Sy Hersh Falls on his Face, Again, and Again, and Again

[James DiEugenio]

I think this is one of the best pieces I have written in the last 3-4 years.

Took some time, and I had to gather a lot of sources.  But you will not see Hersh exposed so comprehensively by anyone else or anywhere else.

Hersh is really part of the problem with modern journalism.  And he should have been called out a long time ago.

Anyway, read this all the way through to see just how bad this guy is.  its kind of scary. He is a walking custard pie recipient. But it does not matter.

https://www.kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/sy-hersh-falls-on-his-face-again-and-again-and-again

Edited March 14, 2023 by James DiEugenio

[George Govus]

Thanks, James, for a career retrospective look at "Scoop" Hersh.

This brings to my attention critical analysis of his Nord Stream claims from sources with which I was previously unfamiliar.

I did run across a couple of recent pieces by Russ Baker which dovetail nicely.

March 4, 2023

March 10: what might be the take of the Norwegian on the street?

[James DiEugenio]

Thanks George. And I think I will link to those.

That whole thing he later wrote on Substack about Norway's long help and cooperation is so much hogwash. Like the guy from NATO being an informant at age 8.

But I used that and his OBL nutty theory to get to his horrendous Kennedy stuff. And why that book has been lost without a trace.

Hersh was paid to do a job there, and he was determined to collect, no matter what.  That is not journalism.  Its being a hired gun.

And when you are worse than the CIA on the Castro plots, where does that leave you.

Edited March 14, 2023 by James DiEugenio

[James DiEugenio]

BTW, I did not underline this in the article, perhaps I should have.

See, it was Peter Jennings' role in the production of the ABC program based on Hersh's horrendous book which led to Jennings' 2003 JFK assassination special.  I think there is no doubt about that today.

Jennings and ABC got burned twice by Hersh.  This was after they were stupid enough to have paid for the TV rights before they did any due diligence.  First it was the fake Monroe papers,  then again the Underwood/Exner BS, which as I show, is really two custard pies.  The latter they did not admit to at the time of the airing.

As I noted, Jennings said it was unfair to say that ABC saved Hersh.  But that is what happened.  Hersh had already been warned about the fake documents.  But he did not do any forensic examination.  He did not even check about zip codes.  But then when it happened again, ABC simply could not admit it, they had to go through with it since they were so heavily invested--seven figures.

I have little doubt that it was the second (and third) custard pies that provoked Jennings to attack the JFK critics and hire Hersh's buddy Gus Russo to be the lead reporter on his 2003 special.  Which gave us, if we care to recall, Dale M and his Single Bullet Fact. 

People who think this stuff is not all connected are missing the real story.

Edited March 14, 2023 by James DiEugenio

[Larry Hancock]

Well done Jim,  Hersh has needed this type of deconstruction for a long time...and he has only been getting worse in recent years, always cited as a perennial DC insider and investigative reporter....perennial yes, the investigative part, not so much.

[Paul Brancato]

Jim and Larry - will you join us in trying to forge some opening to msm on document release? I’m not sure how to do it, but we need well regarded authors such as yourselves. 

[Larry Hancock]

Paul,  I've been working with Jeff Morley on some articles related to new documents in the recent releases, especially  documents related to Oswald and the CIA and to the CIA post assassination investigation that was suppressed and held back from both the WC and the Church Committee (and everybody else).  I really don't have any particular media reach myself but am always available to people like Jim and Jeff who do...

[Paul Brancato]

10 minutes ago, Larry Hancock said:

Paul,  I've been working with Jeff Morley on some articles related to new documents in the recent releases, especially  documents related to Oswald and the CIA and to the CIA post assassination investigation that was suppressed and held back from both the WC and the Church Committee (and everybody else).  I really don't have any particular media reach myself but am always available to people like Jim and Jeff who do...

Thanks - I was sure you were - just reaching out. The thing that Larry S said that really made sense is how much could change if some anchors on CNN, MSNBC, and the NYT or WAPO, would tackle it in the interest of full disclosure. You’d think they could get on board with that at least

[Leslie Sharp]

1 hour ago, Larry Hancock said:

Paul,  I've been working with Jeff Morley on some articles related to new documents in the recent releases, especially  documents related to Oswald and the CIA and to the CIA post assassination investigation that was suppressed and held back from both the WC and the Church Committee (and everybody else).  I really don't have any particular media reach myself but am always available to people like Jim and Jeff who do...

