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"He people that he names as part of the plot are! for the most part! people whose names ha#e cropped up o#er and again in the assassination literature" "here is substantial e#idence to implicate them in a plot to $ill JFK," says eric Hamburg. 'Illiam har#ey was one of only three officers pri#y to plans to send false defectors to the o#iet
"He people that he names as part of the plot are! for the most part! people whose names ha#e cropped up o#er and again in the assassination literature" "here is substantial e#idence to implicate them in a plot to $ill JFK," says eric Hamburg. 'Illiam har#ey was one of only three officers pri#y to plans to send false defectors to the o#iet
"He people that he names as part of the plot are! for the most part! people whose names ha#e cropped up o#er and again in the assassination literature" "here is substantial e#idence to implicate them in a plot to $ill JFK," says eric Hamburg. 'Illiam har#ey was one of only three officers pri#y to plans to send false defectors to the o#iet
By Eric Hamburg How much of Howard Hunts scenario holds up under examination. urprisingly! much of it does. "he people that he names as part of the plot are! for the most part! people whose names ha#e cropped up o#er and o#er again in the assassination literature. "here is substantial e#idence to implicate them in a plot to $ill JFK. For this reason! Hunts re#elations are more credible than they might otherwise be. % re#iew of the literature indicates why this is so. &ets start with 'illiam Har#ey. He was named by Hunt as the mastermind of the plot! as well as being called an (alcoholic psycho) by Hunt.. "here is ample e#idence for both of these propositions. * +onsider the following statements regarding 'illiam Har#ey! made by author %nthony ummers in his seminal wor$ (+onspiracy). ummers writes! (,n the closing stages of the -House. %ssassinations +ommittee mandate! some staff members felt that! while /afia mar$smen may ha#e carried out the assassination! it could only ha#e been orchestrated by someone in %merica intelligence! someone with special $nowledge of 0swalds bac$ground. %s they pondered this! in#estigators ga#e renewed attention to the senior +,% officer who co1coordinated the +,%1/afia plots against +astro 2 'illiam Har#ey. ummers goes on to state3 ('illiam Har#ey died in *456 7 %s far bac$ as *484! he was one of only three officers pri#y to plans to send false defectors to the o#iet 9nion. *484 was the year of 0swalds suspect defection. :enuine defection or not! Har#ey almost certainly $new about it in detail. (ubse;uently! Har#ey was the man who concei#ed and planned the +,%s Executi#e %ction program! the < contingency plan for foreign assassinations. He was in close touch with men of the same il$ as &ucien arti! and the +orsicans now alleged to ha#e been the gunmen in =ealey Pla>a. (?ext! as head of "as$ Force '! Har#ey was in direct charge of anti1+astro operations! in personal touch with the mobsters antos "rafficante and John @oselli. ,nciting them to murder Fidel +astro. He became a close friend to @oselli.) Har#ey hated Bobby Kennedy with a (purple passion)! and the feeling was mutual. He sent commando teams into +uba at the height of the missile crisis in *46<! which made Bobby Kennedy furious. %s a result! Bobby had Har#ey transferred out of 'ashington and sent to the +,%s station in @ome! ,taly. ummers adds! (Aet Har#ey was still meeting with @oselli! in the 9nited tates! as late as June *46B! and , ha#e learned that he #isited anti1+astro camps in Florida! at a B time when he was theoretically already in @ome. %ccording to new! unresearched information! initial approaches to hire assassins in Europe were made in @ome 2 sometime before the recruitment approaches allegedly made to the +orsican /afia in /arseilles. ummers ;uotes one %ssassination +ommittee staffer as saying this3 "he feeling of some of the +,% people we tal$ed with