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Everything posted by Cliff Varnell
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Where was the pushback?
Cliff Varnell replied to Eddy Bainbridge's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
What’s reckless about it? He told the truth — the Soviets weren’t involved. He lied about consulting other Kremlinologists. We do know what — the United States had first strike nuke dominance over the Soviets until 1965 (see The Perils of Dominance by Gareth Porter.) In this scenario Averell Harriman unilaterally on the spot decided he had to protect the entire US government — the entire world! — from suspecting the Soviets even though he had no idea whether they were involved or not. He risked committing treason? This is the same horsesht LBJ fed Earl Warren. -
Where was the pushback?
Cliff Varnell replied to Eddy Bainbridge's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
If he ordered the assassination he needed to know. How would he know the Soviets were not involved unless he knew who was? Oswald didn’t go to Cuba. -
Where was the pushback?
Cliff Varnell replied to Eddy Bainbridge's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
The Tale Told by Two Tapes by Vincent Salandria <quote on> [National Security Adviser] McGeorge Bundy was in charge of the [White House] Situation Room and was spending that fateful afternoon receiving phone calls from President Johnson, who was calling from Air Force One when the lone-assassin myth was prematurely given birth. (Bishop, Jim, The Day Kennedy Was Shot, New York & Funk Wagnalls, 1968, p. 154) McGeorge Bundy as the quintessential WASP establishmentarian did not take his orders from the Mafia and/or renegade elements. <quote off> The President Has Been Shot, Charles Roberts (p. 141) A reporter for Newsweek, Roberts was on AFI and saw McGeorge Bundy at Andrews Air Force Base, where Air Force One landed. <quote on> I remember looking at (McGeorge) Bundy because I was wondering if he had any word of what had happened in the world while we were in transit, whether this assassination was part of a plot. And he told me later that what he reported to the president during that flight back was that the whole world was stunned, but there was no evidence of a conspiracy at all. <quote off> Who would have given orders to McGeorge Bundy to repeat the lie that there was no evidence of conspiracy found in Dallas? Bundy couldn't have made that determination sitting in the Situation Room. Turns out there was another "quintessential WASP establishmentarian" who turned up telling a great big lie: the #3 man at the State Department, W. Averell Harriman. The Assassination Tapes, Max Holland, pg 57: <quote on> At 6:55 p.m. Johnson has a ten minute meeting with Senator J. William Fulbright and diplomat W. Averell Harriman to discuss possible foreign involvement in the assassination, especially in light of the two-and-a-half-year sojourn of Lee Harvey [in Russia]...Harriman, a U.S. ambassador to Moscow during WWII, is an experienced interpreter of Soviet machinations and offers the president the unanimous view of the U.S. government's top Kremlinologists. None of them believe the Soviets have a hand in the assassination, despite the Oswald association. <quote off> A Very Human President, Jack Valenti (1973, p3) <quote on> Shortly before 7:00 P.M., I escorted Senator J. William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ambassador Averell Harriman into the office. I fidgeted outside, in the middle of what would have appeared to be an objective onlooker to be a melange of confusion. No one of the Johnson aides, Marie Fehmer, his secretary; the late Cliff Carter, his chief political agent; Bill Moyers, nor any of the rest, was quite certain of what lay ahead. We were all busy on the phone and trying to assemble what measure of office discipline we could construct. <quote off> Spanning the Century: The Life of W. Averell Harriman, by Rudy Abramson, pg 625: <quote on> [Harriman] spent the afternoon helping [George] Ball [#2 man at the State Dept], who was, if anyone truly was, running the United States government, since [Dean] Rusk [Secretary of State] and several other Cabinet members were airborne, coming home after turning back from a flight to the Far East. As darkness fell, Averell drove out to Andrews Air Force Base with Ball and Alexis Johnson, joining the official mourning party standing silently on the floodlit ramp as the President's casket was lowered from the rear door of Air