A faithful reader calls attention to one practical step the U.S. government can take in 2014 to contribute to public understanding of the JFK assassination story: declassify the papers of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy from 1963-64.
The blog of the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) is seeking comment on declassification priorities for the National Archives.
If you want to solve the JFK mystery soon, tell Washington the declassification of the RFK papers should be a priority.
You can comment here.
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What’s in the RFK papers?
His brother’s keeper; RFK immediately suspected a plot (Nov. 24, 2103)
RFK Jr. on JFK’s legacy (Nov. 21, 2013)
Who first asked if the CIA was involved in JFK’s assassination? (Oct. 18, 2013)
Top 6 Washington insiders who suspected a JFK plot, (Oct. 2, 2013)
CIA kept RFK apprised of Castro assassination plotting (Aug. 2, 2013)
CIA chief told RFK about two shooters in Dallas (Jan. 23, 2013)
Are these papers subject to FOIA?
I absolutely agree with Jeff that RFK’s files should be declassified. The Kennedy family-RFK in particular- was as responsible for the hoax perpetrated on the american people as the staff of the WC. His public statements in support of the WC while privately expressing doubts and conducting his own investigation was a disservice to the country and his brother’s memory. The american people are entitled to the truth about who murdered their president and its quite possible the truth is hidden in RFK’s files.
Phillips was an old school, dyed in the wool ‘spy’.
I would expect that following a lead from, or trying to decipher something he wrote would be fraught with the misdirection of a master of such.
Personally, I think that Hunt’s ‘confession’ claiming the LBJ direction to Cord Meyer “to undertake a larger organization”, fits too well to be ignored.
In fact, my belief is that if you work the permutations, calculations and angles involved via those named, it can be run forwards and backwards, which adds mucho credence in my books…
What lead up to “The Big Event” is another matter altogether.
As an undergrad 1963-67, I never liked or respected RFK, because he appeared so clearly to be helping cover up his brother’s murder.
My view of RFK has tempered only slightly over the past 50 years.
I’d sure like to see his A.G. files from 1963-64. Thing is, though, after JFK’s assassination, Hoover and LBJ cut him off; so maybe the post-assassination A.G. (as opposed to personal) files of RFK don’t hold a lot of stuff related to the assassination.
I remember vividly my educators discussing their belief in December 1963 that Oswald’s murder was orchestrated by or on behalf of RFK. Understandable, if true; particularly if RFK was convinced Oswald killed his brother & there was little or no chance of locating anyone else who may have helped him. A little ‘Kennedy payback’ perhaps?.
That speculation today won’t fly in a ‘prove it to me’ world but there’s not always evidence for each and every incident in life. I bought a pizza several months ago & consumed it but I couldn’t produce evidence today of it. My receipt is long gone & I doubt the cook/clerk would remember me, but I do know I bought and ate that pizza.
IMO, most of the disinformation re RFK is aimed very deliberately at the “left” For another.complely censored view, I recommend what I consider one of the 5 most important books for understanding the 20 th Century, IN HIS OWN RIGHT BY JOSEPH PALERMO. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2001.
I agree with Jeff wholeheartedly here: RFK was JFK’s ‘right hand man’ & monitoring CIA Cuban operations for JFK at the same time he spearheaded a crusade against the Mafia (both public opinion suspects in JFK’s murder in Dallas). That alone justifies declassifying all of RFK’s Attorney General files. RFK’s files may hold the answers to questions that arose from Joan Mellen’s book, ‘A Farewell To Justice’, as to why & on who’s behalf RFK stopped a high level State Department investigation of Lee Oswald pre-assassination as well as why RFK tried to pull the plug on Jim Garrison’s investigation. David Atlee Phillips hints at the reason in one of his latter fiction books; Oswald (or an imposter) was part of an operation to get an Intel operative into Cuba to report Intel or kill Castro (or both).
Phillips suggests in his fiction book that Lee Oswald went ‘rogue’ on the CIA & ambushed JFK all on his own; others believe US Intel, Castro or KGB threw Oswald back in US government faces, predicting the US government would not inform the world Oswald was a US Intel operative involved in a complicated CIA/Mafia operation with a goal of executing Fidel Castro & members of his government. The proof of this we need may be in RFK’s files. RFK’s family could also help if any of his files made it to a safe place away from government classification & enslavement.
I’ll look through the upcoming comments to get some ideas on how to strongly word by contact with PIDB before I respond to them. They can also look here at Jeff’s website to get a feel of how his readers feel about the withheld RFK, JFK & CIA high level officers files.