Greg Kooyman
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Posts posted by Greg Kooyman
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Thanks for the kind words Zach and I have to admit that Amazon caught us by surprise on this one - previously the kindle version
had not gone up prior to print availability and the print version is still a few weeks out. Hence the lack of an announcement
(which should be soon) and an update to my website (a bit later). As you can imagine its a hectic time to get a book
out with the Dallas conference only a few weeks out.
- regards to all, Larry
It is really unusual to release the Kindle version before the print version. Its usually the opposite.
Jim, it surprised Debra as well as she had no notice of it - which is why the Nexus area on my book web site and document links
were not ready (its there now though and document links should be going up shortly). In fact it happened before any announcement
because that was to be tied to the in print date.
Beats us, although certainly Amazon is really pushing Kindle.
In any event both Kindle and print are available now and there will be print copies at the Lancer conference (have
not seen one myself actually, but its in the mail Deb says).
-- Larry
Hi Larry,
I just want to say I have both editions of your book SWHT, and have read your many posts, and essays on this forum as well as Lancer's. I congratulate you on your latest literary effort "Nexus" and have my copy ordered from Amazon. As I anticipate your book in the mail, I would like to pose a question to you. I have read up on Edwin P. Wilson and believe that his close dealings with Ted Shackley, Tom Clines, and Rafael "Chi Chi" Quintero put him in a very close circle of folks I believe had knowledge of, or were participants in the JFK assassination. I have posted it here and have been told that trying to reach out to Edwin Wilson would be a futile effort. Given that Edwin Wilson is in the twilight of his life, and the fact that the CIA literally turned him into the "Man in the Iron Mask" doesn't it seem likely that he has a few motives for which to set the record straight on issues such as the JFK assassination? I just think if someone who has interviewed Ed Wilson in the past could come forward and contact him now before he dies, I think he could shed some serious light on the assassination. I believe Ed could corroborate many facts about the players we suspect, and possibly even give us a few we don't know about. I know he trusted Joeseph Trento, and have thought about contacting Mr. Trento myself to make this appeal, but I defer to your opinion on the matter. Do you see any merit in chasing down this lead?
Best regards,
Greg Kooyman
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The Railroading of LCDR Terri Pike over Search and Release of ONI Assassination Records
LCDR Florence "Terri" Pike USN – ARRB ONI Files
The package came in the mail from an anonymous source. It contained copies of official Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and JFK Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) documents concerning the Review Board's request for ONI records related to the assassination of President Kennedy ordered released by the JFK Act of 1992.
The documents refer to official requests for records made by the ARRB and the response of the ONI, specifically ONI records officer Lieutenant Commander DR Florence "Terri" Pike, USNR, who was originally assigned to respond to the ARRB requests for ONI records.....
Continued in full at: JFKcountercoup: The Railroading of LCDR Terri Pike over Release of ONI Assassination Records
Additional Highlights:
After these requests were officially made on November 14, 1995, the Director of ONI responded on Nov. 27 by letter stating that "the Office of Naval Intelligence holds no records responsive to the tasking of 14 Nov..," but that didn't satisfy the ARRB. Then months went by without a response and eventually some ONI records officers were assigned the task of responding to the ARRB requests, including LCDR Florence "Terri" Pike and LCDR Paul Dootlittle. A March 3, 1997 – ARRB memo notes that "LCDR Pike is our main point of contactin the ONI records review. She works for the Information Management Department," and a Meeting Report on the Disposition of ONI, NCIS Records, by Christopher Barger/ARRB staff reports that they "met with the ONI team responsible for heading the search for records under the JFK Act. This team is directed by Lieut. Cmdr. Terri Pike; LCDR Doolittle works in the ONI FOIA office; Pike reports to Capt. Peiaec; LCRD Bastein is the JAG."
"For reason not entirely clear to either the ONI team or ARRB," Barger notes,"the tasking for this project only trickled down to them on Friday, March 7,1997. They were a little confused as to why they were only being tasked with this now, but expressed a willingness to do everything they possibly could to achieve the objectives of the Act." Among other topics discussed, "...(Tim) Wray provided extract from HSCA Staff Report regarding alleged Marine Corps CID post-assassination investigation into activities of Lee Harvey Oswald, and asked for any advice or assistance they might be able to provide regarding where such records might presently be stored, if they exist. Best recommendation: personal papers of the Marine Corps Commandant, Marine Corps CID records. Subject investigation, if authentic, may have been handled outside normal investigative channels."
"...LCDR Pike identifies ONI action taken and intended searchers. Intended searches would begin at Suitland at the Federal Records Center, but would later include district offices within CONUS."
"Pike then presented us a small written briefing package detailing what they had identified that they are required to do and the process they will use to go about the review. She noted that their first priority was to identify the records collections they need to search, then determining the physical locationof the records. Most of these will be at Suitland, she said, but there will be others located in district offices round the country in locations like Chicago, Atlanta,San Francisco, New Orleans, St. Louis and Boston. They have also identified a need to determine standard subject identification codes which should cause a document to be searched, and she concluded by detailing the records disposition procedures within ONI."
