Richard Coleman

Deadly Alliance: The FBI's Secret Partnership With the Mob by Ralph Ranalli From the Amazon website: About the Author Ralph Ranalli is a veteran legal journalist for the Boston Globe and has written extensively about the FBI's Top Echelon Informant Program for both the Globe and the Boston Herald. His coverage of the Boston FBI scandal spans more than 400 newspaper and magazine articles and earned a 1998 news writing award from the Associated Press. Deadly Alliance is his first book. ************************************ Just didn't want you to think this was dreamed up by a left wing pinko commie anti-FBI conspiracy theorizin' crackpot.

I'm not going to waste a lot of time on this. Your "points" are ludicrous and wrong. I suppose to people like you nobody was ever framed by law enforcement. Or could be. You should look up the case of the four black men in Boston who were framed for a murder by the FBI to protect their high-level informant -- gang boss Whitey Bulger. And this was no case where they were too overzealous investigating a suspect they believed was guilty.They knew that Bulger himself was the killer! They fabricated a case against four men they KNEW to be innocent. One died in prison. The others served 25 years. They were finally exonerated and released. (Source: Deadly Alliance: The FBI's Secret Partnership With the Mob by Ralph Ranalli) For this and other corruption a couple of FBI agents went to prison but everything the FBI did for Bulger was signed off on up the chain of command to the attorney general. Don't you suppose there was evidence against those four uh, PATSIES? Of course there was; all manufactured. Oh, and did you ever hear of a guy named Geronimo Pratt?

I may be dense, but I don’t understand all the hand-wringing about how Oswald could have been “manipulated” into being a patsy. Oswald wasn’t a military or intelligence officer; his military rank was private! He wasn’t a college graduate, he didn’t have case officer training, he was a grunt. Yes no doubt he got some kind of specialized training (interrogation and the like) and Russian language training, required for his assignment, but that’s it. Anybody who has been in the military (I was) and brushed up against national security/intelligence stuff, no matter how slightly (I did) understands that you OBEY ORDERS. You are thoroughly INDOCTRINATED as to your patriotism, loyalty and OBEDIENCE. This isn’t an option. Example: when you get a Top Secret clearance, and gain access to Top Secret information or materials, you are bound and agree to observe that secrecy FOR LIFE. If you start blabbing about such matters, even if you have been in civilian life for thirty years, you can still be prosecuted. I promise you there are plenty of people walking around with Top Secret secrets from long ago that they will take to their graves. That goes whether it’s from WW2, Korea, the space program in the 60s, Roswell or anything else. You do what you’re told, obey your orders to keep your mouth shut or else! As to being “manipulated” , please! Example: a low-ranking person, say a Lee Harvey Oswald, could be told by his superior, “Lee, take this package to this address in St. Louis and deliver it to Lt. Smith. Take two days off and report back on Monday. You’ll be traveling as a civilian so here are your plane tickets and cash for expenses.” ORDERS. “Yes sir.” Our “Oswald” is intercepted along the way and the package turns out to be a kilo of uncut pure heroin. He protests that he is under orders and didn’t know what was in the package. When the police contact his superior, they are told, “he went over the hill two weeks ago. We haven’t seen him since.” His records will be altered to show he was UA, and everybody at his duty station will be told to say they haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks. They won’t question why, they will OBEY ORDERS. Top Secret, you know! End of story. And “Oswald” goes off to prison for 5 to 10.

What if the back of the head photo, for example, was faked? I'm sure you have heard of this possibility being discussed somewhere in the literature, haven't you? Not that the government would do such a dastardly thing, trying to fool us. According to you, If we see it in a government photo "with our very own eyes," then, to quote Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles, "It's twue, it's twue!" Everything about this case has been gone over a thousand times. I'm not going to waste my time arguing with a lone nutter about it (I've quit arguing with young-Earth creationists too), and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Of course in MK's case (Lili Von Shtupp's case actually) it really was twue......

In the 1980s and 90s JG was elected and served two ten-year terms as an appeals court judge on the 4th Circuit of Appeals of Louisiana. Although not about the assassination his rulings, both majority concurrences and dissents make very interesting reading and give a terrific measure of the man. Interestingly, he ruled on a case involving Rosemary James, the reporter who outed his JFK investigation. She didn't object either to his presence or his ruling in her case. Having come across this years ago I neglected to note the particulars at the time and repeated attempts at a law library to find the case have been unsuccessful. But somewhere, in that 20-year span of 4th Circuit Appeals Court hearings, it's there....

This article focuses on a long excerpt from a 1953 speech by Eisenhower. I found it most surprising, given the conservative tilt of his administration (Guatemala, Iran, McCarthyism, etc.). Also of note: not only is JFK given a favorable mention (unique in Counterpunch; recall Cockburn and Chomsky's bitter attacks on JFK), but the conspiracy to assassinate him and its political basis is acknowledged. This is also unique for Counterpunch. Along with several other assassination conspiracies, although Dag Hammarskjold is not mentioned, regrettably. http://www.counterpu...eace-revisited/

"The next two presidential elections will also be won by the Democratic candidate (Clinton?) unless the Republicans can get rid of the Tea Party nutters. All elections are won by candidates who can control the middle ground." I don't see how anyone can talk about what American elections "are" after 2000.

http://www.rawstory....-report-sealed/ "All I can do is shake my head." - Jim Croce Whew.

