Why the last of the JFK files could embarrass the CIA

[Guest Mark Valenti]

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/why-last-of-jfk-files-could-embarrass-cia-118233.html?hp=t1_r

[Ron Ecker]

"Phillips, too, late in life attributed the JFK assassination to 'rogue' CIA officers."

Is that true? I was not aware of it. All I've read is that Phillips on his deathbed allegedly admitted to a brother that he was in Dallas that day.

[Larry Hancock]

It is true Ron, I've had it verified from the individual who heard it from Phillips (although that is not the exact quote which referenced "American intelligence" officers, not specifically "CIA" officers) - the quoted language for that and the exchange with his brother are given at the end of Chapter 10 in SWHT if you have it...

[Ron Ecker]

Thanks, Larry. Yes, I have your book. I'm sure that I read that part before but only remembered the part about the brother. So Hunt called himself a "benchwarmer" in the plot, while Phillips wasn't even on the team according to what he said, he just suspected other officers. Yeah, so what was he doing in Dallas?

[Larry Hancock]

His last remark to the HSCA staffer seems quite credible to me, he knew he was terminal at that point I think and I suspect just gave in and expressed what he had come to believe regardless of his years of official and very

active denial of just that. But when we get to the very last remark about Dallas, he was in the hospital, he had only hours or days to live, was under medication, etc. His brother was being awfully hard line with him, and as I understand it hung up immediately. Was it simply a test for his brother, if it was a confession why not go all the way. I can't pretend to get inside his head at that point.

All we really know are that there are documents showing Phillips was supposed to be in MC that weekend, assisting with an extremely high value political exflltration from Cuba...possibly Castro's sister. On

the other hand we also know, as Bill Simpich is developing, there was some real panic going on around the tapes of Oswald in Mexico City and Phillips should have carried that ball. There is the question of the very important

pouch sent for him to pick up in DC on his trip there, etc. It's not impossible that Phillips was in Dallas related to Lee Oswald, an FPCC operation that appeared to have been turned by unknown agents in MC, somebody who

knew way too much about the CIA electronic intelligence there. The thing is that we tend to look at everything involving these people as if it were part of the conspiracy and that they were involved in the conspiracy. But that

may be wrong on both counts.

So....color me clueless, maybe he was in Dallas, maybe not, if he was maybe it had to do with Oswald, with CIA spy games, with concerns about a conspiracy, or with the conspiracy itself. Got me....what I am inclined to belive

is that his remark about a conspiracy and American intelligence officers reflects the truth.

[Cliff Varnell]

My best guess is that Hunt was a back up patsy.

In making contingency plans for a disaster-scenario wherein the plot unravels, Hunt may have been designated as the guy to take the fall.

The CIA as an institution may have been set up, given its connections to Oswald,

[Kenneth Drew]

My best guess is that Hunt was a back up patsy.

In making contingency plans for a disaster-scenario wherein the plot unravels, Hunt may have been designated as the guy to take the fall.

The CIA as an institution may have been set up, given its connections to Oswald,

Maybe Cliff, but I think the backup patsy was dependent on the circumstances. Let's say one of the Cuban exiles got caught, I suspect it would then have been revealed that the Cuban exiles were responsible for the assassination, same with a Mafia shooter. Corsicans were backup for if LHO had to be in a conspiracy. Since it worked out closely to what was planned (except LHO didn't get killed at the theatre, or didn't get taken out of Dallas to be dumped at sea, or whatever) then it worked out well for the original plan, the Lone Nut.