was that Har#ey was hea#ily in#ol#ed with the organi>ed crime figures. "he feeling was that he was out of control and may ha#e wor$ed with organi>ed crime figures to murder JFK. He beha#ed as if he was all1powerful7 He may ha#e been the $ey to accomplishing the assassination.) "his staffer was probably =an Hardway! a member of the professional staff of the House elect +ommittee on %ssassinations! which in#estigated the Kennedy assassination for the 9 +ongress in the late *45Cs. ,n his boo$ (Flawed Patriot)! author Bayard toc$ton ;uotes Hardway as saying this of Har#ey3 (, had placed him in the middle of a web of intrigue. Har#ey was central to D e#erything that went on7 Har#ey was a natural suspect. He had the assassination teams. He was in charge of J/E'%FE Gthe +,% station in /iamiH. , was con#inced that Bill Har#ey was in#ol#ed in the assassination. , wanted to in#estigate Har#ey #igorously7 , was determined to pro#e his complicity in the assassination! if , could.) Bill Har#ey had a history with the +orsican /afia. ,n her boo$ (I@ @ifle)! +laudia Furiati wrote! (,t was learned that during *46*! 'illiam Har#ey tra#eled to /arseille in France and recruited another agent -code name JJE',?. who wor$ed on the &umumba case. ',? appears in the House +ommittee in#estigations3 he was one of the men from the +orse 9nion! the /arseille organi>ed crime group! which showed the presence of the /afia in the plans to assassinate foreign leaders. JJE',? met the indispensable re;uirement of being a /afioso of non19.. origin.) 8 Farious #ersions of JJE',?s identity ha#e been published! but it is interesting to note his connection to /arseille and the +orsican /afia. JJE',? was recruited by Har#ey as a possible assassin or recruiter of assassins for the +,%! alone with another mysterious figure code named ',E@0:9E. Both men were sent to the +ongo to ta$e part in an assassination plot against +ongolese leader Patrice &umumba! who was assassinated in January *46*! Kust before Kennedy too$ office. Har#ey had an affinity for +orsicans! particularly for use in assassination operations. ,n his biography of Har#ey! entitled (Flawed Patriot)! former +,% officer Bayard toc$ton wrote that Har#ey recommended +orsicans for use in the I@E@,F&E assassination program. (%ccording to the one set of notes a#ailable! Har#eys in;uiries during his trip to Europe seemed to center on "rieste7 I@E@,F&E was intended to be carried out by non1%merican criminal elements.)) 6 ,n his memo! Har#ey wrote! (Exclude organi>ed criminals! e.g. icilians! criminals! those wE record of arrests! those wE instability of purpose as criminals.) But he added! (organi>ation criminals! those with record of arrests! those who ha#e engaged in se#eral types of crime. +orsicans recommended. icilians could lead to /afia.) toc$ton also suggests that Har#ey may ha#e used his time in @ome to recruit Europeans criminals for the JFK plot. (0nce in @ome! Har#ey might ha#e contacted European criminals andEor the 9nion +orse G+orsican /afiaH ! the icilian /afia -with whom he had loose liaison.! and the mainland ,talian +amorra G/afiaH! on behalf of @oselli. "hus! though it has not been pro#en! Har#ey may ha#e acted as a line of communication between European and %merican plotters.) He adds! (Har#ey left behind a hint that he had some $nowledge of the JFK $illing. %fter he had testified to the 9.. enates +hurch +ommittee in *458! he commented! ("hey didnt as$ the right ;uestions)! implying that he might ha#e had some answers to more pointed ;uestions regarding the assassination.) 