"Despite the fact that they had only learned of this tasking on Friday, they had located and designated approximately 125 cubic feet of documents that directly relate to subjects we mentioned in our letter to the Navy. These willbe reviewed page by page. She anticipated being able to complete the review by the stated deadline set by the Navy and ARRB of April 30, 1997."
"In addition, she said that ONI had identified about 950 cubic feet, or approximately 2.4 million pages of records which might be related to the topics we were interested in, but that we had not specifically mentioned...LCDR Pike stressed that she, and ONI, understood that all information, even negative result, is important to our process, and that they will be providing reports on everything they search, whether relevant documents are found within or not.Pike provided us with a 'flow chart' documenting the normal records disposition process within ONI, explaining what each step of the process is and where documents go during each phase of the process. The final page of her briefing package was a sample of the 'clue sheets' being provided to each reviewer for the April 30 documents. Approximately two dozen subject headings are listed along with 'clues' or keywords for each subject, and a time window for each subject..."
In summary, the ARRB meeting report notes, "In closing, it should be reported that this team, and LCDR Pike in particular, are very impressive, they appear very much to have their act together on this project. They provided details and planning we have rarely seen from other agencies, yet they have had this project assigned to them for less than a week. They were extremely helpful, and have taken an aggressive and proactive approach to complying with the JFK Act. We can expect more impressive work from this team."
The ARRB meeting report said that, "Pike explained that most of the relevant records they found were discovered 'by accident;' that is to say, they were misfiled in boxes outside where they should have been. This is important for two reasons. 1) If they had been filed where they 'should' have been, they would have been routinely destroyed by this point, and 2) as they continue their review of the approximately 900 cu feet of records they have self-identified, they expect they might well continue to discover records of interest to us...LCDR Pike further stated that ONI remained responsible for searching an additional 950 cubic feet of records located in Suitland, Atlanta,Boston, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco, and stated those searches were scheduled for completion during fiscal year 97..."
LCDR Pike Faxed the ARRB; indicating that she had finished a declassificationreview of the.8 cubic feet of defector records, and had prepared a page-by-pageindex of same. She indicated that transmittal of these documents would occur inthe near future.
That appears to be the beginning of the end of such cooperation and the end of LCDR Terri Pike, as there are two different copiesof this meeting report in two different typefaces, one with the first sentence of the fourth paragraph highlighted by two circles on one and completely redacted in the other. The line redacted reads: "There are a total of 18 folders of material which ONI has determined should go into the JFK collection and have earmarked for delivery to us..." Another redacted paragraph follows:"Pike said that ONI is going through review of all records covered by the EO;in most cases, they have been willing to release in full about 96% of thedocuments. She said that for the other 4% they expected that the Board has thepower to overrule them anyway, but they had to at least make the request. [Ed.Note: this implies that they might perhaps be resigned to 'losing' some of theinformation they want to protect and would not appeal a Board decision torelease some of this information.]
The redacted paragraph reads: "Pike concluded her report by suggesting that we might find more of the records we suggested we wanted in BG38 the records of the CNO. She said that currently ONI is currently organizing a review team…to look through this group…. however, ARRB staff may also wish to personally review these records for relevant material. She suggested that changes in alert status, etc. might also be found in CNOrecords..."
It appears that the main point of contention between Lt.Commander Pike and the rest of the brass at ONI are the disposition of ONI records outside of the main records storage center at Suitland.
Then the Review Board came up with some additional leads from former servicemen who had handled assassination records and requested them. ARRB staffer Doug Horne noted in a memo that, "Terri Pike called to say she had received my voice mail inquiring about an NIS-ONI post-defection investigation of Oswald at El Toro in 1959 or 1960, would do immediate some checking, and would try to fax us results of her search sometimeon Thursday of this week."
A Chronology of Key Events in ARRB-ONI Interface notes that on "...ARRB stafferDoug Horne called Terri Pike and requested that ONI look for '119 Reports'covering an alleged ONI investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald's October, 1959 defection to the Soviet Union. LCDR Pike accepted the tasking, but ARRB never received any feedback on its results."
One of the key liaisons between the ARRB and ONI, at least in the eyes of theReview Board staff, had simply disappeared.
A Memo Terri Pike sent to ARRB Military unit member Doug Horne amplified the situation when she wrote to them that, "...I was relieved from the leadership position on this project in late August (1997) by the ONI Reserve Directorate Head….As you know, it was my responsibility to identify all records required under 44 U.S.C. 2107. I felt a personal commitment to ensure this effort was conducted 'with vigor' and as thoroughly as possible..."
Another memo from Pike dated10 Nov. 97 notes that, "In its questioning to date,the ONI IG has narrowly focused on my travel requirements and has declared that the taskings of …. the Kennedy review did not include the requirement for searches for all records regardless of physical location, just those available locally."
