Militiamen Back Down from Claims of Imminent FBI Raid Against #Malheur Refuge Occupation (VIDEO)

It's still a big crowd of journalists up there, but Ammon Bundy's voice sounds hesitant and tired. I expect we might be seeing a resolution to the siege fairly soon, but we'll see. We'll see.

At the Portland Oregonian, "Militants in Oregon back down after flare up of fear over rumored raid":

BURNS — After a flare up of fear overnight that federal agents planned to raid their occupied compound, a group of armed militants determined that the information was false and relaxed Wednesday, one of the leaders said.

"It was all rumors and everything calmed down at about 3 a.m.," Jon Ritzheimer told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "There's nothing to be upset about.

The protesters — about 20 or so — have read newspaper reports that authorities are taking a wait-and-see approach to their takeover at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, he said.

It's now "a battle of wits," Ritzheimer said. "I'm game. We all get to live and let's talk and engage each other."

Before the protesters stood down, they had moved heavy construction equipment belonging to the federal government across refuge roads.

Some of them tended a bonfire at the entrance through the night and supporters were posted as a first alert along the road leading to the refuge about 30 miles outside of Burns.

Ritzheimer said the militants now are back to focusing on their land use protest.

"We have research teams finding out who this land was taken from and who it needs to be sent back to," he said...

More.