John Geraghty

Strangely enough there was a snippet about this in a local paper here in Dublin, I found it quite odd when I came accross it on the train earlier this week. John

One would wonder whether David Irving will attend. John

Well that clears it all up for me. I'll hang up my magnifying glass and sleuthing cap. John

I've received a number of messages pledging money, which is very encouraging. All my best to you all and keep it coming! John

The review posted was written by Robert Morningstar, the proponent of the theory that it was actually Tippit buried in JFK's casket and in some autopsy photos. This is to take nothing away from George Michael's book, John

Hello all, John Judge circulated this email last week following the COPA conference in Dallas. for the first time COPA made a loss at the event. John is asking for a few contributions to help COPAs bank balance and so ensure that it continues to provide excellent speakers every year at the conference. Plans are also afoot to hold a large conference in Los Angeles to remember the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and a new conference in New York aimed at the Malcolm X assassination. I'm a student and I'm sending €50 over to John and COPA, I hope many of you will do the same. Suggestions are also welcomed for speakers at next years conference. COPA is looking for dedicated researchers, not just those who release books, after all COPA is the researchers organisation. SO if you know anyone that would be suitable to speak at COPA or has any valuable research, either contact John Judge or myself or leave a message here and I will ensure that it gets to COPA. Please read the message and give a little, John Friends, First I want to say thanks for your ongoing participation and interest in COPA's regional meetings over the years. I want them to continue next year and especially in 2008, which is a triple anniversary year for JFK, RFK and MLK, and I hope to have meetings in Memphis, Los Angeles and Dallas that year to address them all. Given the release of the new film "Bobby" and new findings regarding the presence of JM/WAVE CIA operatives in the Ambassador Hotel the night he was shot, as well as efforts to get some court review for Sirhan Sirhan, there may be momentum for a meeting in LA in 2007. Also, there is the possibility of having a meeting in March in New York City near the Audobon Ballroom in Harlem, the scene of the murder of Malcolm X in 1965, which is being restored into a museum in his honor. Our theme in Dallas this year was "Acts of State: Assassination as a Tool of Politics". As Bill Kelly points out, there are probably more leaders in the world who have come to power through political assassinations and murder than through democratic elections. Certainly the recent attacks in Russia using a radioactive poison and the calls for assassination from Pat Robertson against Hugo Chavez, or the development of assassination technology and capability from unmanned drones being advertised as effective against civilian vehicles in Jane's Defense Weekly, the issue has not gone away. COPA is meant to be a forum for the research community that is doing serious, credible work on the various assassinations and political events. However, COPA operates on a tiny budget through the generosity of very few donors each year. I have kept the registration rates low, hoping to at least break even in Dallas and the other locations for travel, room rental and audio-visual equipment, and have succeeded until this year. We only had 7 rooms reserved with the Hotel Lawrence this November, and only 20-30 participants at our events, including the keynote speech. Our gate did not nearly cover our costs and we lost hundreds of dollars. I know some of you have been generous in the past or on a regular basis, and all of you have supported us with registration or donations at some point. If you can manage even a small donation of $25 or more right now it would be greatly appreciated and make our future events more likely. I am working now to begin to invite our speakers for the next two years' events. If a featured speaker in our past agendas did not appear and you wanted to hear them, please feel free to get in touch and encourage them to contact me. Also, if you send $50 or more, I will be sure you get a copy of the DVD set of this year's events from Ralph Cole and Justice Vision. Please make the check to COPA or Coalition on Political Assassinations and mail it to PO Box 772, Washington, DC 20044. Donations to COPA, a 501 ©(4) are NOT tax-deductible for the donor, however. Thanks for whatever support you can give. Please try to help me build participation by inviting new people to attend and making your plans early for the coming two years. I will be in touch as plans and agendas develop. Rex Bradford offered to help us get up a website this year also. Thank you again for your interest, John Judge, for COPA

Very interesting indeed. Here is an interview with Lugovoi http://www.mosnews.com/interview/2006/11/24/lugovoi.shtml And the gurdian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1957466,00.html Shockingly he hasn't come clean yet! There is a possible connection between Litvikenko's death and the illness of a former Russian Prime minister, who was visiting Ireland recently. He was attedning a conference at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (my University) after which he was taken ill. My head of department organised the conference as far as I can tell, I might send him an email asking if his thoughts on the matter. Here is a link to the article, http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/world/200...4823695057.html I doubt that Mr.Lugovoi made a pitstop in Ireland. John Well it seems that Mr.Lugovoi didn't make a stop in Ireland, however Mr.Gaidar made a stop in London. Take a wild guess at who Gaidar's (former Prime Minister unde Yeltsin) former bodyguard was? Thats right Mr.Lugovoi! John

Yegor Gaidar was brought to hospital in Dublin's James Connolly memorial hospital, which is 6 minutes walk from my house. I will do the rounds and see if I can find anything out. Here is the BBC article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6159343.stm John

Very interesting indeed. Here is an interview with Lugovoi http://www.mosnews.com/interview/2006/11/24/lugovoi.shtml And the gurdian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1957466,00.html Shockingly he hasn't come clean yet! There is a possible connection between Litvikenko's death and the illness of a former Russian Prime minister, who was visiting Ireland recently. He was attedning a conference at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (my University) after which he was taken ill. My head of department organised the conference as far as I can tell, I might send him an email asking if his thoughts on the matter. Here is a link to the article, http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/world/200...4823695057.html I doubt that Mr.Lugovoi made a pitstop in Ireland. John

Another 'signal' of this kind can be seen in the Reagan assassination attempt, the gun that Hinkley was alleged to have shot with was purchased on Elm street in Dallas. Now there is a coincidence. John

