Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy (115 page)

Charles Nicoletti, a mobster connected with the CIA-Mafia assassination
plots, was murdered in Chicago, while William Pawley, a former diplomat
connected with both organized crime and CIA figures, reportedly committed suicide.

Adding to rumors that "hit teams" may have been at work, a Time
magazine article reported that federal agents had initiated a nationwide
investigation into more than twenty gangland assassinations constituting
what agents believed was an "open underworld challenge to governmental
infiltration of Mafia activities."

One FBI source was quoted as saying: "Our main concern is that we
may be facing a revival of the old `Murder, Inc.' days."

A New York News story concerning this official fear of roving assassination squads even mentions the death of Sam Giancana, who was killed one
day before he was to testify about mob-CIA connections and while under
government protection.

Prior to the House Committee investigation into the JFK assassination,
the news media reported the following deaths:

The power source that arranged [Kennedy's] murder was on the inside.

-Former Pentagon-CIA liaison officer Col. L. Fletcher Prouty

Since November 22, 1963, a massive amount of information has become available concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Some of it was made public immediately, but most of this information
leaked out only after the passage of many years. Much has proven
erroneous, incomplete, and misleading in light of later developments.

This book has been an effort to present the best available up-to-date
information in a truthful and comprehensive manner. Keep in mind that
much assassination information remains beyond public scrutiny-locked
away in government files.

What does the information available today tell us about Kennedy's
assassination? What conclusions may be drawn from the existing record?

Based on all currently available information, researchers have concluded:

1. Lee Harvey Oswald was involved in intelligence activities. He was-or
at least he believed he was-working on behalf of the United States.

2. It is entirely possible that Lee Harvey Oswald did not fire a gun on
November 22, 1963, thus making him innocent in both the death of
President Kennedy and Police Officer Tippit.

3. If Lee Harvey Oswald did participate in the actual assassinationand much evidence indicates he did not-he certainly did not act
alone.

4. An abundance of evidence indicates that Lee Harvey Oswald was
framed for the assassination of President Kennedy.

5. This framing-plus a wealth of information revealing an attempt to
cover up vital evidence in the case-proves the existence of a conspiracy to kill Kennedy.

6. Because this cover-up went far beyond simple face saving and was
conducted at the federal level, it is apparent that people within the
federal government of the United States were both involved in and
aware of such a conspiracy.

7. The two most powerful men in the federal government in 1963next to the President and his brother-were Vice President Lyndon B.
Johnson and his close friend, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Both men
were facing the end of their careers because of Kennedy.

Consider these conclusions point for point.

Lee Harvey Oswald was a bright young man whose father and brother
had both served honorably in the U.S. military. At age fifteen, Oswald
joined the New Orleans Civil Air Patrol and expressed a deep desire to be
a Marine, evidence, perhaps, of a patriotic streak. He was in contact with
David Ferrie, a man with documented connections to both the CIA and
organized crime, who may have groomed young Oswald for future intelligence work during this time.

While in the Marines, Oswald was stationed at Atsugi base in Japan
where some of his fellow Marines, such as Gerry Hemming, were recruited into the CIA. During his stay in Japan Private Oswald was seen
frequenting the Queen Bee, an expensive night spot normally serving only
ranking officers and pilots. It was also in Japan that Oswald was treated
for gonorrhea "In line of duty, not due to own misconduct." And it was
here that Oswald later told George DeMohrenschildt he was in contact
with "Japanese Communists."

Since a Marine officer was told by higher authority not to be concerned
about Marine Oswald receiving Communist publications and spouting
Marxist theory in the Marine barracks, it is obvious that Oswald had
become involved in intelligence work by the end of his Marine career.
Although disbelieved by the House Select Committee on Assassinations, it
should be noted that former CIA finance officer James Wilcott testified
that he learned that Oswald was paid by the CIA while still stationed at
Atsugi.

Other evidence of Oswald's connection with intelligence includes the
ease with which he obtained passports both in 1959 and particularly in
1963, after he had returned from attempting to defect to Russia; his
lengthy "reports" on his activities in Russia and his Fair Play for Cuba
Committee work in New Orleans, which he gave to FBI agent John
Quigley; the spy term "microdots" found in Oswalds address book;
expensive miniature optical equipment found among Oswald's belongings,
including a small Minox camera that carried a serial number not available
to the general public, and the fact that in 1977, it was discovered that the
CIA had a personnel file, or 201 file on Oswald.

Some researchers, notably British author Michael Eddowes, claim that
Oswald either became a Soviet agent while in Russia or that a Soviet agent
returned to the United States impersonating Oswald. While possible-and
there is much information to support this thesis, especially J. Edgar
Hoover's 1960 memo to the State Department warning that someone may
have been using Oswald's birth certificate-it is apparent that whoever
was claiming to be Oswald in the summer and fall of 1963 was in contact
with U.S. intelligence rather than Soviet or Cuban.

Considering discrepancies in his Marine records and his reported intelligence connections, other researchers believe that an impostor Oswald was
created and sent to Russia. This impostor-using Oswald's identity-then returned to the United States where he was selected as the fall guy in the
assassination.

