CIA OZZIE AMMO ORDER LOT Doc

[Jim Hackett II]

Just thought some might be curious about this document I refered to last week.

Best

Jim

PS I hope this works.

[James Richards]

Interesting document that one, thanks for posting it, Jim.

It has motivated me to hunt through several boxes of paperwork for another document that may back-up the CIA angle. If I can find it over the course of the next decade or so, I will post it.

Cheers,

James

[Jim Hackett II]

GREAT James:

Now we are getting to the point of the forum eh?

If I might have some other docs or stuff that would be helpful, I'll be glad to share whatever I have.

But I am sure many have much more than I do.

I'll see if I can't dig up the other 2 pages of the report from the Western Cartridge Co mentioned in that document just for starters, if memory serves I didn't get that. But only a search will tell.

Best to you.

Jim Hackett II

[Larry Hancock]

Unfortunately I can't cite the specific articles - I think one was in Probe - but there has been much work done on this issue. The best I can give you is the following scenario:

After WWII, when the Russians were exercising huge political pressure in essentially taking over the Balkan states as clients, the US was covertly opposing them. The Communists began civil wars in Bulgaria, Greece etc. The U.S. wished to supply arms to the opposition but in part of a grand tradition, CIA was asked to do it with deniablity. Which meant they had to find a large stock of non U.S. basic infantry rifles quick. Several of the CIA ex OSS folks had very good ties into Italy and due to the course of WWII it just so happened that Italy had huge stocks of unused MC rifles available for use in these projects in the Balkans. However they did not have nearly enough usable ammuniton. So according to the Covert Ops that Fletcher Prouty describes so well in his book on same, it appears the Marines were used as a cut out to order a large ammo build and then transfer it off their books to go to the Balkans. But by the time all this came together the need/opportunity for all the weapons and ammo had passed and it seems that a lot of both ammo and rifles got dumped into the US mail order market and to independent gun dealers. Which is why the FBI was able to find two dealers in Dallas stocking MC ammo - although they could never trace it's sales to Oswald.

Actually I always wondered why more MC rifles and ammo didn't end up in the BOP operation but that's just curiosity.

In any event, that's one seemingly credible scenario to explain the document for what it's worth.

-- Larry

[Jim Hackett II]

EXCELLENT Larry:

Kudos as this post filled a couple of my own questions.

The Balkins and so forth.

I suppose it shouldn't have shocked me given the history of Italy and the clash of cultures that is the Balkins.

On the 13 Days DVD there is a documentary about the Missile Crisis and it shows some of the in training cubans working with and cleaning a rifle that appears to me to be MC carbines. I'll have to go see if I can grab a screenshot of that so others can help me out. The same clip was used in the opening of "JFK" too.

I would not be able to swear as fact in court but I think the cabines are MC, however the MC is very similar at a glance to some Mausers.

I have to go, but I'll try to dig up what I do have about the "South Florida Militia" and how they were equipped, besides that clip. After all it could be "wishful watching" on my part.

Jim Hackett II

[Jim Hackett II]

This is kind of fuzzy, I worked with it some but I think the point is that the frame I got isn't really definitive.

I feel that some of those weapons are most likely M1 Garand surplus. ??

I would find it very odd if there were two types of weapons in this possibly staged for the camera training session by appearance.

That is my tentative idea, anyone have ideas or ways to improve the data?

Jim Hackett II

[James Richards]

Hi Jim,

I ran the photo past a gun expert friend of mine and he confirms your thoughts. They are mostly M1 Garands.

James