I guess you guys never heard of hemp...or hempseed oil for fuel, huh? full article at http://www.hemp.com/hemp-university/uses-of-hemp/hemp-fuel/ Hemp biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp. With over 30 million successful U.S. road miles hemp biodiesel could be the answer to our cry for renewable fuel sources. Learning more about renewable fuels does not mean we should not cut back on consumption but does help address the environmental affects of our choices. There is more to hemp as a renewable fuel source than you know. Why Hemp Biodiesel? Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar, 10 times less toxic than table salt, and has a high flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 F. Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp. Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 30 million successful US road miles, and over 20 years of use in Europe. When burned in a diesel engine, biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of petroleum diesel with the pleasant smell of hemp, popcorn or french fries. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211( of the Clean Air Act, which provide the most thorough inventory of environmental and human health effects attributes that current technology will allow. Biodiesel is 11% oxygen by weight and contains no sulfur. The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petroleum diesel fuel, while fuel consumption, auto ignition, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel. The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Defense, US Department of Agriculture, and others have determined that biodiesel is the low cost alternative fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act.

I fully expected Perot to be killed because he was interfering with GHWB, who clearly was not a man to be xxxxed with. This was a guy who not only had been DCIA, but the whole HQ was named after him! That kind of job and recognition doesn't go to a brother-in-law, or a mere campaign contributor, or hack. At least not in those days! But thanks to the tremendous furor and popularity of Oliver Stone's JFK, which was HUGE (When I saw it, the theater was packed solid.), the whole country was assassination-happy. If it hadn't been for JFK, Perot probably would have simply been killed IMO. Therefore threats and extortion were resorted to and ultimately succeeded. So in the end, Perot owes his life to Oliver Stone! IMO.

And now Ladies and Gentlemen, an enemy who needs no introduction... Let's have a big hand for NORTH KOREA. YIPPEE!!

Blair: WTF?! From Amazon,com's author description: he received the 2002 Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism. Hedges, who holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, is the author of the bestsellers American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle and was a National Book Critics Circle finalist for his book War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. He is a Senior Fellow at The Nation Institute and writes an online column for the web site Truthdig. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, Princeton University and the University of Toronto. Of course he's published. Many more books listed at Amazon. Not on the left....are you nuts?

Nate: Parenti's great. As for Hedges, you may well be right. As I said, we'll see....

The last paragraph of a recent essay “The Treason of the Intellectuals” by Chris Hedges: “Those who doggedly challenge the orthodoxy of belief, who question the reigning political passions, who refuse to sacrifice their integrity to serve the cult of power, are pushed to the margins. They are denounced by the very people who, years later, will often claim these moral battles as their own. It is only the outcasts and the rebels who keep truth and intellectual inquiry alive. They alone name the crimes of the state. They alone give a voice to the victims of oppression. They alone ask the difficult questions. Most important, they expose the powerful, along with their liberal apologists, for what they are.” Complete article is at http://www.truthdig....tuals_20130331/ I have emailed Chris Hedges at Truthdig asking him to "weigh in" on JFK. research vs. the official truth. We'll see.

BTW, here's a small tidbit from Wikipedia's bio of Rodriguez: He was a Paramilitary Operations Officer from Special Activities Division. He joined and became a leader in the CIA-backed Operation 40[citation needed] and Brigade 2506, and clandestinely entered Cuba a few weeks before the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Utilizing his familiarity with the country, he was able to gather critical intelligence to be used in the planning and preparation for the invasion.[2] His colleagues in Operation 40 included David Atlee Phillips, David Morales, Ted Shackley, E. Howard Hunt, Frank Sturgis, Barry Seal, and Porter Goss among others. Recognize any of those names, hmmm?

About those old Cuban/CIA operatives still alive, I can supply one name anyway: LUIS POSADA CARRILES. Alive, fat, sassy, safe and laughing his mass murdering, torturing, airplane bombing ass off in Miami FL, good ol USA. "This is a country of laws, not men." Don't you just love it? P.S. I just thought of another one: FELIX RODRIGUEZ, remember him....of Iran/Contra fame? Present at the execution of Che Guevara, if not the actual killer. ("Trial?! We don't need no stinkin' trial!!")

The NY Times obituary of Lewis: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/us/anthony-lewis-pulitzer-prize-winning-columnist-dies-at-85.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 No mention of the Warren Commission. No mention of the assassination. No mention of Lewis' intro to the NYT execrable "The Witnesses". Many people will no doubt consider Lewis a giant. Even a giant can fall. Lewis' fall was a huge tumble.

Don: The first time I saw photos of the bullet holes in JFK's jacket and shirt (I think it was in Mark Lanes' RTJ) I knew the WR was garbage. I've never had reason to change that assessment. Also, I remember when I heard about Oswald getting killed in the police station, while in custody. The others with me at the time exchanged looks and we instantly agreed, "somebody wanted to shut him up." I've never had reason to change that assessment either.