Force One. <quote off> The Wise Men, Walter Isaacson & Evan Thomas, pg. 640: <quote on> [The Diem] coup [in South Vietnam] was messy. Diem's body was found riddled with bullets and stab wounds. John Kennedy himself was shot to death three weeks later. Bill Sullivan [Harriman's chief of staff] found Averell Harriman that afternoon sitting on the edge of his chair, in front of a television set, holding his head in his hands. <quote off> That Lee Harvey Oswald had been in the Soviet Union was announced on the news at 4:25pm EST. Sundown in Washington DC occurred at 4:50pm EST. How could Harriman gather "the US government's top Kremlinologists" in such a short period of time? And all of them reached the same snap decision on the basis of next to no information? In 1963 the top three Kremlinologists were George Kennan, Charles Bohlen, and Harriman himself. According to his biography, Charles Bohlen was traveling in Europe that day; according to his biography, George Kennan spent the day quietly in Princeton with Robert Oppenheimer. Harriman went out to Andrews around sundown with George Ball and Alexis Johnson -- neither of whom were Kremlinologists. The idea anyone could draw the snap conclusion of Soviet innocence is absurd -- unless that person knew who pulled off the plot. Vincent Salandria: "Notes on Lunch with Arlen Specter on January 4, 2012" <quote on> I explained [to Specter] that the day after the Kennedy assassination I met with my then brother-in-law, Harold Feldman. We decided that if Oswald was the killer, and if the U.S. government were innocent of any complicity in the assassination, Oswald would live through the weekend. But if he was killed, then we would know that the assassination was a consequence of a high level U.S. government plot. Harold Feldman and I also concluded that if Oswald was killed by a Jew, it would indicate a high level WASP plot. We further decided that the killing of Oswald would signal that no government investigation could upturn the truth. In that event we as private citizens would have to investigate the assassination to arrive at the historical truth. <quote off> Jack Ruby was Jewish. In 1963 Averell Harriman (Skull & Bones 1913) and McGeorge Bundy (Skull & Bones 1940) were the top two WASPs in the US government. -
David Talbot: Dulles Brothers "Nazi Collaborators"
Cliff Varnell replied to Benjamin Cole's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
I’m aware of what RussiaGate is. You were referring to a period prior to the election and cited a fictional “frenzy”. RussiaGate only made two news cycles over the last five months of the campaign, nothing over the last 70 days. That’s a frenzy? The only frenzy prior to the election was the Hillary e-mail story. And the unchallenged House testimony of Shawn Henry of Crowdstrike, the company that investigated the hack of DNC e-mails in 2016, in regard to the Russian hacker Fancy Bear. <q> MR. SCHIFF: lt provides in the report on 2016, April 22nd, data staged for exfiltration by the Fancy Bear actor. MR.HENRY: Yes, sir. So that, again, staged for, sure which, I mean, there’s not -- the analogy I used with Mr. Stewart earlier was we don't have video of it happening, but there are indicators that it happened. There are times when we can see data exfiltrated, and we can say conclusively. But in this case, it appears it was set up to be exfiltrated, but we just don't have the evidence that says it actually was. </q> Russians did indeed hack the DNC in order to “set up” the e-mail exfiltration by non-State actors. -
David Talbot: Dulles Brothers "Nazi Collaborators"
Cliff Varnell replied to Benjamin Cole's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
How many times did the Russia-hacked-the-DNC story make the cable news cycle (any story reported and repeated throughout a 9am EST - 9am EST 24 hour cycle) during the 2016 campaign? Twice: 6/14-15 and 7/24-25. On October 7, 2016 the Obama Administration formally accused Russia of meddling in the US election. A half hour later the Access Hollywood tape dropped and a half hour after that the Podesta e-mails hit the airwaves. ”RussiaGate” was buried, never made the cable news cycle over the last 70 days of the campaign. -
Drug operations generally are not well documented. After the JFKA there was more dope than ever to distribute. I strongly suspect Castro got aid from Red China in the form of white powder. I equally suspect, post-JFKA, Castro-Helliwell put anti-Castro Cubans to work moving Castro’s dope — and they stopped trying to whack him.