She was charged with "fraudulent" official travel because her "tasking did not say to search regional record centers." She was accused of work and travel "fraud" in regards to the travel from DC to the remote ONI records storage centers, obviously a trumped up charge, and one designed to make sure that everyone else in similar positions don't take the same initiatives she did. In a memo Pike wrote that, "We fundamentally disagree on the project requirements. I maintain that under all taskings, the ONI is required to identify and dispose...ALL of its records, not just thoseof the former Naval Intelligence Command stored in Suitland."
From the perspective of a JFK Assassination researcher, I don't know Terri Price, but just from reading these records, she's now a hero of mine.
And I want to know more, especially what became of her after she wasrailroaded by the military brass for doing her job?
She should get a medal for what she did.
From a review of the documents, it is clear that Pike was removed from her post, reprimanded, demoted, and wrongly disciplined under trumped up charges. Her career was effectively ended because she took the initiative to retrieve and catalogue ONI records pursuant to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Act.
Another researcher who read the documents independently concluded, "She was disciplined and (probably) kicked out of the Navy solely because she traveled to ONI document storage holding locations and retrieved records, rather thanjust rely on records at her location in DC. She seems to be a genuine American hero, trying to do the right thing and getting guillotined for it. This is a shocking case that exhibits the level of abuse that can occur in ONI when that office wants to stonewall and hide records. It is also instructive to see the massive quantities of records that were destroyed prematurely and improperly, according to the records."
For the complete article:
JFKcountercoup: The Railroading of LCDR Terri Pike over Release of ONI Assassination Records
Chronology and Notes:
David Lifton wrote:
This whole situation is outrageous.
First of all, these records (which Terri Pike was apparently on the brink of locating/retrieving), ought to be located and made part of the JFKCollection.
Second: Terri Pike ought to be given all manner of legal help to rectify the situation, restore her honor, etc.
I think the people who railroaded her on these obviously trumped up charges should be exposed.
Her story deserves the widest possible publicity.
I am simply astounded that anyone would flout the spirit, much less the actual provisions, of the JFK Records Act in this manner.
DSL
Bill,
Did these ONI records ever get turned over to the ARRB?
If not, are there any avenues for which they may be retrieved?
Greg
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Greg Kooyman, considering all the exposure, with so little resulting impact, and Wilson's age now, my advice is to leave it alone.... (I never thought I'd be offering advice like this, but, IMO, the U.S. DOJ has ceased to be the DOJ and has become the Department of Selective Enforcement and Elite Enablers.)
Tom,
I guess when you put it in that perspective, I have to agree. If I were Ed Wilson, I doubt I would ever talk in public again. One can only hope he reveals what he knows to a family member, or has his memoirs published after his death with details on what he knew.
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I am sure you are right about George H. W. Bush. Will Ed Wilson tell the full story when he dies?
Reply from the undercover agent:
"Regarding Ed Wilson's silence. I believe he will carry his secrets to the grave. I don't think he gives a damn what "people" or the official story says about him. Ed is not about being a historical personage. If I were writing his obit, it would be short and concise...."A Patriot".
Hello Fellow members of this Forum:
My name is Greg Kooyman, I am an amatuer history buff and a sometime member of this forum. I mostly spent my time in the past reading what most of you fine researchers and members have posted. I have recently gotten back into reading this forum more actively. I feel compelled at this stage of my life to try to do what I can to track down and try to find some of those people that lived the events and times surrounding the assassination of JFK and see if I can glean anything that can be useful to solving this crime of the century.
I resurrected this thread on the premise that I disagree that Ed Wilson will carry his secrets to his grave. I think spending all that time in prison and the false charges trumped upon him have made him bitter. I believe he is a fighter which is why he found a way to gain his freedom to get his guilty verdict overturned in the first place. Edwin Wilson was very close to to Ted Shackley, Thomas Clines, Raphael Quintero, and most likely knew David S. Morales, Carl Jenkins and even David Atlee Phillips.
While I don't necessarily think he was involved in the assassination, I believe he was aware of the plot and who the players were, even if it was post-assassination knowledge.
I believe I have the ability to reach Edwin Wilson, or at the least his brother. He would be 83 years old now, and maybe as a "Flawed Patriot" he may wish to set the historical records straight at this stage in his life.
I put this forth to any researchers out there if there are questions you would like to make to Edwin Wilson, please get with me offline via email.
If I can get enough interest in this, I will try to approach Mr. Wilson by phone and see if he is willing to talk.
-Greg Kooyman
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Final Report of the ARRB, Chapter 6, Part 1 - The Quest....
I. .....
5. Army
The Review Board's two primary concerns with Army records were: first, to open the counterintelligence files located at the Investigative Records Repository (IRR) at Fort Meade; and second, to determine whether Army intelligence units had any regular responsibilities for protection of the President as part of their normal duties circa 1963.
a. U.S. Army's Investigative Records
Repository.
This facility at Fort Meade in Maryland, a part of the Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), contains investigative files on individuals of counterintelligence interest to the Army. The HSCA studied 34 IRR "case files," and thus, the Army processed those records for inclusion in the JFK Collection. The Review Board requested three additional files and designated them assassination records. The three additional case files declared as assassination records by the Review Board pertain to Alfredo Mirabal Diaz, Jordan James Pfuntner, and Clemard Joseph Charles. The Review Board staff also designated one additional file consisting of an assortment of extracts from various Army Intelligence Regulations.
b. Army Security Agency records and files.
