Was Cuban hit man Herminio Diaz a second Kennedy assassin

[Douglas Caddy]

Was Cuban professional hit man Herminio Diaz a second Kennedy assassin?

• Author Anthony Summers has claimed that Cuban exile shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963 with Lee Harvey Oswald
• Diaz was part of an anti-Castro movement that felt betrayed by Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
• He 'told a friend that he was responsible for the killing before his death'

Daily Mail

October 16, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2463291/Was-Cuban-Herminio-Diaz-second-Kennedy-assassin.html#ixzz2hvTQ1dJ7

[William Kelly]

Was Cuban professional hit man Herminio Diaz a second Kennedy assassin?

• Author Anthony Summers has claimed that Cuban exile shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963 with Lee Harvey Oswald
• Diaz was part of an anti-Castro movement that felt betrayed by Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
• He 'told a friend that he was responsible for the killing before his death'

Daily Mail

October 16, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2463291/Was-Cuban-Herminio-Diaz-second-Kennedy-assassin.html#ixzz2hvTQ1dJ7

The story, as originally published in National Enquirer, stretches the truth a LOT.

The Mail should straighten it out, or I'm sure Tony will.

[Larry Hancock]

Bill, Summers does present that claim in the new version of his book...in fact he brings in not only one exile friend of Diaz Garcia to support it but another as well.

The person Diaz Garcia supposedly told was Tony Cuesta.

Actually there are some reasons to consider this an interesting lead, although not a new one since this has been floating around for over a decade.

Its also very easy to get confused because even the CIA was dealing with name traces which lead to two different people, one a fellow with crime connections

and the other a very dedicated revolutionary who did Batista era assassinations, tried to kill Castro in 1963 and then went back into Cuba in 66 in another effort

to get Castro - but was intercepted. In fact it seems like that mission may have been leaked to Cuba just as Felipe Vidal's was in early 64.

I'm currently going back though all my notes and documents trying to sort out the two individuals, Summers seems to blend them a bit and focuses on the

lead as going towards crime figures...of course I think it would be going another way entirely if accurate.

-- Larry

[Chris Newton]

Larry,

So was Cuesta involved or was he just passing on what Diaz had confessed to?

Additionally, two things confuse me...

One... how did Nagel know that Cuesta had key information if Cuesta was imprisoned in Cuba and only privately made his "declaration" to the cubans before he was released?

Two... you just mentioned the Op may have been leaked... Are you suggesting that the same rogue CIA elements leaked it to "tie up loose ends"?

[Thomas Graves]

Bill, Summers does present that claim in the new version of his book...in fact he brings in not only one exile friend of Diaz Garcia to support it but another as well.

The person Diaz Garcia supposedly told was Tony Cuesta.

Actually there are some reasons to consider this an interesting lead, although not a new one since this has been floating around for over a decade.

Its also very easy to get confused because even the CIA was dealing with name traces which lead to two different people, one a fellow with crime connections and the other a very dedicated revolutionary who did Batista era assassinations, tried to kill Castro in 1963 and then went back into Cuba in 66 in another effort to get Castro - but was intercepted. In fact it seems like that mission may have been leaked to Cuba just as Felipe Vidal's was in early 64.

I'm currently going back though all my notes and documents trying to sort out the two individuals, Summers seems to blend them a bit and focuses on the

lead as going towards crime figures...of course I think it would be going another way entirely if accurate.

-- Larry

Larry,

I take it that the dedicated revolutionary who did Batista-era assassinations and who tried to assassinate Castro in 1963 and 1966 was Sandalio Herminio Diaz Garcia. Who was the other guy, the (Cuban?) guy with crime connections? I assume that one of his names was also Diaz? Or do I have it all backwards?

Thanks,

--Tommy

Edited October 17, 2013 by Thomas Graves

[William Kelly]

Tony sent this note to some friends, which makes things a little more or less clear:

To all: The National Enquirer is as of today running a lurid headline - which I haven't seen yet - suggesting there's now 'proof' of the identity of a second shooter, and that he 'fired from the grassy knoll.'

This story claims to be based on the new edition of my book Not In Your Lifetime. Some of you will see this story. Though I have yet to see its text, I want to assure my friends and associates in the Group that I told the Enquirer nothing at all along the lines that there is 'proof' of anything, or even that the man I name in my final chapter - Diaz, was a 'second gunman.'

I like to think you would not expect me to make such claims. And hope that - if interested- you'll refer to the Diaz references in the relatively short passage in the final chapter of the new edition of my book.

