Tape of Cultists Discussing Blaze Played : Trial: Prosecution rests after the recording of Branch Davidians saying, ‘Got any fuel?’ and ‘I want a fire around the back’ is heard in the murder case.

Prosecutors played tapes Tuesday of Branch Davidians discussing plans to ignite and spread a fire as authorities prepared to rush their compound, then rested their case against 11 cult members.

Defense attorneys attacked the credibility of the FBI surveillance tapes, which include such fragments as, “Got any fuel?” “ . . . start the fire?” “I want a fire around the back,” and “Let’s keep that fire going.”

Cult leader David Koresh and 78 other people--including 18 children--were killed in the inferno April 19 at the compound near Waco, Tex. Eighteen had been shot.

Prosecutors say the fire was set as part of a suicide pact. Their last witness, Texas Ranger Joe Haralson, testified that defendant Graeme Craddock told authorities Koresh had taught for months that “humanity was about to be taken from the Earth and that the Davidians would be the first of the harvest.”

Haralson read a statement that Craddock made to a grand jury on April 20 in which Craddock said the Davidians expected to “undergo a long siege.”

The fire ended a 51-day standoff that began with a botched raid by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Four agents and six Davidians were killed in the initial assault as authorities stormed the compound trying to arrest Koresh on weapons charges.

Defense attorneys said the Davidians acted in self-defense. The 11 cult members charged with murder and murder conspiracy face up to life in prison if convicted.

Jurors, lawyers, defendants and the judge used headphones Tuesday to listen to about an hour of excerpts from more than 100 hours of tapes made during the standoff.

At 6 a.m. on the day of the fire, an FBI agent began warning by telephone and loudspeaker that armored vehicles were going to rush the compound and tear gas was going to be fired inside.

“Got any fuel?” the transcript quoted a man as saying about 6:10 a.m. About 10 minutes later, the transcript said, another unidentified man asked, “ . . . start the fire?”

At 9:20 a.m., the tape quotes Koresh as asking top aide Steven Schneider about “two cans of Coleman fuel.” Schneider replied that the cans were empty but said he had “some mineral oil,” the transcript said.

“I want a fire around the back,” an unidentified voice was quoted as saying at 11:40 a.m.

“Let’s keep that fire going” was the last line of the excerpts that jurors heard. Prosecutors said an unidentified man made the remark within 25 minutes of the fire’s ignition at 12:07 p.m.

When played in court, the line was difficult to decipher.

“That was clear to you?” defense lawyer Dan Cogdell asked electronics engineer Paul Ginsberg, who was paid $20,000 by the government to enhance and transcribe the recordings.

“Did you hear that in the courtroom here? Were we listening to the same tape?” Cogdell asked during his cross-examination.

“I believe we were. And I did,” Ginsberg replied.