In a new blog post, Dale K. Myers and Gus Russo accuse me of pounding the Drums of Conspiracy.
One of my friends says the piece is “well-worth reading.” To which another friend, David Talbot, responded:
“Oh hogwash, Why does this knee-jerk, utterly predictable attack on Morley — one of the few journalists in the last decade or more who has actually pushed the government for more information on the case — get your imprimatur? There are far too few people .. who have actually 1) done original work on Kennedy and 2) are civil enough to engage across the political spectrum — even with people whose work, in my opinion, is sponsored by those trying to block his work. That’s how generous a person Jeff is — much more than I am. And yet this anti-Morley screed by two protectors of the national security establishment wins your endorsement? I don’t get it.”
I actually agree the piece is worth reading, if only because it says so much about the conspiratorial obsession of its authors. Yes, Dale Myers and Gus Russo present themselves as proud and informed anti-conspiracists in the perennial debate about the causes of JFK’s death, but their obsession with conspiracy distorts my work and usefully exposes their own defensiveness and denial about the CIA’s role in the JFK story.
I will post my full response soon.
Myers and Russo’s article is obviously intended to be derogatory, inflammatory and misdirectional. If this is their type of work, they would be better suited working for the “Globe” or maybe “National Enquirer”.
Great post, first let me say from over hear in the UK I find nearly all published opinion is along partisan lines, Republican v Democrate, to me this is distasteful, it was a murder and should be treated as such.
The piece is replete with false truths, the biggest one that jumped out of the page for me was that the Kennedy’s were on good terms with the agency!!!! He fired the Dullis and Bissal!!!! He is quoting from documents he’s never read or understood,
He goes on to say 99.9 percent of all documents have been released, as if the truth would have appeared within those documents, any person hiding the truth would hold them until last.
Then it lurches into Kennedy bashing, as if the Kennedy’s themselves had them selves killed and hid the documents!!!!!
Finally I would like to say people that used to post no longer do, this is a shame because I for one used to enjoy reading your posts, come back and post again please, don’t let others put you off, many people read here without posting and we want all views not just official viewpoints, I have seen there tactics and see strait though them, one dimensional, fixed mindset.
Keep up the good work Jeff.
Holy cow!
I can’t believe you have come under such attack by some of the folks in the research community, Jeff. I am baffled as to why Len Osanic has you on the same [expletive deleted] list with Gary Mack, John McAdams and the mayor of Dallas. He apparently regards these folks as personal enemies. And, then there’s a list of other “researchers” who’ve attack you.
The worst possible thing that could happen to the research community / industry would be for someone to “solve” the case. Then, no more books, lectures, conferences or basic cable specials. Maybe Jeff, you represent a clear and present danger to the livelyhood of some in “The Community.”
Very good article. I read Our Man in Mexico and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have also followed your dogged pursuit for the Joannides files for the past couple of years. I believe the CIA should stop stonewalling and release the records if there is nothing to hide. I have read Mr. Russo’s work in the past, including Supermob, The Outfit and Live By the Sword. I believe he unfairly paints conspiracy believers as delusional. He never even addresses Joannides ‘ work as a go between for the CIA on the HSCA. The argumentative nature of the discussion of the assassination tends to obscure the questions asked.
I was thinking the other day, that maybe the easiest way to resolve this case and show conspiracy that would be even accepted by staunch lone nut theorists is the surfacing of the suppression of evidence. 1. Dennis David told me and others in 1998 that he typed up a receipt for 4 bullet fragments{too much for one bullet) at the request of the Secret Service 2. There is an FBI Document stating flat out that a bullet is lodged behind right ear of Kennedy’s ear at Autopsy 3.A Captain Osborne at the Bethesda Autopsy said a bullet rolled out of JFK’S wrapping to the HSCA.4. There may have been a bullet pocketed by a sandy haired man, allegedly FBI, in photos with Policeman Buddy Walthers roughly 10 minutes after the Assassination. Some accounts have Walther keeping the bullet. In any event if any of this evidence still exists it could change history. At the 4 most important places in the Assassination story we don’t know what really happened-TSBD,Grassy Knoll, Tippit Shooting,& Bethesda Autopsy. There are just too many possibilities, and contradictory evidence from the witnesses there to say beyond a reasonable doubt this is what exactly happened. So, I am hoping that Philip Shenon’s upcoming book has this type of evidence that can be documented photographically and undeniably. Just proving Oswald was an asset of a Govt. Agency is not strong enough to change the big picture.
Jeff, this is an interesting commentary and wish list. Actually, this is almost downright psychic.
“the surfacing of the suppression of evidence” is an interesting way of putting things, as this is exactly what is going to happen by November 22.
This evidence is “documented photographically and undeniably”.
The beauty of such evidence is that it then makes it impossible for those responsible to lie their way out of any involvement. In one game, such evidence could be termed “Checkmate”.
# 1. Aside from the editorial comments, what specifically did Myers say that was in error?
I must admit that his comments about the reasons for CIA security mirror what I stated on a previously redacted post.Just because documents are kept confidential doesn’t mean that what is in those documents is as significant as the means used to obtain the data in those documents. In pre-Google earth days overhead surveillance photos of Soviet sites were very secret- not because of what they often revealed( which may have been as mundane as wheat fields) but because those photos could reveal what our capabilities were- and precipitate responses that would render those capabilities inert. And frankly there are still techniques from WWII that are still confidential.