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From Spartacus: http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKhelliwell.htm <quote on> In 1960 Paul Helliwell was transferred to provide business cover for the CIA’s Cuban operations. According to Peter Dale Scott (The Iran Contra Connection) Helliwell worked with E. Howard Hunt, Mitch WerBell and Lucien Conein on developing relationships with drug-dealing Cuban veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion. It was during this period that Helliwell met Ted Shackley and Thomas Clines. Helliwell later became CIA paymaster for JM/WAVE. In this way, Shackley was able to finance unofficial CIA operations against Cuba. </q>
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Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Excellent clarification, Leslie. -
Detailed report on Hunter Biden's laptop
Cliff Varnell replied to Paul Rigby's topic in Political Discussions
“Vice-Presidential influence peddling” is a self-canceling phrase. -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
I’m curious how that would have worked with UM. Where’s the shooter he was spotting for in this scenario? -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
A spotter works with a shooter, no? Black Dog Man seems to have managed it. Rosemary Willis pointed out this suspicious behavior, not that anything came of it. In 2011 I attended a large Occupy Oakland protest. On my way back to my car I passed a line of TV news vans. I stopped and put my head inside an open door of a Fox News rig. I intoned: “Something is happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?” I have no idea if there was anyone in the front of the van; or know if anyone got the Dylan reference. Didn’t matter — I was mightily pleased with myself. What may have appeared as an empty gesture was satisfying to me. I have no reason to conclude Witt didn’t make a similar statement with his umbrella. -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
I wasn’t responding to you. I was responding to Leslie’s comment about Rosemary Willis. -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
And what was UM’s role? Shooter? Spotter? Why would a perp sit down at the scene of the crime of instead of getting out of there ASAP? If you’re going to bash a witness as important as Rosemary Willis shouldn’t you have a cogent argument for her involvement? -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
So was 10-year old Rosemary Willis “in” on the plot? -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
No, not at all. Black Dog Man. The HSCA identified “a very distinct straight line feature...in the region of his hands”. Rosemary Willis identified him as a “conspicuous person” who happened to “disappear the next instant.” https://www.jfk-assassination.net/russ/jfkinfo2/jfk4/witt.htm -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
He has a corroborating witness, that’s for sure. Yeah. -
Umbrella Man revisited . . .
Cliff Varnell replied to Leslie Sharp's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Witt’s HSCA testimony (emphasis added): Mr. GENZMAN. What did you do when you arrived at Elm Street? Mr. WITT. Well, I ended up turning left and going down into what is known as Dealey Plaza. The only reason I can think that I ended up down there was possibly I looked down there and saw an area where there were not a large group of people. There were people in that area but there was also in this area which later became known as the grassy knoll, there was no one out in that area in any great number. Mr. GENZMAN. What did you do when you reached the grassy knoll? Mr. WITT. I think I went sort of maybe halfway up the grassy area, somewhere in that vicinity. I am pretty sure I sat down. Mr. GENZMAN. Were you waiting for the motorcade? Mr. WITT. Yes. Mr. GENZMAN. Do you recall how long you waited? Mr. WITT. I really couldn't say. I don't think I was there very long. Since I was not that all-fired determined to carry out what I set out to do, I am sure I didn't wait a great length of time. Mr. GENZMAN. Did the motorcade come soon thereafter? Mr. WITT. Yes, it apparently did. Mr. GENZMAN. What did you do when you saw the motorcade coming into the area? Mr. WITT. Well, as I recall, the motorcade had already made the turn and was coming down Elm Street going west on Elm before I became aware it was there, and it would have been from a straight- line position off to my left about like this [indicating] when I saw it. Mr. GENZMAN. What did you do when you saw it approaching you? Mr. WITT. I think I got up and started fiddling with that umbrella trying to get it open, and at the same time I was walking forward, walking toward the street. Mr. GENZMAN. You testified that you were opening the umbrella to use it as a symbol hoping to catch the President's eye? Mr. WITT. Yes, sir. </q> HSCA Report (emphasis added) Rosemary Willis...noticed two persons who looked "conspicuous." One was a man near the curb holding an umbrella, who appeared to be more concerned with opening or closing the umbrella than dropping to the ground like everyone else at the time of the shots. </q> Free Louis Witt! -
Detailed report on Hunter Biden's laptop
Cliff Varnell replied to Paul Rigby's topic in Political Discussions