5 (+orsicans recommended). Har#ey ga#e the same ad#ice to Peter 'right! head of British intelligence! who wrote about this in his memoir (py catcher). Bayard toc$ton! Har#eys biographer! was an old friend and colleague from Har#eys days in Berlin in the *48Cs! ultimately reached the conclusion that Har#ey was not in#ol#ed in the assassination! despite the o#erwhelming e#idence against him. toc$ton bases his conclusion on this statement3 (?o one who $new Har#ey at his prime belie#es! or belie#ed that he possibly could ha#e been in#ol#ed in the JFK assassination. ?o one. ?ot e#en those who had reason to disli$e him.) But that statement is false! inoperati#e and in#alid. ,t flew out the window when E. Howard Hunt! who $new Har#ey and wor$ed with him in the +,%! asserted his strong belief that Har#ey was the prime mo#er behind the assassination. toc$ton! who died shortly after his boo$ was published in <CC6! could not ha#e $nown that e#en as he was writing L those words! they were being contradicted by the words of E. Howard Hunt. ,n his memoir (%merican py)! posthumously published in <CC5! E. Howard Hunt wrote this of Bill Har#ey3 ("here has been suggestion in some circles that +,% agent Bill Har#ey had something to do with the murder and had recruited se#eral +orsicans! including a crac$ shot named &ucien arti! to bac$ up 0swald and ma$e sure the hit was successful. upposedly! arti was dressed in a =allas police uniform and fired the fatal bullet from the grassy $noll behind the pic$et fence7 ,s is possible that Bill Har#ey might ha#e recruited a /afia criminal to administer the magic bulletM , thin$ its possible7 Har#ey could definitely be a person of interest! as he was a strange character hiding a mass of hidden aggression. %llegations ha#e been made that he transported weapons to =allas. +ertainly it is an area that deser#es further in#estigation.) o much for toc$tons assertions about Har#eys innocence. Hunt goes on to say of Har#eys role in the 4 plot! (,f thats the case! Har#ey had seniority and would ha#e been the person in charge! with the others ta$ing orders from him7 Ha#ing been stationed in @ome! he #ery well might ha#e come into contact with the +orsican /afia and heroin traffic$ers whom theorists claim he recruited for the assassination7 Har#ey! howe#er! is the most li$ely suspect. ,f he felt his position was in Keopardy! he was the type of person who would ha#e ta$en drastic action to remember the situation. ,t is a big leap! because he was a brain1addled pistol1toting drun$7 but there is the slightest possibility that Har#ey and &BJ could ha#e formed some $ind of thie#es pact between them.) Hunt went on to say! (,f &BJ had anything to do with the operation! he would ha#e used Har#ey! because he was a#ailable and corrupt7 'ho $nows the depth of Har#eys criminal connectionsM He may easily ha#e $nown /afia members who ha#e been named as possible conspirators! such as Johnny @oselli! antos "rafficante! am :iancana! and +arlos /arcello7 "hese are names which ha#e come up in connection with the assassination plot on +astro.) *C %ll of these ;uotes incidentally are ta$en directly from #ideotaped inter#iews that , conducted with Howard Hunt in /iami in %pril <CC8! along with his son t. John. Hunt also mentioned another suspicious +,% figure! =a#id /orales! in connection with Bill Har#ey. Hunt wrote! (%nother +,% person of interest who has been lin$ed to that dreadful day is =a#id /orales. Bill Har#ey posted /orales to the +,%s /iami station in *46*! where he became chief of +o#ert 0perations for J/E'%FE! an operation to destabili>e +astro after the Bay of Pigs. /orales and Har#ey could ha#e been manufactured from the same cloth 2 both were hard1drin$ing! tough guys! possibly completely amoral. /orales was rumored to be a cold1blooded $iller! the go1to guy in blac$ ops situations where the go#ernment needed to ha#e someone neutrali>ed. , tried to cut short any contact with him! as he wore thin #ery ;uic$ly.) +learly! Bill Har#ey is a highly suspicious figure in any scenario. But could Har#ey ha#e done all this on his ownM ** 'hen , met with Fabian Escalante! former head of +uban intelligence! in Ha#ana in *44D! he expressed s$epticism. (Har#ey had to ha#e a patron!) he said! (and that patron was @ichard Helms.) Helms was the +,%s =eputy =irector for Plans -head of its co#ert operations di#isionN in *46B! and