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David Thibodeau later wrote in his memoir that he believed Koresh's explanation that God had told him to wait, as he knew Koresh to be entirely sincere in his beliefs.

But David knew that the change of plans would not go down well with the federal authorities.

The Branch Davidians noticed when the FBI moved the Bradley tanks closer to their home and then used them to crush two outbuildings on the property.

They also rammed into a station wagon that had been left behind by a journalist from the Waco Tribune Herald.

These actions were undoubtedly intimidating, and spokespeople inside the compound protested about them to negotiators over the phone.

"'I heard some crunching or something.

I looked out the window and I see one of your tanks ran over a guard shack.'

I thought that was pretty cute, Steve Schneider said.

What now?

A negotiator replied in shock.

You're kidding.

I know they've been ordered not to go in there.

The FBI had cut off the Branch Davidians' phone lines to all but their negotiators, so those inside the compound had no way of contacting the outside world.

They wanted to go to the media to share their story, but had no way of doing so.

Nor were the media permitted near them.

Reporters from across the country and even overseas had flocked to Waco after the botched ATF raid led to extensive bloodshed, prompting the FBI to set up a designated press area two miles from Mount Carmel.

It was next to a roadblock in the middle of a farm-to-market road.

The compound could be glimpsed in the distance, but journalists weren't permitted any closer than that.

Beginning on Wednesday March 3, the FBI held daily press conferences to update both the media and the public on the siege.

There wasn't much to report aside from the fact that negotiators were still trying to convince David Koresh to surrender without success.