The new information is in fact pretty interesting new information - though by no means what the Enquirer asks its readers to believe!

Tony Summers

You would think that when the Daily Mail picked up the Enquirer article they would have checked with Tony himself.

BK (On the Road)

[Larry Hancock]

Its been known for some time that Tony Cuesta told Fabian Escalante that Diaz Garcia had been involved with the Kennedy shooting. That came from Escalante himself, who related things that Cuesta had said during his interrogation. He had been with Diaz Garcia on a mission into Cuba which was intercepted, Garcia was killed in the firefight.

Tony Summers relates information which came out of a 2007 call from Reinaldo Martinez Garcia to Robert Blakey....apparently Blackey contacted Summers, the two flew to Miami, interviewed Reinaldo Garcia and ta da, here it is 2013 and we find it in Summers book. Summers provides information gained from Reinaldo Garcia, reportedly a long time friend of Diaz Garcia. He also relates other info about Diaz Garcia but it's not clear that it's all about the same person, as I said, even a quick search of MFF will give you differing documents including a CIA name trace which itself expresses concern that two individuals may be intermixed.

In any event, Reinaldo Garcia said he heard the story about Diaz Garcia, while in a Cuban prison with Cuesta, meaning that he uses the same source as Escalante, Cuesta. So Reinaldo Garcia's information comes to us considerably later than the earlier information from Escalante. Summers points that out in the book but he also offers a third party that Reinaldo Garcia cites as personally confirming to him that their mutual friend had done the shooting in Dallas....a fellow known as Remegio Arce. Summers notes that both Cuesta and Arce are now deceased.

It is an interesting story and could benefit from serious research, that is as far as Summers takes it however...

Edited October 17, 2013 by Larry Hancock

[Thomas Graves]

Its been known for some time that Tony Cuesta told Fabian Escalante that Diaz Garcia had been involved with the Kennedy shooting. That came from Escalante himself, who related things that Cuesta had said during his interrogation. He had been with Diaz Garcia on a mission into Cuba which was intercepted, Garcia was killed in the firefight.

Tony Summers relates information which came out of a 2007 call from Reinaldo Martinez Garcia to Robert Blakey....apparently Blackey contacted Summers, the two flew to Miami, interviewed Reinaldo Garcia and ta da, here it is 2013 and we find it in Summers book. Summers provides information gained from Reinaldo Garcia, reportedly a long time friend of Diaz Garcia. He also relates other info about Diaz Garcia but it's not clear that it's all about the same person, as I said, even a quick search of MFF will give you differing documents including a CIA name trace which itself expresses concern that two individuals may be intermixed.

In any event, Reinaldo Garcia said he heard the story about Diaz Garcia, while in a Cuban prison with Cuesta, meaning that he uses the same source as Escalante, Cuesta. So Reinaldo Garcia's information comes to us considerably later than the earlier information from Escalante. Summers points that out in the book but he also offers a third party that Reinaldo Garcia cites as personally confirming to him that their mutual friend had done the shooting in Dallas....a fellow known as Remegio Arce. Summers notes that both Cuesta and Arce are now deceased.

It is an interesting story and could benefit from serious research, that is as far as Summers takes it however...

Larry,

Are you saying that (according to Anthony Summers) Remegio Arce told Reinaldo Martinez Garcia that Herminio Diaz Garcia was a shooter in Dallas, or that Reinaldo Garcia was told that Remigio Arce was a shooter?

Either way, R. Arce is a person of interest, because even if he only told Reinaldo Garcia, one would wonder if R. Arce knew about Diaz Garcia's involvement before the event.

The only photo of Ramigio/Remigio/Remegio/... Arce I could find is on the Sparticus "Interpen" page. He's in the third row, second from the right, wearing sunglasses:

I didn't realize until yesterday that Ramigio Arce bore a strong resemblance to Oswald, at least from the side. IMHO.

(Click on photo to eliminate distortion.}

Thanks,

--Tommy

Edited October 17, 2013 by Thomas Graves

[Larry Hancock]

As Summers has it, Remegio Arce was a friend of Reinaldo Martinez Garcia and of Herminio Diaz Garcia as well. Reinaldo Martinez Garcia heard from Tony Cuesta, while both were in prison in Cuba, that Diaz Garcia had been a shooter in Dallas. That was after Martinez Garcia had been shown a picture of a dead Diaz Garcia by prison guards - apparently Diaz Garcia's wallet had contained a list with Martinez Garcia's name on it.

