Freed From the Media

JORDAN, Montana: Backed by a Federal court ruling, the FBI has ordered members of the media away from the ranch outside Jordan where an anti-government group and federal agents are entrenched in a standoff that began March 25. The FBI has not yet specified just how far the media will be required to withdraw, but they will have to vacate the hilltop perch where cameras, with the aid of telephoto lenses, have documented the comings and goings of agents, Freemen and outside negotiators. Agents and U.S. Attorney Sherry Matteucci said the order was a reaction to violation of unwritten media "ground rules" by Fox Television. A Fox TV crew approached two members of the Freemen Tuesday, apparently to secure a written invitation for an interview. Agents insist that the order is not an indication of impending action by the government. Coupled with preparations made last week to enable agents to cut power inside the compound, the order raises questions about whether the FBI is planning a raid. "If the FBI was about to begin an operation, they'd want the media out for safety reasons," says TIME's Patrick Dawson. "Of course the FBI is not terribly fond of public scrutiny, either." Another possible reason for the withdrawal: Agents may be trying to isolate the Freemen. "I think anyone in there would be nervous if all of a sudden the media were pulled away," Dawson says. "To them, the media have been a buffer, a referee of sorts." -->