Hi Larry. I'll seize the opportunity while you're here to ask if you would willing to share a recap of those highly signficant FOIAs you may have filed over the years that were rejected and/or remain pending (without exposing "journalism tradecraft" of course)?

Paul and I are compiling a list to be submitted along with the brief.

We plan to initiate a new dedicated thread on Ed Forum featuring that initial list (Joannides files will head the list), and invite researchers to contribute as they see fit.  We're in the process of refiining the criteria so it may take several days to launch. 

 

pm me if you're more comfortable? And if this is redundant to your efforts gathering a similar collection, pls disregard.

L.

Edited March 15, 2023 by Leslie Sharp

[Larry Hancock]

I'm assisting in compiling a list of documents which suggest that related but unreleased materials once existed which the CIA has not disclosed - but that list is not related to any FOIA's I have done myself.  These documents have already been released, some older and some some either brand new or with new un-redactions.  The ones I had in mind in my post have been  discussed in relatively recent threads on this forum, such as the document which describes a post-assassination inquiry conducted at JMWAVE for anti-Castro or Castro connections to the attack on JFK.  

Sounds like  your list is intended to go to the same place my items are...

[Benjamin Cole]

27 minutes ago, Larry Hancock said:

I'm assisting in compiling a list of documents which suggest that related but unreleased materials once existed which the CIA has not disclosed - but that list is not related to any FOIA's I have done myself.  These documents have already been released, some older and some some either brand new or with new un-redactions.  The ones I had in mind in my post have been  discussed in relatively recent threads on this forum, such as the document which describes a post-assassination inquiry conducted at JMWAVE for anti-Castro or Castro connections to the attack on JFK.  

Sounds like  your list is intended to go to the same place my items are...

Great work Larry.

Sadly, I share your assessment of Hersh.

That said, hat's off for Hersh's My Lai reporting. An ugly time, and he was an independent voice. 

They say, if you are going to judge a man, take the full measure....

[Larry Hancock]

I remember it well from when it came down in real time, and that was critical reporting....sad to see him drift off course...

[Leslie Sharp]

2 hours ago, Larry Hancock said:

I'm assisting in compiling a list of documents which suggest that related but unreleased materials once existed which the CIA has not disclosed - but that list is not related to any FOIA's I have done myself.  These documents have already been released, some older and some some either brand new or with new un-redactions.  The ones I had in mind in my post have been  discussed in relatively recent threads on this forum, such as the document which describes a post-assassination inquiry conducted at JMWAVE for anti-Castro or Castro connections to the attack on JFK.  

Sounds like  your list is intended to go to the same place my items are...

Thanks, Larry. If you come across anyone who has FOIAs to add to our list I hope you'll let us know or have them contact either me or Paul Brancato through EF message if possible.

Jeff M. has provided the criteria for our list i.e., does the subject of the FOIA appear in the ARRB final report, and what does the ARRB report have to say about the file.

best.L

 

[Leslie Sharp]

8 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

Thanks George. And I think I will link to those.

That whole thing he later wrote on Substack about Norway's long help and cooperation is so much hogwash. Like the guy from NATO being an informant at age 8.

But I used that and his OBL nutty theory to get to his horrendous Kennedy stuff. And why that book has been lost without a trace.

Hersh was paid to do a job there, and he was determined to collect, no matter what.  That is not journalism.  Its being a hired gun.

And when you are worse than the CIA on the Castro plots, where does that leave you.

and his OBL nutty theory to get to his horrendous Kennedy stuff.

Not wishing to get into a prolonged debate that might draw attention from the salient question of Hersh's latest, but apropos of "his horrendous Kennedy stuff",  Hersh's reporting related to the Ellen Rometsch scandal has held up under scrutiny and is now corroborated by Pierre Lafitte in his 1963 datebook.

I recognize it may take months if not a year for the Lafitte records to be analyzed to a certainty, but Lafitte's Rometsch entries coincide with media reports of Baker, Tyler, Rometsch visiting NOLA with Paul Aguirre and hosted by Marcello front man Nick Popich. Lafitte is arranging acting classes for Ms. Rometsch, securing passports for her, and is privy — via bulletins from James Angleton — that she is being deported following her interview with the FBI.  He is also keeping Madrid-based Otto Skorzeny informed related to "Ella R.". 

Can anyone credibly counter Hersh's assertion (as well as the reporting by Clark Mollenhoff of the Des Moines Register) that JFK had a romantic liaison with Ms. Rometsch? 

[James DiEugenio]

Leslie, we disagree about that.

Peter Vea saw the original reports which were buried in the garage of Jim Lesar's house.