I found Anna Politovskayas book 'Putins Russia' in my local library today, I have begun to read it. I'm sure it will give further insight into Putins general demeanour. The BBC featured Ms.Politofskaya'a last interview last week, it didn't seem to produce any new information, rather a rehash for a western audience, interesting nonetheless. Developments in this case will be few and slow in coming. I, like many, have been keeping abreast of anything and everything that becomes available in this case, I do hope something comes of any investigation, though I fear, yet again, ground may only be gained through independent investigative journalism. Fancy taking a trip to London for a bit of sleuthing John? All the best, John

I will butt in here briefly, not to engage either of you in relevant discussion, but simply to point something out. Mel, you asked that John Hunt refrain from calling you Melvyn as you deem it inappropriate, which is fair enough, yet in the following paragraph you refer to him as 'Hunt', I would deem this straight from the schoolyard too. Its irrelevant, but I just wanted to put it in there and I'm sure Mel will understand why I wrote this. All the best gentlemen and happy debating. John Geraghty

This may not be my most insightful post, but here goes, One is reminded of the question posed to Ed Nortons character in the movie 'Fight Club', "IF you could fight anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be?". My answer would of course be Rupert Murdoch. I will now open the floor to some rather more intellectual debate! John

Just a bump in case people didn't see it the first time. John

I agree with John, at this point I don't think that the Malcolm X assassination or his life would draw a crowd that merits another section. Peoples biggest concern when reading this forum is the amount of time they have to read and creating another section would needlessly create another barrier to checking the forum thoroughly. Threads on Malcolm X have been few and far between, however if there were to be an upsurge in interest I'm sure the situation would be different. I would like to take a closer look at his life and death as I have always found him to be fascinating. All the best, John Geraghty

Shane O'Sullivan's piece on Bobby Kennedy's assassination, at least as it relates to the late George Joannides, is unfounded and unfair. O'Sullivan has accurately recounted my reporting in Salon and the New York Review of Books about George Joannides' still unexplained role in the JFK assassination story. But I do not share O'Sullivan's thinly sourced, very subjective conclusion that Joannides was in Los Angles in June 1968, much less that he was involved in anyway in the RFK assassination. Ed Lopez's perspective is welcome but I see no corroboration of such a claim. Shane O'Sullivans reply to Mr.Morley We spoke to Jefferson Morley while researching our film but he did not want to be interviewed on camera, citing a lack of knowledge of the RFK case. Morley agreed that Ed Lopez was an extremely credible witness on Joannides and that his positive ID raises the serious possibility that Joannides is the man in the photograph - I see nothing "unfounded" about that. With his ten years of research into Joannides, Morley knows the implications if Joannides was at the hotel. In 1963, Joannides was the case officer for the DRE, an anti-Castro group of Cuban exiles supported by the CIA. Joannides' primary contact was Dr Luis Fernandez-Rocha. When I showed Fernandez-Rocha the photograph, he said "I will neither confirm or deny that this is Joannides." In the interest of balance, we asked Morley to suggest an equally credible witness to identify Joannides but so far, he has not done so. I too encourage everyone to post something, even something small or something already posted on the forum. Please do so to create more exposure for both cases. John

I'm just passively observing this thread, but I feel that I must interject. One can simpy not just disiss out of hand facts presented by another in a discussion such as this. Evan has displayed a thorough understanding of this field and I for one would not doubt his contact with the people he mentions. If your point is worth arguing, then do so, if it is not, then concede. John

I'd like to take you up on that offer if I could Steve. That was an excellent piece, I'm glad to say compiled by an Irishman. Sterling work indeed, the verifications of identity are very persuasive and I think fairly accurate, given the evidence available to us. Match this with the rumours that Gerry Hemming and Eugene Hale Brading were both also present at the two assassinations and you have some nice kindling for a fire. John

Still looking nice and rosey isn't it Tim.

I thought that I would enquire whether many members had skype, the service that allows you to place calls from one pc to another for free. Headsets for the service are about $20 and skype itself is free to download. I have had the pleasure of communicating on the phone and in person with a number of members, I think it would be most pleasant if a few of us were able to talk over the phone. If anybody would like to know my skype username please PM me or send me an email. http://www.skype.com All the best, John

In the absence of a decent tv channel I', watching CNN on digital tv keeping track of the coverage. The house will most likely be secure, Byrd has just secured his seat as expected. Virginia will be an interesting nugget. The senate in ohio is close, I'm trying to look for a few good independent blogs, but I'm not having an luck. CNN's coverage is abysmal, flashy graphics, but no content. John

Thats very interesting, in other words, there is no simple solution to cover our behinds. Bakers choice of similes is intriguing to say the least. It depends on how far you look into it, unfortunately there are some who would see it as an admission of guilt. John

Seeing as how it is a work of fiction I think we would be forgiven for not inviting the author to discuss the book here. The forum has been getting some good momentum with regards to notable authors posting here, I feel that this such invitation may work against the good work already done. Just my view, John

David, John in the past has referred to me as 'a charlatan' and 'less than astute' , there are several other instances where John takes a less than tactful tone towards members. You may not find offence in Mr.Gillespies attitude towards other members, but I do. He can say what he likes within the bounds of an argument, but personal attacks should be left at home. John

John, Bush, with the help of Rove, has transformed the face of conservativism from economic issues to social issues (i.e. abortion, gay rights, terrorism etc). Conservatism, by its name preaches a reluctance to spend vast amounts and in the case of the US it also traditionally means less state control. Bush and Rove have turned this around, much as Reagan did, the result is the sidetracking of the public, to decide votes upon trivial matters that do not directly involve them (terrorism excluded). John