The Review Board did not locate any additional assassination records from the Army Security Agency's files. Review Board staff searched for information and records concerning ASA electronic surveillance from the 1960s, but was unsuccessful in its efforts to locate any such material. Army personnel provided to the Review Board staff a unit history which gave a generic description of ASA surveillance activities in Mexico City in 1963. The one paragraph that addressed this activity was short, not very detailed, and described the ASA surveillance effort of the Cuban and Soviet Embassies as largely unsuccessful, due to technical difficulties. This paragraph did not provide any raw intelligence or surveillance data.
c. Army Inspector General 1973 report on domestic surveillance abuses in the U.S.
In 1997, the Review Board requested that the Army's Inspector General's Office locate and provide a copy of its own 1973 report on domestic surveillance abuses in the United States, in the hope that this document might mention domestic surveillance activity in the early 1960s and provide leads to the Review Board. (The Church Committee cited this report in detail.) The Army IG office responded to the Review Board staff that it could not locate its own report.
(End FR ARRB)
If this report was published, as it should have been, and shared with whoever requested it, and the responsible oversight committee of the Senate and House, there should be dozens of copies around, but the DOD IG office can't even find the original? That doesn't make sense.
They're not saying they're not turning it over, that it was destroyed, or that it is classified for national security reasons, they're saying they can't find it.
That was 15 years ago. Is this report still missing?
Any info on this 1973 Army Inspector Generals Report would be greatly appreciated.
BK
Bill, I can't address about the files you refer to, however, in response to FOIA requests I've been party to, I've gotten responses of:
- files not found, even though they were known to be, at one time.
- files destroyed [both 'routinely' destroyed, or in a 'fire'].
- these are the 'ultimate' 'fall-backs', way beyond 'denied' on the grounds of National Security.
I'm sure in a FEW instances they might be truthful, but I think in most they are just excuses....
Yes Peter, but if a report was published, they couldn't have rounded up and destoryed every one, and I know while they - meaning DOD DOA IG office don't really want to find it, somebody else has got to have it.
Peter Noyes (In Legacy of Doubt) accused the Camden, N.J. PD of being controlled by the mob because they wouldn't respond to his request for Jim Braden's 1948 arrest report. When my father, then a Lt. in CPD, gave me the report, he said it was in a dirty, dusty corner of the basement where the secretaries didn't want to go, so the secretaries ignored Noyes letters.
Somewhere, in some dark corner of some ex-Congressmen's secretaries file cabinets, theres a copy of the Army IG Report from 1973.
And you just know THEY do have a copy of it and their just sticking it to us, err the ARRB, and the review board didn't care enough.
BK
Bill,
Do you think if we emailed or contacted the former sentators of the Church Commitee, or anyone that might have gotten a copy of this Army IG report from 1973 that we might be able to land our hands on a copy? My guess is, if it was distributed in Congress, or in Committee one might find it in a senator's library. What do you think?
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I have been reading the biography of Bill Harvey, Flawed Patriot, written by a former CIA agent who knew him. At first glance, I thought that this author would focus on Bill as someone who history has painted with a bad brush. What I mean by that is , I didnt think the author would touch very much on the implications that Harvey and the JFK assassination might somehow be linked. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. Not only does the author review the assassination and its possible links to organized crime (insert Johnny Rosselli) but more than 2/3rds of the book is dedicated to his fall from grace which was his assignment to ZRifle/ Task force W, his run-ins with Bobby Kennedy, the fallout after the Cuban Missile Crisis, etc. I was surprised to read that Harvey maintained a close relationship to Johnny Rosselli, for years after both had been relieved of their operations, much to the chagrin of the CIA and the FBI.
Strangely, the author notes that Dave M. was involved with Bill Harvey and ZRRifle and Taskforce W. I found it strange that since David Morales was a name outed years ago, this author chose to call him David M.
Obviously, the author does his best to debunk that Bill Harvey was directly involved with the Assassination, but concedes there are a lot of loose ends in this story. Some things I found compelling are that his wife (also a former CIA agent) was unable to retrieve any documents the CIA may be holding under FOIA until the year 2063. IF Bill Harvey was not part of the conspiracy or had any knowledge or dealings, why would his documents be witheld for exactly 100 years from the date of the death of JFK?? Another compelling note: After Harvey retired, his house was broken into on at least 2 occasions, and after his death his wife interrupted a burglary of Bill Harvey's study. She is also reported to have burned several pages of Classified Material from Bill's safe after his death, this was asserted by Bill's daughter to the author.
Very compelling. Any thoughts or opinions?
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John, I met Agee and I also knew Richard Helms. Through my experiences with Agee and Helms, and my experiences with KGB officers and double agents, I know for a fact that Helms recruited Agee to infiltrate the KGB and that Agee actually defected by feigning infiltration.