Martinez Garcia was released from prison in Cuba and came out during in 1980 - after arriving in Miami he went to visit his old friend, Remegio Arce. It was Arce who had introduced Diaz Garcia to Martinez Garcia in the first place. Later, while drinking, Arce confided to Martinez that their mutual friend Herminio had killed JFK.

[Thomas Graves]

As Summers has it, Remegio Arce was a friend of Reinaldo Martinez Garcia and of Herminio Diaz Garcia as well. Reinaldo Martinez Garcia heard from Tony Cuesta, while both were in prison in Cuba, that Diaz Garcia had been a shooter in Dallas. That was after Martinez Garcia had been shown a picture of a dead Diaz Garcia by prison guards - apparently Diaz Garcia's wallet had contained a list with Martinez Garcia's name on it.

Martinez Garcia was released from prison in Cuba and came out during in 1980 - after arriving in Miami he went to visit his old friend, Remegio Arce. It was Arce who had introduced Diaz Garcia to Martinez Garcia in the first place. Later, while drinking, Arce confided to Martinez that their mutual friend Herminio had killed JFK.

Larry,

Thanks for clarifying that.

"Interesting stuff indeed!"

--Tommy

Edited October 17, 2013 by Thomas Graves

[James Richards]

Here is Frank Sturgis with Remegio Arce.

[James Richards]

And another. Acre had been misidentified in the past as Bernard Barker.

[B. A. Copeland]

I have a feeling this article will be "taken in" by everyone who reads it in general, right before the 50th, mainstream, leftist, liberal alike....there will be no fact checking and Tony's important word on the article will go unnoticed once guys like Alex Jones take hold of the article...

If the writers of said article could have easily contacted Summers for clarification and did not, then I find the origins of its publication dubious....Why do that?

Here is more 'sludge' concerning JFK's brain and RFK:

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/jfks-brain-went-missing-and-rfk-may-have-swiped-it/

'It' certainly begins as we near the 50th but I digress.

Edited October 20, 2013 by B. A. Copeland

[William Kelly]

I have a feeling this article will be "taken in" by everyone who reads it in general, right before the 50th, mainstream, leftist, liberal alike....there will be no fact checking and Tony's important word on the article will go unnoticed once guys like Alex Jones take hold of the article...

If the writers of said article could have easily contacted Summers for clarification and did not, then I find the origins of its publication dubious....Why do that?

Because they aren't interested in the truth, only in selling papers and advertising.

Blakey says he was misquoted too, though it appears they at least talked to him.

There were two or three presentations at the Wecht conference on the media and how journalism has failed the assassination.

Normally such misquotes as those in National Enquirer would go unchallenged, but Tony and Robbyn immediately put out a disclaimer and have periodic updates on their blog and Facebook, so the truth isn't hard to find if you look.

And guess what, the truth, the REAL story about these guys, as Larry Hancock has demonstrated here by trying to figure it out - the REAL story is even better than the National Enquirer's sensationalized yellow journalism, I think they call it.

There were two or three presentations at the Wecht conference on the media and how journalism has failed the assassination

On Thursday night in Pittsburgh, the Heinz History Center sponsored a very interesting program on the media and the assassination with a panel that consisted of Jeff Morley, Lisa Pease, Russ Baker, Jerry Policoff, David Talbot and Oliver Stone, and the video of this program should be available on line. Since they had all been loosened up some of the interactions are interesting and what they discuss important, even though it was discussed in a loose and lightweight fashion.

Then on Saturday, Lisa Pease gave a lesson on how everyone must adapt the standards of real journalists and historians - and always check sources and confirm it elsewhere before accepting it, and listed the usual disinformation suspects as ones to beware of - including two - McAdams and Holland, who were there.

So you have muckrakers like National Enquirer that will say anything - dizinfo who will give you propaganda, and then real journalists like Tony Summers and few others who try to keep an open mind, research the hell out of it, interview everybody, confirm everything from first hand sources and report that truth as best you can in a style that people will want to read.

Tony was upset about the wrong photo caption and moved to correct it right away, and I'm sure he will correct any other such mistakes, in fact we can depend on it.

Edited October 20, 2013 by William Kelly

[James Richards]

Diaz Garcia had been receiving funding from Jose M. Bosch y Lamarque who ran Bacardi Rum. During the early 1950's, Bosch was also the Cuba Minister of the Treasury under Carlos Prio. During the 60's, he was an exile millionaire funding anti-Castro operations with strategy meetings being held in the Bacardi Building located on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami.

Diaz Garcia was his 'go to' man and known to be one who got the job done.

FWIW.