later became =irector of the +,% under President Johnson. Helms was close to Har#ey! and also to Howard Hunt. But Helms was a #ery discreet figure who $ept his hands clean. ,n (I@ @ifle)! +laudia Furiati describes Helms this way3 (%nd who was the author of the entire schemeM @ichard Helms! the brain of the +,%. Helms was the ultimate chief of the co#ert and parallel operations from the beginning of 0peration /ongoose Gthe +,%s plot to $ill +astroH. He was the director of the plans which included the GpoisonH capsules! the special missions! the terrorist commandos! the /afia! the Banister unit! Pontchartrain! 'illiam Har#ey! /anuel %rtime! @olando +ubela! =esmond Fit>gerald! &ee Har#ey 0swald! antos "rafficante! =a#id %tlee Phillips! and I@ @ifle. He was the conductor of the in#isible *< go#ernment and the maestro of plausible denial. Finally! he was the lin$ of the %gency with the (hardliners) and the mentor of the pro#ocations during the Kennedy administration. But Helms in#ol#ement was not apparentO he was behind four walls! an in#isible man.) Furiati! writing before Helms death in <CC<! described him this way3 (+urrently he is a business consultant. He is tall! with fine blac$ thinning hair. He is discreet and e#asi#eO the perfect bureaucrat. He is considered the most astute and the coldest of all the directors of the %gency 2 so cold that he was nic$named (/r. +ool.)) /r. +ool 2 an in#isible man! hidden behind four walls. 'hat an apt description of @ichard Helms. Howard Hunt! in (%merican py)! put it this way3 (But in the end! Helms was an expert in +A% -co#er your ass.! not +,%. 'hen the time came when he might ha#e been able to help me and come to my defense! =ic$ said! (0h! Hunt7 0h! well! , sort of $now him. He was a romantic) %nd that was all he *B had to say about me. He pretended that he barely $new me when in fact he had $nown me for years.) Hunt related to me a #ery interesting anecdote about Helms and &BJ! which he included in his boo$. He wrote! (=uring the course of a year! we would ha#e lunch between three and six times. ,n fact! Helms had made a confidant out of me! once calling me at the office to say! (/eet me downstairs right away. , ha#e something to tell you.) 'hat he had to tell me was that he had bro$en up with his wife and had mo#ed to a country club in anticipation of a di#orce. "his was! at the time! extremely pri#ileged information. 'e had lunch about six wee$s later. Helms told me that he had Kust been summoned down to &BJs ranch and had spent a wild wee$end there riding a Keep at top speed through the property. 0ut of that emerged the confidence that he was going to be announced as the deputy director of the +,%! which! of course! e#ol#ed o#er time to =+, G=irector of +entral ,ntelligence! to which he was appointed by JohnsonH. o far as , $now! , was the first person he told about such important e#ents in his life.) *D But why did &BJ summon Helms to his ranch! when he could ha#e easily informed Helms of this in 'ashington. +ould it be that at this meeting! &BJ flashed a green light to Helms for a plot against JFK! in the pri#acy of his own "exas ranchM "his can only be speculation! but it is clear that Helms had a good and close relationship with &BJ. "his meeting had to ha#e ta$en place in late *46* or early *46<! as Helms was appointed =eputy =irector in February of *46<. %nd as Hunt points out in his boo$! (&BJ appointed him as director! but he wouldnt play ball with ?ixon or comply with ?ixons re;uests to in#estigate 'hite House lea$s! so the president G?ixonH basically fired him! sending him to ,ran during 'atergate.) ,n his own posthumous memoir! (% &oo$ o#er /y houlder)! @ichard Helms wrote this of his relationship with Johnson and ?ixon. (, was ne#er sure why President ?ixon distrusted me! aside from associating me with %llen =ulles and the other East +oast! ,#y &eague! establishment figures whom he loathed and thought of as dominating the *8 upper brac$ets of 0 and