I'll email my manuscript to you. I don't yet have a publisher. I just started emailing the query letter to literary agents within the past 10 days. One prominent New York agent immediately asked for the book proposal, which I immediately sent to him. Having a great book and getting it published are two separate things. The publishing business is entirely new to me. The manuscript is currently being professionally edited, but I have done so much rereading and editing that I believe it to be well written in its current form.
Tony,
I have seen your posts on another forum; JFK Lancer. I do not believe you ever implied you were a "former CIA agent". I saw constant requests for information that was readily available in the NARA archives. Any real agent worth his salt would have accessed these records on his own. My biggest question for you is.... How can we believe your bonafides?? do you have government paystubs, government records on yourself to substantiate just who in the heck you are? As a former member of the military, I can surely say that you can an should have records of some sort that can substantiate who you claim you are. And while I am at it, what does this if anything have to do with the assassination of John F. Kennedy? I see nothing in your posts that tells me you offer any new evidence to the puzzle. I have some questions for you;
1) what year were you born?
2) How were you recruited?
3) When was your last assignment?
4) How could you in a compartmentalized Agency be privy to compartmentalized information outside of your own assignment?
5) To which division were you assigned?
6) Name some code acronyms to which you were assigned to?
Answer these and provide proof of your bonafides and I think everyone here will lend an ear. a manuscript does NOTHING. Government documents offer evidence.
By the way, I am former military, held a Secret Clearance, and served my country for 6 years. The CIA was molded in the cast of the military intelligence and there is very little by which you can B.S. me.
Care to indulge me??
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John,
Dan Mitrione is certainly an interesting character and no doubt he was a CIA operative. However, he appears to be a specialist, one used in getting information via torture, and in that vein, I do not think he had any involvement in the assassination of either JFK or RFK. As we all know intelligence is compartmentalized and my feeling is that he lived thru these time periods but was not directly involved. Just my opinion FWIW.
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I thought it might be worth starting a thread on Manny Pena. There is virtually nothing on the web about him. Yet he is a very interesting character.
Manny Pena served in the Pacific during the Second World War. He later worked as a counter-intelligence officer in Latin America and France before joining the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1947.
Pena developed the reputation for being an aggressive police officer and is said to have killed eleven suspects "in the line of duty". According to his commanding officer, Pena was a "stocky, intense, proud man of Mexican-American descent."
In November 1967 Pena resigned from the LAPD to work for the Agency for International Development (AID). According to the San Fernando Valley Times: "As a public safety advisor, he will train and advise foreign police forces in investigative and administrative matters. Over the next year he worked with Daniel Mitrione in Latin and South America.
Charles A. O'Brien, California's Chief Deputy Attorney General, told William Turner that AID was being used as an "ultra-secret CIA unit" that was known to insiders as the "Department of Dirty Tricks" and that it was involved in teaching foreign intelligence agents the techniques of assassination.
FBI agent Roger LaJeunesse claimed that Pena had been carrying out CIA special assignments for at least ten years. This was confirmed by Pena's brother, a high school teacher, who told television journalist, Stan Bohrman, a similar story about his CIA activities. In April 1968 Pena surprisingly resigned from AID and returned to the LAPD.
Chief of Detectives Robert Houghton asked Chief of Homicide Detectives Hugh Brown to take charge of the investigation into the death of Robert Kennedy. Code-named Special Unit Senator (SUS). Houghton told Brown to investigate the possibility that there was a link between this death and those of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
As William Turner has pointed out in The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: "Houghton assertedly gave Brown free reign in electing the personnel for SUS - with one exception. He specifically designated Manny Pena, who was put in a position to control the daily flow and direction of the investigation. And his decision on all matters was final."
Robert Kennedy had been shot at point-blank range from behind. Two shots entered his back and a third shot entered directly behind RFK’s right ear. None of the eyewitness claim that Sirhan Sirhan was able to fire his gun from close-range. One witness, Karl Uecker, who struggled with Shiran when he was firing his gun, provided a written statement in 1975 about what he saw: “There was a distance of at least one and one-half feet between the muzzle of Shiran’s gun and Senator Kennedy’s head. The revolver was directly in front of my nose. After Shiran’s second shot, I pushed the hand that held the revolver down, and pushed him onto the steam table. There is no way that the shots described in the autopsy could have come from Shiran’s gun. When I told this to the authorities, they told me that I was wrong. But I repeat now what I told them then: Shiran never got close enough for a point-blank shot.”
Manny Pena ignored this evidence and argued that Sirhan Sirhan was a lone gunman. Shiran’s lead attorney, Grant Cooper, went along with this theory. As he explained to William Turner, “a conspiracy defence would make his client look like a contract killer”. Cooper’s main strategy was to portray his client as a lone-gunman in an attempt to spare Sirhan the death penalty by proving “diminished capacity”. Sirhan was convicted and sentenced before William W. Harper, an independent ballistics expert, proved that the bullets removed from Kennedy and newsman William Weisel, were fired from two different guns.
