Adam Wilkinson

Definitely still interested Stephen. Hope you're well

I was doing a clean out today and came across this. Im not sure if I have posted it before or whether or not it is of any value to anybody, however didn't want to throw it out just incase... This interview was conducted about three years ago: Mr Roberts, as I imagine you are well aware, a March 2, 1964 article in Newsweek Magazine claimed you had purchased a number of photographs of Oswald on behalf of the Detroit Free Press. As a negative of one of these photographs has never been located or analyzed, I was hoping you would choose to speak out at this late date regarding this incident, so that perhaps this negative denied even by the Warren Commission, can finally be found. There are many historians and researchers who consider the source of these photos and their eventual whereabouts of utmost interest. So I guess what I'm asking is really four simple questions.. 1. Who sold you these photographs? If not the name then at least the occupation and the circumstances leading to this person gaining access to them. 2. What photos were included in your purchase? 3. Did the Warren Commission or the House Select Committee on Assassinations ever contact you or try to reacquire these photos? 4. Do you know what became of these photos? Gene Roberts: The photographs you asked about came from the files of the district attorneys office in Dallas. The DA got them from the FBI. They were the same photographs that were given to the Warren Commission. The photographs included the well known photograph of Oswald holding a rifle in one hand and The Worker, the Communist Party newspaper from New York, in the other; photocopies of Oswald's identity cards, some with aliases and others in his own name;and some family photos, as I recall. I don't remember the exact number, but there were possinly as many as 25 or 30. Almost all of the photographs were later made public, but at the time they were new to the reading public. No negatives were involved, only copies of photos and documents in the FBI files. The FBI made them available to the Dallas DA to aid in the prosecution of the Jack Ruby case. I correctly guessed this might happen and made every effort to cultivate people in the DA's office in the hope files available to me from 8pm on a Saturday night to 8am on Sunday morning, a 12 hour period when the employee did not think anyone would be in the DA's office. I hired an experienced photolab person to photocopy the file during the 12 hour period. I stayed with him during the entire copying process and he provided me with two copies of every photo and document in the file. I had planned to route each set of copies on different airlines from Dallas to my newspaper at the time, The Detroit Free Press in Detroit, Michigan but I was so sleep deprived that when I arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on Sunday at about 9am, I failed to make my instructions clear and both sets of photographs were routed on the same flight to Detroit. Because of weather conditions - or mechanical problems, I cant remember which - the plane was grounded in New Orleans for several hours. Panic developed at the Free Press, which wanted the photos in time for the first edition of the Monday paper, which had a 6pm deadline on Sunday. We knew that life magazine had access to some of the photos and would start appearing at newsstands about noon on Monday. We wanted to beat them to the punch. As the deadline approached, editors in Detroit asked me to describe the pictures and estimate the size of each photo that would be on page one. With this information, the paper set the type for the front page and made the page with holes for the pictures. The plane arrived in Detroit about 30 minutes before deadline on Sunday at the Detroit airport, which was about 30 minutes by car from the Free Press Building. My editor, Derrick Daniels, had motorcycles waiting on the tarmac to speed the photos to the newsroom, where he had photo editors and airbrush artists waiting to expedite the photos into the paper. In 1964, engraving processes were not as sophisticated as they later became and it was commonplace to airbrush photos with white liquid chalk to heighten the definition between dark and gray areas in photographs. In the haste to get the photos in the paper, an airbrusher covered the sniper scope (on the rifle Oswald was holding along with The Worker Paper) with liquid chalk. Our paper was indeed available several hours ahead of life. But when Life appeared on newsstands, its photo of Oswald with the Worker paper had a sniper scope. The Free Press photo did not. Armchair detectives around the world found this to be highly suspicious. But the Life and Free Press photos were both copies of the very same photograph. Because airbrushes use liquid chalk that can be scratched away with a fingernail, you could easily determine that the photographs were the same. The apparent discrepancies of the photos have been mentioned several times over the years in books and articles, creating a mystery where none really existed. Had anyone taken the time to visit the morgues (libraries) of the two publications, they could have seen that the photos were the same. Sincerely, Gene Roberts

I have often thought that George Bush's problem is that he read too many war comics as a child. If he had actually fought in the Vietnam War, and actually experienced combat, I don't think he would have ordered the invasion of Iraq. I agree with you 100% there John, I am also curious on your view on the upcoming US Federal elections? Who would you vote for if you were able to?

