Wikipedia says:

Gladwell's books and articles often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences and make frequent and extended use of academic work, particularly in the areas of sociology, psychology, and social psychology.

Such is the case outside Waco.  The Feds were unable to break out of their mind sets and as a result people died.  When your tool is a hammer, every problem is a nail.  When you wield a really big hammer, the problem is still seen as a nail.

Regards  —  Cliff