After Harper published his report, Joseph P. Busch, the Los Angeles District Attorney, announced he would look into the matter. Thane Eugene Cesar was interviewed and he admitted he pulled a gun but insisted it was a Rohm .38, not a .22 (the caliber of the bullets found in Kennedy). He also claimed that he got knocked down after the first shot and did not get the opportunity to fire his gun. The LAPD decided to believe Cesar rather than Donald Schulman, Karl Uecker and William W. Harper and the case was closed.
Cesar admitted that he did own a .22 H & R pistol. However, he claimed that he had sold the gun before the assassination to a man named Jim Yoder. William W. Turner tracked down Yoder in October, 1972. He still had the receipt for the H & R pistol. It was dated 6th September, 1968. Cesar therefore sold the pistol to Yoder three months after the assassination of Robert Kennedy.
Cesar had been employed by Ace Guard Service to protect Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel. This was not his full-time job. During the day he worked at the Lockheed Aircraft plant in Burbank. According to Lisa Pease, Cesar had formerly worked at the Hughes Aircraft Corporation. Lockheed and Hughes were two key companies in the Military-Industrial-Congressional Intelligence Complex.
Thane Eugene Cesar was a Cuban American who had registered to vote for George Wallace’s American Independent Party. Jim Yoder claimed that Cesar appeared to have no specific job at Lockheed and had “floating” assignments and often worked in off-limits areas which only special personnel had access to. According to Yoder, these areas were under the control of the CIA.
Yoder also gave Turner and Christian details about the selling of the gun. Although he did not mention the assassination of Robert Kennedy he did say “something about going to the assistance of an officer and firing his gun.” He added that “there might be a little problem over that.”
Lieutenant Pena was convinced that Sirhan Sirhan was a lone-gunman. He told Marilyn Barrett in an interview on 12th September, 1992: "Sirhan was a self-appointed assassin. He decided that Bobby Kennedy was no good, because he was helping the Jews. And he is going to kill him." He also added: "I did not come back (to the LAPD) as a sneak to be planted. The way they have written it, it sounds like I was brought back and put into the (Kennedy) case as a plant by the CIA, so that I could steer something around to a point where no one would discover a conspiracy. That's not so."
John, this is extremely interesting information. In your searches, did you find out if Manny Pena is still living? Any idea if he retired locally to the Los Angeles area? What about Thane Cesar? If Manny is close to the end of his life he may change his story, or have something to add regarding his past. I have long suspected that Thane Cesar was the gunman who murdered Robert Kennedy as he was directly behind him, and the fatal bullet entered Kennedy's brain from behind. I just never read about the fact that he had sold his .22 caliber pistol 3 months after the assassination. If either of these two men are still in the Los Angeles area it might be of interest to try to interview them.
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I am currently the Director of Credit for one of the largest publicly held HVAC distributorships in the United States. (Heating & Air Conditioning Equipment) I have an undergraduate degree in Secondary Education. My majors were History & Political Science. Though I chose not to teach, I will someday turn to that profession when I get ready to retire. I also have a Masters Degree in Business. I spent 6 years in the Armed Forces in the Navy serving my country from 1986-1992.
My reasons for wanting to join your forum is that History and Politics are my passions, and in the last 7 years I have been fascinated by the relevations in the AARB's release of documents concerning the Assassination of President Kennedy. I have reviewed JFK lancer's debate forum and yours as merely an observer for the last 2 years. I have read books on the Assassination, and most recently, Larry Hancock's book "Someone would have talked".
I am wanting to ask questions of some of your regular members who are researchers in the Kennedy Assassination, as well as some of the people who you have had on the forum who lived through some of the events that took place in the 1960's. If anything I guess I would describe myself as a history buff and love what I have read in your forums in addition to the Kennedy assassination forum.
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So is there anything WRONG with Desi Arnez being a supporter of the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was supported by President Kennedy, and contributing to the fund to obtain the release of the Bay of Pigs prisoners? As you may be aware, the driving force behind the prisoner ransom was RFK. I bet a dollar to a doughnut that Arnez was no more anti-Castro than JFK and RFK.
And, IMO, the assassination was most probably organized by Castro, or by anti-Castro Cubans (or, amazingly, by both!). If the asssassination was the work of EITHER pro or anti Castro Cubans it is unlikely there would have been an asssasination had the BOP succeeded.
Tim,
I believe that Desi Arnaz hated Castro, was definitely here in the United States because of Castro and definitely supported Anti Castro politics.
I also feel that you haven't proven your theory that the assassination was organized by Castro to any believable degree. IMHO, the Exile Cuban Community has more fingerprints on the Kennedy assassination than any one political group.
My notation about Desi Arnaz was a footnote. I am more appalled by Jorge Mas Canosa. In my mind he raped this country of tax dollars, caused more political mayhem and singlehandedly was more responsible for the sagging world view of US affairs in not only Cuba but Latin America than anyone I have ever read about.
This guy was a thug pure and simple. Unfortunately, his unsavory political lobbying, bribery, and cavorting with known terrorists will forever grant him a footnote in U.S. history.
I wish more U.S. citizens were aware of him and other people like him. Maybe more people would participate in elections and rid this country of the scum that permeates our political system.