#2. How can you call these guys conspiratorial obsessed when you have posters on this blog claiming that the CIA, Secret Service, FBI, Lyndon Johnson, the Dallas Cowboys, the Mafia, “Secret Teams”, the Military Industrial Complex,previously committed mental patients and basically everybody but LH Oswald were participants in various conspiracies- without a single shred of objective evidence.
#3. I have found this blog unique. You appear to be the only conspiracy-oriented figure willing to let somebody with a contrary view post and put out information that does not support the conspiracy view. While you tend to give too much credit to individuals whose research methods are weak and hold views that are extreme you are a fair and honest gentleman.
Photon, allow me to address your issues.
1. If there is nothing to hide, why hide it? Don’t give me the BS story about National Security, I held a Top Secret clearance for many years, and later debriefed by the CIA. Most subjects are cleared off the Top Secret list after 10 years. 50 years has now passed.
2. “everybody but LH Oswald were participants in various conspiracies- without a single shred of objective evidence. This statement can be taken two ways, either it is made in ignorance, or simply intended to deceive. I myself could fill several pages with direct evidence otherwise known as “facts”. Facts which LHO had nothing to do with since he was already dead.
3. The fact that the individuals responsible for JFK’s death have not yet been convicted does not make them innocent or mean there was no conspiracy.
Who removed JFK’s body from Texas illegally? Who altered the JFK autopsy photo images? Who destroyed physical evidence? Who threatened, harassed or intimidated witnesses? Who witheld and continues to withold physical evidence? Who lied to and deceived the Warren Commission?
We know it wasn’t Lee Harvey Oswald.
Didn’t the Secret Service and Kennedy aides remove the body from Parkland in an attempt to get Jackie Kennedy out of Dallas? What was so sinister about that? Perhaps not actually legal from Texas law, but done by those closest to JFK.
As far as having TS clearance, I don’t know of anybody being “debriefed by the CIA” simply for having a relatively common clearance- how many officers on a nuclear submarine have TS clearance? Let me just say that personal experience and multiple trips on the G.W. Parkway past Turkey Run make me very skeptical about CIA claims from everyone on this blog. It is a terrible thing to make unfounded claims about some of the finest and hardest working people in this country, ordinary people whose jobs have cost them their lives, even near the parking lot of their workplace.
Photon, I didn’t say “sinister”, I said “Illegally”, lets stick with the actual verbage and the point made, rather than try to change the subject.
2. How is your “knowing anyone” being ‘debriefed by the CIA’ relevant to anything? (By the way, you know one now, and I know a lot of those individuals). The naivity of that statement made me laugh a little, about your not knowing anyone, because part of that debriefing is that they aren’t allowed to tell you for X number of years after the fact.
3. I’ll supply you with some of those “unfounded” claims soon enough.
4. Why do you assume that everyone in the CIA are innocent angels? In 1963 and earlier, that would be hard pressed to be an accurate description.There are bad people in every walk of life, including the CIA. CIA agents and subcontractors commonly skirted or broke the laws of the US back then.
5. My TS clearance was not a “common clearance” as you put it, and attempt to belittle it. Let’s just say those “sub officers” would not be allowed to step foot into the area I worked.
What was so “sinister”, from the point that the body was stolen and put on the get-away plane, it put the Feds in control of everything beyone that point. The Feds controlled the autopsy, the autopsy photo’s, the Military personnel (Doctors, etc) who worked on JFk, and they controlled which information would be released and which wouldn’t. Please do some critical thinking.
*Side note:
“It is unusual for the CIA or military intelligence to debrief Americans. That was something that the FBI should’ve done. In fact the FBI did make an effort, several, to talk [to] Lee Harvey Oswald in this country. So it’s not entirely true that he was not debriefed. He was very uncooperative with the agents. Indeed was very belligerent with them.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/oswald/interviews/blakey.html
In addition to the 1,171 CIA documents that are JFK assassination related and still secret in full, researchers report that in addition there are extensive redactions in the released records, especially CIA documents. There is no count on the total volume of still secret information, but it is a large amount of information.
The blog article is wrong about the RFK papers. The ARRB identified and in 1998 released over 750 pages of RFK confidential files that were assassination related. The JFK Library released additional RFK files last fall and is releasing more this year.
Thank you David Talbot for your true words in relation to Mr. Morley and JFKFacts.org. But one doesn’t need to be a friend of Mr. Morley to speak the true of him and this website.
A man of few words might say: “Mr. Morley speak truth, when he doesn’t, he corrects it. Mr. Myers & Mr. Russo them twist truth, no trust.”
It would be interesting to know if when Dale K. Myers and Gus Russo leave this earth & possibly get sent to the big furnace what their spiritual reaction would be if Lee Oswald’s not there?
Hang in there Jeff, when arrows are shot at you from across the Internet it means you’re doing something worthwhile & right, something that bothers people with warped agendas.
Here’s a question I have regarding debate:
How come Photon debates other posters on this site, but not the sponsor, Jeff Morley? He is armed and at the ready to debate everyone else, including me. Somehow when Morley hints that CIA might be involved, or that there may be a conspiracy, he is off the hook, as far as Photon is concerned. What gives? Is it because when your sole purpose is to cause disruption on a site, you don’t want to tick off the site’s sponsor?
I believe that Oswald was a lone nut . Equally,I believe that Jefferson Morley has every right to pursue his theory / hunch : as I have posted on ALT.ASSASSINATION.JFK , it is one thing for the LNs to point out pro-conspiracy lies , but it is quite another to attempt to kill a perfectly reasonable enquiry.