Rob Couteau

Great piece by William Weston. In light of all this, interesting how the FBI reported that Oswald "left work because, in his opinion, based upon remarks of BILL SHELLEY, he did not believe that there was going to be any more work that day." Just a step away of saying that Shelly, the foreman and CIA man, urged him to leave. Then shortly afterward Shelly informs Truly that Oswald is missing, and then Truly (who actually receives a salary from an unknown entity and not from TSBD) informs Captain Fritz. How the pieces of the puzzle now lock even more tightly into place. And the connection of William Harvey to Bobbs-Merrill is equally fascinating and suggestive in the overall context of the piece. Bravo. How do we interpret the fact that the FBI were interviewing potential employees at TSBD and trying to ascertain if any were connected to the CIA? What exactly does this imply? (One typo: [Rose pointed out in his article, “Important to Hold than Man”] should read ["_that_ Man"].)

Agree. They'll never cut him any slack.

Hi David, My memory is fuzzy on this, it's been too many years since I delved into the topic. But I'll see what I can dig up.

Really good interview - Tom O'Neill sounds like a very sincere and devoted researcher. Lots of great info. Interesting remark he makes about how Bugliosi could have been handed a jail sentence equivalent to a murder rap if they had known how he distorted and suppressed key testimony and information. Will have to reread Jim's review on O'Neill's Chaos - if anyone hasn't read it yet, it's here: https://kennedysandking.com/reviews/vincent-bugliosi-tom-o-neill-quentin-tarantino-and-tate-labianca-part-1 Wonderful to see a writer like this finally break through after devoting twenty years of his life on a project, living on the edge, broke, but who never stopped believing in his project.

Hi again Robert, Just to clarify a bit, what Bancroft meant was that within OSS (and / or perhaps some other entity, such as, say Dept State: it's been a few years since I read this so I can't recall), there was a sort of underground clique of men working there who were aware of each other's gay sexuality and who bonded and helped each other as a result. And so Bancroft was suggesting to Dulles that he tap into this group for his own purposes. By Mafia I did not mean to imply they were a ruling clique; just that they were a sort of self-enclosed network. The book is still available as a used book - check bookfinder com if you're interested - might make for an interesting footnote in your research.

Robert, Thank you for this excellent post. I just want to add two items. 1: As a sort of interesting footnote to your insightful remarks on blackmail and homosexuality: In her memoir, Autobiography of a Spy, Mary Bancroft, who was a long -time mistress of Allen Dulles even before he recruited her as an OSS asset, claimed that Dulles was so sexually naive that he did not even know about homosexuals until she happened to make a passing reference to the subject. As I recall, she presents this anecdote in the context of being what she regarded as a humorous aside. Also, she notes that there was a very large "gay Mafia" that existed in the intel community at that time. I believe it was as a result of introducing the latter subject that she realized Dulles had no idea what she was referring to. (Something to do with putting a very handsome agent in proximity of someone else that Dulles was interested in using for something, if I recall correctly.) Subsequently he even asked her how they went about "doing it" sexually. Of course, knowing Dulles as we do, one cannot doubt that the first thought he had was how to use this phenomenon to some sort of intel advantage. In later years Bancroft came to doubt the conclusions of the Warren Commission and confronted Dulles about the assassination of JFK, but to no avail. I believe that story is told by David Talbot in his excellent Dulles bio. One of the really shameful things about Bancroft's book, which I read a number of years ago while doing research on Carl Jung (Bancroft's former psychotherapist) is that she never mentions the war crimes of Gisevius or explains why he was such a scoundrel. Instead he's portrayed as a sympathetic character. It was also around this time that Jung was asked by Dulles to make the first psychological profile on a world leader: Hitler. Jung also leaked vital strategic information from his German patients to the Allies and assisted in the repatriation of many Jews (see Deirdre Bair's Jung biography for details on this), although he was later accused, unjustly, of being a Nazi sympathizer. Jung's recommendation to partition Germany after the war was sent to General Eisenhower who read Jung's report and took up the recommendation.) 2: In my article on NATO's Secret Armies, I included a footnote that chronicles the other SACEUR leaders before and after Lemnitzer; and I also discussed my suspicions about Lemnitzer's role in the assassination. However I think it's a big mistake to try to pinpoint a single "mastermind" behind it all, as certain authors have recently done when they cited Lemnitzer. He was not the only one who wanted JFK killed, and he would not have been able to act alone, as we all know. For anyone interested here is the list from 1951-1992. Notice that Haig was serving while some of the worst Gladio abuses were sweeping through Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Not enough has been done on Haig / Gladio. But Phillip Willan does include a lot about him and Nixon in his Puppermasters book. My original footnote reproduced below: "The first person to serve in the position as SACEUR was General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1951-1952). Eisenhower was followed by General Alfred M. Gruenther (1953-1956) and General Lauris Norstad (1956-1962). Kennedy replaced Norstad with Lemnitzer in 1963. After Lemnitzer’s departure in 1969, the other generals appointed to SACEUR during the Cold War (all Americans) were Andrew J. Goodpaster (1969-1974), Alexander M. Haig (1974-1979), and Bernard W. Rogers (1979-1987). These men stood at the helm of NATO during a period of the bloodiest terrorist violence in Western Europe. (In Italy alone there were 398 terrorist attacks in 1969, a figure that continued to rise, reaching its peak at 2,513 in 1979.) Rogers was followed by General John R. Galvin, who served from 1987-1992." Thanks again, Robert.

I believe that setting the record straight on this is one of your most important contributions. Especially since the notion that the opposite was true still lingers on as such a major misconception - and misrepresentation - in the media. Sometimes I try to imagine how JFK would respond if he could look down from the afterlife and see the hard work so many independent researchers have done and are still doing in his behalf. New Frontiersman of a new generation.