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I thought that forum members might find these notes by radio reporter, Ike Pappas interesting. Pappas was present when the DPD paraded Oswald.
Some curious aspects include the handwritten note saying that he detected a hint of a Spanish accent and that Oswald was 5' 6".
James
Hi James,
Interesting bit of information. I find the notation of Oswald having a slight Spanish accent intriguing. I wonder why he thought Oswald only appeared to be 5'6". Thats a big difference from say maybe 5' 9" or 5' 11".
Greg
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Hi Greg,
I'm glad you are finding the Latin American Studies web site of use.
Jorge Mas Canosa is indeed a very interesting character. He came through Fort Benning in 1963 with the likes of Felix Rodriguez and Luis Posada Carilles.
Mas as you have already alluded to, had some very powerful friends. Here he is below with one of them.
James
James,
I am particularly amazed at his brazen attitude. It appears to me he was literally untouchable politically. If there ever was a man more connected to the CIA and the Cuban Community I cannot think of one. He definitely knew about plenty of political skeletons and garnered many favors. His links to Felix Rodriguez and Luis Posada are well documented.
Very Interesting character indeed.
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http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mas-canosa.htm
I hope I did this correctly. I recently came across this article after reading a post from Jame Richards about the Latin American Studies website. It included this article on Jorge Mas Canosa which was written by Investigator Gaeton Fonzi in 1993.
I have found some very interesting information from this website, and even more interesting was an article that referenced that Desi Arnaz was a huge supporter of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and even assisted financially in the release of Anti Castro Cuban prisoners from Cuba.
Jorge Mas Canosa's influence on U.S. Policies towards Cuba are staggering.
As an American, it galls me that people like Canosa, can have so much influence in my country, even though he and others like him were not Citizens of this Country, and quite frankly manipulated the political system for his own financial and political gain.
I took particular notice at Gaeton's reference that Jorge Canosa's hatred of Kennedy was second to that of his hatred of Castro.
It seems that this man totally manipulated U.S. Policy in regard to Cuba steadily for more than 36 years. John, I think this guy deserves to go on your list of suspects as he certainly would have known about any Cuban involvement in the murder of John F. Kennedy.
IMHO as an observer, not a researcher of course.
I knew I would get this wrong. On the website, it links to the Cuban Information Archives website in relation to the article written by Gaeton Fonzi.
I post it here.
The article about the Late Desi Arnaz is found here.
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http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mas-canosa.htm
I hope I did this correctly. I recently came across this article after reading a post from Jame Richards about the Latin American Studies website. It included this article on Jorge Mas Canosa which was written by Investigator Gaeton Fonzi in 1993.
I have found some very interesting information from this website, and even more interesting was an article that referenced that Desi Arnaz was a huge supporter of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and even assisted financially in the release of Anti Castro Cuban prisoners from Cuba.
Jorge Mas Canosa's influence on U.S. Policies towards Cuba are staggering.
As an American, it galls me that people like Canosa, can have so much influence in my country, even though he and others like him were not Citizens of this Country, and quite frankly manipulated the political system for his own financial and political gain.
I took particular notice at Gaeton's reference that Jorge Canosa's hatred of Kennedy was second to that of his hatred of Castro.
It seems that this man totally manipulated U.S. Policy in regard to Cuba steadily for more than 36 years. John, I think this guy deserves to go on your list of suspects as he certainly would have known about any Cuban involvement in the murder of John F. Kennedy.
IMHO as an observer, not a researcher of course.
I knew I would get this wrong. On the website, it links to the Cuban Information Archives website in relation to the article written by Gaeton Fonzi.
I post it here.
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http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mas-canosa.htm
I hope I did this correctly. I recently came across this article after reading a post from Jame Richards about the Latin American Studies website. It included this article on Jorge Mas Canosa which was written by Investigator Gaeton Fonzi in 1993.
I have found some very interesting information from this website, and even more interesting was an article that referenced that Desi Arnaz was a huge supporter of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and even assisted financially in the release of Anti Castro Cuban prisoners from Cuba.
Jorge Mas Canosa's influence on U.S. Policies towards Cuba are staggering.
As an American, it galls me that people like Canosa, can have so much influence in my country, even though he and others like him were not Citizens of this Country, and quite frankly manipulated the political system for his own financial and political gain.
I took particular notice at Gaeton's reference that Jorge Canosa's hatred of Kennedy was second to that of his hatred of Castro.
It seems that this man totally manipulated U.S. Policy in regard to Cuba steadily for more than 36 years. John, I think this guy deserves to go on your list of suspects as he certainly would have known about any Cuban involvement in the murder of John F. Kennedy.
IMHO as an observer, not a researcher of course.
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Shouldn't this be on the Nosenko thread?
Here's a Blockbuster clue for you Tim...When the moderater of this forum posts a thread...maybe you let him post his thread.
If you choose not to, Don't read the thread. You did this to me on another thread and as far as I am concerned, you have started far too many incredulous threads to mention here to postulate your own theories.