Disingenuous. The prosecutor team was from the Trump Department of Justice. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C._Weiss -
Allen Dulles' Weekend at the Farm
Cliff Varnell replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Prescott Bush (Skull & Bones, Brown Brothers Harriman partner) was a key ally of Allen Dulles. So was Averell Harriman (Skull & Bones, Brown Brothers Harriman honcho). Robert Lovett (Skull & Bones, Brown Brothers Harriman partner) tried to get Ike to fire Dulles. I find this consistent with the speculation that Dulles was most useful to a Harriman/Bush enterprise Lovett knew nothing about. My bet is on a struggle for control of international narcotics trafficking. -
Morley: CIA Resentment Toward JFK After BoP
Cliff Varnell replied to Benjamin Cole's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
In Denial, pg 158: <quote on, emphasis added> Based on Kennedy’s directives about lowering the visibility of the landings, Richard Bissell, apparently with Director Dulles’ support, did indeed go back to his military officers and craft a less visible plan for inserting the expeditionary force. In only three days the daylight landing at Trinidad, a town with a port and docks available, and with unemcumbered access to the Escambray Mountains, was changed to a night landing which required all men, material, and supplies to be landed directly on the beaches. To some extent the plan offered more geographic protection for a lodgment given that the beaches were surrounded by swamps, with only a few undeveloped roads offering access to them. However, the location selected moved the force well away from the mountains and effectively eliminated the guerrilla option that President Kennedy still seemed to anticipate. It also made it significantly more difficult for any indigenous fighters to link up with the volunteer force unless they quickly broke out and moved beyond the swamps, something not anticipated in the lodgment plan... (ibid, pg 159) ...A very brief Joint Chiefs assessment of the new plan limited itself to declaring that in its essentials it still did appear feasible that a force could be landed and sustained for some limited time, but that the isolated location could well restrict any indigenous support. In turn President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy praised the CIA for the steps towards making the revised plan quiet and less “spectacular.” He also described it as “plausibility Cuban” in its essentials, with no elaboration on that point. To some extent Bundy appears to have fallen back on the standard concept of deniability, which had been in play since the CIA began its covert actions — if Americans are not involved in the combat then its not officially an American intervention. </q> So it was Elite Yalie Dick Bissell who came up with the bright idea to land where President Kennedy’s goal to incite a popular counter-insurgency would be abandoned. The Joint Chiefs saw the flaw in the plan but communicated their reservation to Kennedy by giving the operation a 50/50 chance when the odds were far, far longer. Elite Yalie Mac Bundy was a big booster of the Zapata Plan. In the Incompetence/Inertia Scenario there were major lapses in judgment by the CIA, the Pentagon, the National Security Council, the State Dept. and the White House. In the Get Dulles Scenario Bissell (protege of Uber-Elite Yalie Harriman) and Bundy (assigned his position by Uber-Elite Yalie Lovett) sandbagged Kennedy and Dulles both. -
Morley: CIA Resentment Toward JFK After BoP
Cliff Varnell replied to Benjamin Cole's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
On the day before the BOP landing, JFK put the kibosh on US air strikes in support. Harriman-protege Bissell bitched about it to Lovett-selected Sec of State Rusk. Rusk offered to connect Bissell directly to the Boss. In Denial, pg 204: While purely speculative, any telephone dialog which could have occurred between Bissell and the president would have had to cover some very dicey issues in respect to Kennedy’s orders — including the fact that the complexity of the amphibious landing, the Navy landing craft involved, and the quantity of tanks, trucks and a massive amount of cargo had actually precluded any real chance of completing the landing and withdrawing all ships (including the command LCI’s) by dawn. The true extent of the remaining Cuban air threat would have also had to be disclosed, no doubt raising further questions of the plans for resupply of the beachhead over the longer term, which involved extensive flights out of the Nicaraguan base, something which would almost certainly demonstrate American involvement. The issue of the contingency plans for guerrilla action or even re-landing the force, directed as backup options by the president, might also have been raised by President Kennedy. If that sort of dialog had occurred there is certainly a possibility that the president might have aborted the landing, as he had continually reserved the right to order. At the point in time when Bissell and Cabell determined not to talk to President Kennedy the landing force was still some two to two and a half hours from its scheduled deployment off the transports. </q> Looks like it was a lot more important for Zapata to proceed than succeed. For Bissell, anyway. And Joe Kennedy? “Lucky thing they were found out early.”