Irony is the close contrast of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected. A classic example of this is the Waco Siege where the US Attorney General, Janet Reno, ordered an all-out FBI and ATF assault on a religious cult's compound to prevent a mass-suicide attempt a la Jonestown. After the smoke cleared, literally, 88 Branch Davidians lay dead, including 25 children, a fair number of fetuses and Davidian leader David Koresh.