In Jean-Pierre Melville's gangster / gambler drama, Bob Le Flambeur (1956), there's a famous scene at the end of the film when the gangsters have a shoot-out with the police. According to an interview featured on the Criterion Collection disk, Melville was widely criticized when he first portrayed gun battles in the way he does here because, unlike most cinematographers who preceded him, he had the victims falling backwards when they were shot from in front, instead of falling forward, toward the oncoming bullets. Of course, the film critics were all wrong about this being "unrealistic." Melville was an active member in the French Resistance, and he knew what he was doing behind the camera. Apparently, the way that gun battles were portrayed changed once Melville's work took off. (Joe McBride, if you are there, tell me if I am remembering this correctly.)

I second that emotion. By the way, Jim, there are rumors floating around that you and Milicent Cranor are actually one and the same person, Maurice Bishop-like. Also, contradictory rumors: That, Popkin-like, there may be more than one James DiEugenio; lookalikes and dopperlgangers who are locked up, deep in a bunker, churning these screeds. Else, how explain all the in-depth essays that appear Mary Poppins-like? Could one man really do all that all by himself? Or is it conspiracy?

Sandy, Thanks for your follow up note. I totally agree with your assessment: his review is really brilliant. And could only have been written after decades of careful, in-depth research. If you have a chance, catch the Len Osanic interview. It amplifies and expands upon it all quite well. And you have to love Len's enthusiasm.

Sandy - Check out Jim Di's review - there is an enlightening discussion about the text of Stanley's book, as well as scans of the front and back covers. Marks also authored a number of other works about the assassination, some of which I have on hand. https://kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/the-dylan-kennedy-sensation He also discusses the book with Len Osanic on Black Op Radio: begins at the 1:00:18 mark: http://www.blackopradio.com/pod/black985.mp3

Many thanks for this, Anthony! Will check it out.

Can anyone direct me to a good web site (besides NARA) for learning the best way to request FBI files under FOIA? You can also email me if you prefer not to post here - thanks.

Truly frightening stuff. Good chance that even if Trump loses the election he will claim voter fraud and refuse to step down. Thanks for posting this, Ray.

Excellent point. Reminiscent of this keen observation by author Stanley J Marks, MURDER MOST FOUL!, page 11, question #63: "Did any [Warren] Commission write a book on the murder? Yes. Congressman Ford with a book that sold for $6.95. He now says that writing about the Commission reveals a 'lack of taste' if these persons attack the Warren Report. It reminds one of the story of the law student, who after five tries, passed the Bar. He's first proposal to the Bar Association was that the qualifications be raised!"

Anthony, that is some amazing info - and surely the basis of a great article at the very least!

Beautiful job, Jim! Only you could have put this together so well.

I haven't been following this thread closely, so someone may have mentioned this already, but there's also been speculation that while the second "Wolfman" reference is to Wolfman Jack, the first reference--"Wolfman Wolfman Wolfman" , just before "rub a dub dub"-- is a call out to GHWBush, esp via GWB's first fiance C. Wolfman.

Very interesting indeed - many thanks for this, Anthony.

“I can stare at a knot in a piece of wood until I’m frightened of it.” -- William Blake

Great question. I would add Thomas Mallon's "Mrs. Paine's Garage," to the list. Would love to see this list updated annually.

Until I read the "Kennedy Assassination Cover Up," I always felt as if, in nearly every other book on the assassination, there was a major piece of the puzzle missing. The best of them described the visible pyramid of power, but rarely even implied that there was a second, far less visible "inverted pyramid" resting upon the more publicly visible one. Gibson not only implied it, he named names. It's certainly one of the most important books out there.

Flashback from last fall: "Edward Snowden: Joe Biden Threatened Countries Not To Give Me Asylum" https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/09/16/edward_snowden_joe_biden_threatened_countries_not_to_give_me_asylum.html?

David Talbot just posted this on Facebook: "The Turning Point. That's what Bernie's crushing victory in Nevada was. More than twice the vote of his closest competitor Joe Biden. And when you add his winning vote to Elizabeth Warren's percentage, the two progressive candidates account for a super majority of Nevada's diverse voters. Mayor Pete, who came in a distant third, aggressively attacked Sanders as a polarizing figure in his post-caucus speech. But Sanders, in his celebratory speech, made clear he has an all-encompassing vision of America. His movement is bringing together Americans with hope, not dividing us by fear like Trump. And the faces of Bernie's ecstatic young supporters at his Texas victory rally said it all. Young Americans have put their faith and trust in this 78-year-old crusader as their only hope to steer the country away from the dark cataclysm that they fear awaits them. Whether it's the widening wealth gap, a broken healthcare system, a racist and unfair criminal justice system, a higher education increasingly priced out of reach, and most of all a global environment that grows deadlier by the day... only Sanders speaks to all this pain and fear with the kind of conviction that makes people (especially the young) believe that he will actually make things better. Meanwhile, do you hear the sound of that creaking battleship as it pivots in a different direction? That's our media institutions beginning to realize that Bernie Sanders is the future of the Democratic Party and even the nation. Suddenly Bernie can't be overlooked or dismissed as a spoiler. CNN stacked its panel today with Bernie sympathizers (or at least understanders of his massive appeal) -- like Van Jones, Jess McIntosh, and newcomer Alexandra Rojas. Of course old Beltway warhorses like Gloria Borger are still in the CNN stall, predictably dumping on Bernie. But today the cable network made room for other voices, ones more attuned to the political moment."

Mr. Patrick, Keep up the great work. Your efforts are truly appreciated. Also glad to see John Potash featured in the current edition.