My sense is that Maddow has a really smart staff, probably as smart as any around. If that's the case, there must be SOMEBODY over there who has a decent perspective on the assassinations. If so, then I guess it's just a question of how corrupt they are....or she is... In any case I'm sure we'll hear more from her as the 50th gets closer. BTW, her "treatment" of the death of Hugo Chavez was an absolute disgrace. It could be shown on Fox without a word changed. Disgusting. My respect for her definitely has been blasted waaaaay down.

Robert: I was unaware you had started a thread on the same subject. However.... rhetoric like “media ignoramuses “, a “murderous psychopath” who was a “big supporter of gun control” (I support gun control; so do a lot of people. What does that make us?) I do NOT sign onto. Rachel Maddow, in my opinion, is not just another “media ignoramus”. Your opinion that LBJ ordered Israel to attack the Liberty – irrelevant. Your tone – shrill if not hysterical – is not constructive and if someone connected with media or the RM show (I'm not holding my breath, but still...) happened to read it, they would be confirmed in their views that JFK researchers are nutty and happily continue to ignore us. I'd just as soon keep my thread separate. But thanks for the offer.

Sorry. The video is at

I generally enjoy Rachel's rants because they're usually about people and things I despise – Republicans for example – but she went over a factual and historical cliff recently. She invoked LHO and his Carcano rifle which he used to kill JFK with (NOT!) to illustrate the need for better gun control laws. I believe this was on March 11, but I wasn't able to find it either on her blog or the MSNBC site. It is, however posted on You Tube. I believe it was on March 11. Is there anybody in this forum who has access to Rachel's staff or producer, who could maybe bring to their attention the fact that LHO didn't shoot anybody? I'm going to try by email, but I seriously doubt it will be read. Maybe if they got bombarded by responses from the research community, they'd take another look at the case. I know, probably not, but we can always hope.....8^\ The comments at YT tend toward calling her a xxxx, but I think she is probably misinformed. Rachel doesn't come up as a xxxx to me (except to the Foxes and their miserable ilk).

Hello Bernice. Evidently it is the same Banister - Higham just had too many Ws! Interesting that Banister’s right wing proto-fascist bent was evident way back then. Russell was covered up for by many in the U.S. and eventually left in 1940. He was associated with the Abwehr and Admiral Canaris and received Abwehr training in Germany in sabotage. He was on his way to Ireland via U-boat when he suddenly became ill and died. Higham speculates that he may have been murdered by a British agent aboard the sub. In an eerie precurser to JFK, the captain of the U-boat was knocked down and killed by a car in Berlin shortly afterward. BTW, do you know who did the article on Wikipedia on Banister? It's pretty good, despite what Jim DiEugenio says!

I found this in “American Swastika”, by Charles Higham. It doesn’t add anything to the JFK case as such, I offer it simply as background, to help complete the record. (The Russell referred to is Sean Russell, an IRA activist described thusly by Higham: “His hatred of England was harsh and unyielding. Thus, in the 1930s, he found a ready reception in the Coughlinite/Christian Front movement in the United States. He consistently supported Coughlin’s stand on isolationism, a negotiated peace with Hitler, and refusal to help Great Britain.” He was touring the U.S. and Canada raising money for weapons for the IRA and to arrange an attempt to assassinate the King and Queen of England.) Page 108 of American Swastika: “...when Inspector Carnak, acting head of the Criminal Identification Division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa, contacted FBI agent W.W. BANISTER through his Edmonton, Alberta office, BANISTER said that Russell had never been in Butte at all. THIS WAS ENTIRELY INCORRECT.” Page 112: “When a routine press inquiry came into the FBI on August 29, W. W. BANISTER of HOOVER’S OFFICE, simply referred to Russell’s visit to Butte(!!) and gave no further references.” [emphasis added] The obvious question: Was this the same Banister we know from New Orleans? Was “Guy” his real name?

“Mankiewicz investigated it and he said, Garrison was on the wrong track, the specifics of Garrison’s investigation were on the wrong track...” Uh huh. But: “RFK Jr. said that his father “was fairly convinced at the end of that that there had been involvement by somebody,” to which Rose replied, “Organized crime, Cubans?” “Or rogue CIA,” RFK Jr. said.” Well, Garrison was looking at the CIA, so what was “wrong” about his “track”? (I’d love to know what “specifics” Mank was talking about: Clinton, Banister/Ferrie...?) ““643 were put in jail,” including infamous Mafia chieftain Joseph Valachi.” Bull. Valachi was a “soldier”, one step up from a street thug. His original boss/sponsor was Thomas Lucchese, who came up with Luciano in the twenties. He is “infamous” because he testified publicly about internal mob life for the first time, including the ceremony inducting an individual as a “made” member. The author (RFK Jr.?) is probably referring to Vito Genovese who became a boss after he arranged an attack on Frank Costello. Costello survived but “retired” allowing Genovese to take over. Genovese and Valachi were both incarcerated at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary at the same time. Good old ACCURATE American media!