Dawn, Thankyou for posting this. I am very sad to hear of Tim's situation and I hope he pulls through. Tim is a very intelligent man and was always keen to answer my questions on jfk when I was an active member of the forum. Please wish him all the best for me

I have seen the footage a few times now and find it amazing that a film of this quality has been unknown for over forty years. I would like to know Jacks and Garys expert opinions on the footage. Is there anything new in here?

FORMER Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed today along with his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, Iraqi television has said. State-run Iraqiya television said in an announcement: "Criminal Saddam was hanged to death,'' and they played patriotic music with images of national monuments and other landmarks. The station said Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, were also hanged. "The execution started with criminal Saddam, then Barzan, then Awad al-Bandar,'' an Iraqiya announcer said. The station broadcast national songs and had a tag on the screen that read: "Saddam's execution marks the end of a dark period of Iraq's history.'' Saddam's death by hanging at dawn (2pm Australian time) was confirmed by the Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi. "I believe so, yes. He has been executed. It has been officially announced that he has been executed,'' Abbawi said, speaking by telephone to BBC News 24. US-backed Iraqi Al Hurra television station said a Muslim cleric was present at the place of execution, but it did not say where that was. Two witnesses due to attend the execution told Reuters earlier they had been summoned for 5.30 am (1.30pm AEST). Arabiya television reported they were present at that hour. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gave an execution order overnight, with approval from the Iraqi President and justice minister, said a close party ally. But the feast of Eid al-Adha from noon could have delayed the hanging if final details, including the site of the gallows and fate of the body, had not been agreed with the Americans. Earlier, US federal judges had refused to halt the US military from handing over Saddam Hussein for execution after a last minute plea from his attorneys to keep him from the gallows. The precise details are a closely-kept secret for security reasons but a lawyer for the deposed said the final paperwork and death order - known as the Red Card - had been completed. "According to information in our possession, Saddam Hussein will be executed Saturday at dawn," he said. Two of Saddam's brothers have visited him in his cell where he has given them personal belongings, as well as a copy of his will. However, there remains confusion with the various parties involved all offering different versions of events. The Americans deny they have handed him over from their custody to the Iraqis - which would be necessary before he was hanged. "There has been no change in his status," US spokesman Tom Casey said. "He remains where he has been" and added he had "no information" on the timing of any transfer. The Iraqi government has also previously indicated it would not carry out the sentence until next week. Saddam was sentenced to hang by a court on November 5 for his role in the killing of 148 Shiite villagers in Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt. The sentence was upheld Tuesday by an Iraqi appeals court. As a result, it was decided the execution would be carried before the end of January. The hanging is scheduled to take place somewhere within the heavily-fortified Green Zone. It is also due to be video-taped but the tape will not be released. Najib Naimi, a former Qatar justice minister who served on Saddam's legal defence team, told the BBC's News 24: "We think he might be executed by tomorrow (today Sydney time) as a gift for the Iraqis." "Maybe early tomorrow morning he might be executed ... we are now talking with them regarding the body itself," he said. "We would like to have his body to return it to the family so they can bury him at any place they wish." US troops have hitherto physically kept guard over Saddam and were expected to hold on to him until the last minute to avoid security breaches. A source in the team that prosecuted Saddam for crimes against humanity said prosecutors, who should have a representative at any execution, had not yet been invited to attend. The military in Baghdad, which includes many Australian servicemen and women, are on full alert for a violent backlash from Saddam's supporters. Meanwhile, lawyers acting for Saddam have filed another court appeal in America calling for a stay of execution. Technically, Saddam also faces charges under American law, which would not be able to proceed if he were executed. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5001021,00.html This moment in history will no doubt re-ignite the debate over the death penalty. What are other forum members viewpoints on Saddam's execution as well as his regime? Should Saddam have been executed? If the video footage of his execution is released to the media, is this a breach of Saddam's human rights? Or did he lose his basic rights after killing so many in such a brutal fashion?

Another year has passed... It's been several months since I have been on the forum, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

Michael, When I used to spend hours studying the Z film, one of the very smallt hings I noticed was a slight dent/chip in the top left of the Stemmons sign from Z frame 183 onwards. It might just be my eyes playing tricks on me, but take a look and let me know what you think.

Well said John. I have a feeling this war will go on for much longer than expected...

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Possibility 3: They have not been released to the public due to the fact that legal cases are still being attended to?

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John and Andy for their great work with this forum.

Jack, I am very interested in how you would now stand by your theories after the release of the September 11 video of the Pentagon plane crash. Please reply in this thread. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16201681.htm

1. I do not believe James Files fired from the grassy knoll

Thanks Jean. I would usually be working without a TV also, but have organised for the boss to bring one in.