Tag: Castro

‘The centrality of Nixon and Helms to so many pivotal moments in history.’

Book List on Scorpion’s Dance:

“As the Senate Intelligence Committee prodded the CIA over all sorts of issues, including the JFK assassination and attempts on the life of Fidel Castro, Helms became increasingly defensive of his agency’s conduct over the years. The centrality of Nixon and Helms to so many pivotal moments in history makes Morley’s revelations about their sparring even more intriguing.”

JFK Facts Podcast: On Antonio Veciana’s memoir, ‘Trained To Kill’

This week Alan and I talk about the importance of Trained To Kill: The Inside Story of CIA Plots Against Castro, Kennedy, and Che, a new memoir written by former anti-Castro militant Antonio Veciana with Carlos Harrison.

Listen:

We also talked about:

JFK Facts Podcast: Gaeton Fonzi

Our 9th program featuring analysis and discussion of topics relevant to the study of President Kennedy’s assassination. This week we focus upon investigative journalist, Gaeton Fonzi, his essential book, The Last Investigation, his legacy and the publication of his 1996 article on General Fabian Escalante:

To download the podcast as an MP3: Click HERE; Place cursor on file; RIGHT click and select “Save Audio As.”

Got a question or a comment? Contact us at editor@jfkfacts.org and we’ll talk about it on the show.

 

CIA memos confirm RFK Jr.’s charge that the agency worked to prevent normalization with Cuba

RFK Jr. speaks out on Cuba

In an important article published by the Inter Press Service news agency Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, highlights an important point about U.S.-Cuba relations that President Obama normalized last week: The CIA opposed President Kennedy’s efforts to do the same 51 years ago.

“JFK was involved in secret negotiations with Fidel Castro designed to outflank Foggy Bottom [Washington] and the agents at Langley [CIA], but the CIA knew of JFK’s back-channel contacts with Castro and endeavored to sabotage the peace efforts with cloak and dagger mischief,” Kennedy writes.

RFK Jr., an environmental attorney, is right that the CIA knew about JFK’s interest in normalizing relations, and opposed it.

JFK balked at Castro peace feelers, historian says

Historian David Kaiser
Historian David Kaiser

Diplomatic historian David Kaiser, the author of a new and well-reviewed book about World War II, took time out from flogging it to respond to John Simkin’s post on JFK’s Cuba policy, CIA looped in on Castro peace feelers.

Kaiser, author of The Road to Dallas, says the argument that JFK was a dove on Cuba is overdrawn. He dismisses the idea that Kennedy’s evolving Cuba policy fatally alienated the CIA.

CIA was in the loop for Castro peace feelers

Lisa Howard, ABC News
Lisa Howard, ABC News reporter

In response to Two secret memos on JFK and Cuba, John Simkin, the British historian wrote the following essay that gives valuable context to this neglected story.

Simkin writes:

“The secret negotiations that took place between the JFK administration and the Cuban government could be significant issue in the JFK assassination.

“A key figure in this was Lisa Howard.

Two secret memos about JFK and Cuba

One of the very best JFK document researchers recently called attention to two important JFK documents from 1963. They both concern President Kennedy’s exploration of normalizing relations with Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba.

Are the memos relevant to story of JFK’s assassination ? You be the judge.

Castro predicted Cuba would be blamed for JFK’s assassination

“Now,” Fidel said, “they will have to find the assassin quickly, but very quickly, otherwise, you watch and see, I know them, they will try to put the blame on us for this thing.”

The story comes from “When Castro Heard the News,” by French journalist Jean Daniel writing in The New Republic, Dec. 7, 1963.

Castro was right.

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