Even if Oswald-real or impersonator-was recruited as a Soviet agent,
he was playing double-acting under orders from persons he believed to
be in U.S. intelligence.

Evidenced by his contacts with Guy Banister and David Ferrie in New
Orleans and George DeMohrenschildt in Dallas, it is apparent that in the
months just prior to the assassination, Oswald was in contact with people
connected to U.S. intelligence.

Once it is understood that Oswald was-or believed he was-working
as an intelligence operative, assassination evidence takes on a new meaning.

It is apparent to many researchers that while Oswald most probably did
order a rifle and a pistol through the mail and may have made some sort of
trip to Mexico, he likely was following orders from persons he considered
to be his superiors in intelligence.

Thus, many of Oswald's activities in the weeks prior to the assassination
were carefully calculated to both incriminate him and to link him with
foreign governments.

While it is probable that Oswald was in some way connected with
persons involved in a plot against Kennedy, he may have felt secure in the
belief that he was reporting on that plot to the U.S. government-most
likely through the FBI.

While it cannot be stated with absolute assurance that Oswald never
fired a weapon on November 22, 1963, there is an abundance of supporting evidence that he did not. The Dallas police paraffin test showed no
nitrates on Oswald's cheek, court-admissible evidence that he had not fired
a rifle, particularly the loose-bolted Italian Mannlicher-Carcano. Nitrate
traces on both his hands is not conclusive evidence that he fired a pistol,
since printer's ink and other material found at his workplace could account
for nitrates on his hands.

The intimidated Howard Brennan notwithstanding, no one who claimed
to have seen the assassin on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book
Depository could positively identify Oswald as the gunman.

Oswald maintained he was in the Depository lunchroom at the time of
the shooting and correctly named two co-workers who indeed ate in the
lunchroom. Testimony of fellow employees indicates that Oswald was
seen on a lower floor shortly before the assassination.

All this-coupled with the fact that less than ninety seconds after the
shots were fired Depository superintendent Roy Truly and Dallas policeman Marion Baker encountered a calm and collected Oswald standing in
the lunchroom with a soft drink in his hand-tends to support Oswald's
alibi.

Then there is Oswald's documented mediocre marksmanship added to
the extremely poor quality Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, which Army test
personnel had to equip with metal shims after the assassination to make it accurate enough for testing. Also there is the consideration that due to an
evergreen tree in front of the Depository building, there was no line of
sight from the sixth-floor window to the point where films established that
the first shots struck. The improbability of Oswald shooting as described
by the federal government is supported by the fact that not one single
person ever has been able to duplicate the feat.

Additionally there has always been evidence indicating that more than
one gunman fired on President Kennedy's limousine.

This evidence was supported in 1979 by the House Select Committee on
Assassinations' scientific study of acoustical material suggesting that at
least one shot came from the Grassy Knoll. These acoustical studies are
now supported by the photographic enlargement of the Moorman snapshot
depicting the "badgeman" figure.

These pieces of evidence are enhanced by the witnesses in Dealey Plaza,
the majority of whom said shots also came from the Grassy Knoll.

Today it is obvious to many researchers that multiple gunmen were
shooting at Kennedy and that the three shots fired in Dealey Plaza were
actually three volleys fired simultaneously-probably coordinated by radio.

Evidence of the radio coordination can be found in photographs of a
man with what appears to be a hand-held radio and in the Garrison
testimony of Jim Hicks, who also is pictured in Dealey Plaza with a
radiolike object in his rear pocket.

The presence of Secret Service agents in Dealey Plaza at a time when all
official agents were accounted for elsewhere is a particularly pertinent
piece of evidence. Either these men were bogus agents carrying identification good enough to fool Dallas policemen or they were real agents
carrying out some activity as yet unexplained.

Recall that witness Jean Hill was taken immediately after the shooting to
the Dallas County Sheriff's Office where men identifying themselves as
Secret Service asked her questions indicating that they were observing her
throughout the assassination.

The medical and ballistic evidence, much of which bears the earmarks
of tampering and is thus still controversial, apparently shows that Kennedy
was struck by at least three shots-one in the middle of the back which did
not penetrate his body, one in the throat, and one in the head (although
there is some evidence that two shots may have struck his head almost
simultaneously).

Most probably at least two shots struck Governor Connally-one penetrating his chest and lung while a separate bullet shattered his right wrist.

At least one shot definitely missed the limousine altogether, striking the
curb near the Triple Underpass, slightly wounding bystander James Tague-
although there is evidence that another bullet struck the grass on the south
side of Elm Street and yet another hit in the street near the presidential
limousine.

This count would mean at least six shots were fired in Dealey Plaza perhaps as many as nine-which argues against the idea of a lone gunman.
(It is significant to note that acoustical experts testified before the House
Select Committee on Assassinations that they had discovered as many as
nine sound signals that they could not rule out as gunshots-but only four
were confirmed since only two sites for comparison tests were used.)