Please don't misunderstand me. I feel you have every right to post whatever thread you please. However, when you try to decide which threads ought to be moved, changed or whatever, I feel you are out of your element.
As an avid reader of this forum, I pick and choose my posts here, however, when I see this kind of pettiness, it only serves me to conclude that as far as researchers go, we ALL have little time to waste making such comments. Stick to research. Isn't that truly what we are all after here?
Respectfully,
Greg Kooyman
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After reading several topics about David Sanchez Morales, I am wondering if any of the JFK researchers on this forum have tried finding any of Morales' surviving family or close friends to see if David Morales did any more talking about the Kennedy Assassination.
I think I read from an earlier posting here of an article that was written about Morales in which he was extremely proud of his service to his country both military and in intelligence. It seems to me that someone close to Morales may know more about his possible role in Kennedy's assassination.
Has anyone tried looking into to Morales' background for family and friends to interview?
Greg,
Over the last few weeks, I have been speaking with several people who were close to Morales during his high school years. I have also spoken at great length with a gentleman who remained friends with him until his death.
Some interesting things about Morales have emerged like his early military service; supposedly rejected in 1944 at a time of war and accepted in 1946 during a time of peace. There is obviously more to that than meets the eye.
As to his possible role in the assassination of JFK, I have discussed this with his close friend as well as other aspects of his career. Morales did open up a little more towards the end of his life.
I have more work to do on this and have scheduled some other people to speak with. I want to eventually present all of this information so people can make up their own minds.
Needless to say, if one is looking to figure out the conspiracy which murdered JFK, then one must begin with David Morales. In my opinion of course.
James
James,
I definitely agree. Weren't some of David Morales' friends and relatives from Arizona? I will be anxious to find out what your interviews come up with when you get ready to post them.
By the way, you have an excellent photographic collection that you have shared here.
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After reading several topics about David Sanchez Morales, I am wondering if any of the JFK researchers on this forum have tried finding any of Morales' surviving family or close friends to see if David Morales did any more talking about the Kennedy Assassination.
I think I read from an earlier posting here of an article that was written about Morales in which he was extremely proud of his service to his country both military and in intelligence. It seems to me that someone close to Morales may know more about his possible role in Kennedy's assassination.
Has anyone tried looking into to Morales' background for family and friends to interview?
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John,
According to researcher Anthony Marsh, Bender was also known as Felix Drecher. Apparently Marsh has even claimed that Bender/Drecher was one of the shooters:
http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Jfk-conspiracy/LIBEL.REP
Felix Drecher is listed on the Cuban JFK Archives site, but apparently as someone other than Bender aka Droller:
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_051-075/doc0068.html
In a book The Great Heroin Coup, the alias Droller is mentioned, as well as a claim that Bender’s real name was Fritz Swend:
http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv....m/msg29601.html
In his book Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life (Grove/Atlantic, 1998), Jon Lee Anderson refers to “Garry Drecher (aka Frank Bender)” (p. 467).
Ron
Ron,
You mention that Jon Anderson's book on Che Guevara refers to a Garry Drecher. Does it mention what Garry's involvement was? This may be where Drecher/Bender ends up next, which is taking some role in the CIA backed capture and killing of Che Guevarra. Seems as though if true that Bender's role in the CIA didn't cease after the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
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I am currently a Corporate Credit Manager for one of the largest privately held HVAC distributorships in the United States. (Heating & Air Conditioning Equipment) I have an undergraduate degree in Secondary Education. My majors were History & Political Science. Though I chose not to teach, I will someday turn to that profession when I get ready to retire. I also have a Masters Degree in Business. I spent 6 years in the Armed Forces in the Navy serving my country from 1986-1992.
My reasons for wanting to join your forum is that History and Politics are my passions, and in the last 7 years I have been fascinated by the relevations in the AARB's release of documents concerning the Assassination of President Kennedy. I have reviewed JFK lancer's debate forum and yours as merely an observer for the last 2 years. I have read books on the Assassination, and most recently, Larry Hancock's book "Someone would have talked".
I am wanting to ask questions of some of your regular members who are researchers in the Kennedy Assassination, as well as some of the people who you have had on the forum who lived through some of the events that took place in the 1960's. If anything I guess I would describe myself as a history buff and love what I have read in your forums in addition to the Kennedy assassination forum.
Here's a Blockbuster clue for you Tim...
Jean Daniel Bensaid and the JFK assassination
in JFK Assassination Debate
Posted
John,
It is interesting that you note that you believe that Jean Daniel might have had an affiliation with the CIA. I was watching a You Tube interview that Phillip Agee did with an alternative news source in Texas in 1995. Phillip mentioned that at one point when he was writing his first book about the CIA and he was on the run and underground as it where in Paris, France, he was asked to give his story to a French investigative reporter, which he did. However his story was killed by none other than Jean Daniel. The reason he was told was that Jean Daniel was not interested in the intrigue and skull duggery associated with the CIA. Maybe what was more true was that Jean Daniel on behalf of the CIA was not going to publish anything that may potentially embarass the CIA or the United States.
-Greg Kooyman