subse;uently +,%. ,n contrast! , always had an excellent relationship with &yndon Johnson! who had at least as much claim as ?ixon to ha#e been born in a log cabin! and whose #iews of ,#y &eaguers were! at the best! reser#ed.) 0b#iously! Helms and Johnson were close. &i$ewise! Helms and Hunt were close for many years. Hunt ne#er claimed that he himself had any direct contacts with &BJ. o if Hunt belie#ed that &BJ was in#ol#ed in the plot to assassinate JFK! which he clearly did! his impression probably came #ia @ichard Helms! who was the missing lin$ between &BJ and Howard Hunt. Helms was also the missing lin$ between &BJ and Bill Har#ey. %nd what of @ichard ?ixonM ,n his inter#iews with me! Howard Hunt was adamant that ?ixon had no role in the JFK assassination. ,n (%merican py) Hunt wrote! (%s far as ,m concerned! as paranoid as he was! ?ixon would ne#er ha#e been in#ol#ed. He would not only ha#e been horrified of the action but would ne#er ha#e trusted anyone to $now he was in#ol#ed.) Hunt seemed to me to be *6 sincere in this belief! although he did not say the same of &yndon Johnson. 0n the famous (smo$ing gun) 'atergate tape of June <B! *45<! @ichard ?ixon said this to his top aide H.@. Haldeman3 ('hen you get in there with Helms! say! &oo$ the problem here is that this will open the whole Bay of Pigs thing7 ,t would be #ery bad to ha#e this fellow GE. HowardH Hunt! he $nows too damned much7. ,t would ma$e the +,% loo$ bad! and its li$ely to blow the whole Bay of Pigs thing! which we thin$ would be most unfortunate 2 both for the +,% and for the country. H.@. Haldeman! in his memoir ("he Ends of Power)! offered his interpretation of this statement. He wrote! (,t seems that in all of those ?ixon references to the Bay of Pigs! he was actually referring to the Kennedy assassination7 %fter Kennedy was $illed! the +,% launched a fantastic co#er1up7 ,n a chilling parallel to their co#er1up at 'atergate! the +,% literally erased any connection between Kennedys assassination and the *5 +,%7 %nd when ?ixon said! (,ts li$ely to blow the whole Bay of Pigs thing)! he might ha#e been reminding G+,% =irectorH Helms! not so gently! of the co#er1up of the +,% assassination attempts on the hero of the Bay of Pigs! Fidel +astro 2 a +,% operation that may ha#e triggered the Kennedy tragedy and which Helms desperately wanted to hide.) "his is highly suggesti#e! to say the least. Haldeman in his memoir also ;uoted former enator Howard Ba$er! a member of the enate 'atergate +ommittee! as saying that (Helms and ?ixon ha#e so much on each other that neither one of them can breathe.) Perhaps Helms was blac$mailing ?ixon with his $nowledge that ?ixon had originated the assassination plots against +astro -with the help of E. Howard Hunt.! plots which may ha#e morphed into aO plot against JFK. %nd ?ixon might ha#e been blac$mailing Helms with his $nowledge of the +,%s role in the JFK plot. ,n any case! ?ixon found it expedient to get rid of Helms at the height of 'atergate! remo#ing him from the directorship of the +,% and dispatching him far *L away as 9 ambassador to ,ran. ,t is still an open ;uestion as to what ?ixon meant when he said on the tapes that ("his fellow Hunt! he $nows too much.) ,t is also unclear what ?ixon was referring to when he said that ('e protected Helms from one hell of a lot of things.) ,n his own memoirs! (@?)! ?ixon wrote that he was ne#er able to get the +,%s complete file on the (Bay of Pigs)! despite repeated re;uests to Helms. ?ixon compared the +,% to a loc$ed safe! to which he could ne#er get the combination to unloc$ it. "his might ha#e been an additional factor in his decision to remo#e @ichard Helms as =+,. +ould &BJ ha#e flashed a (green light) to @ichard Helms during their pri#ate trip to the ranchM "he idea is not unprecedented. Historian %rthur chlesinger has suggested! in his boo$ (@obert Kennedy and His "imes)! that then1Fice President @ichard ?ixon may ha#e gi#en a similar signal with regard to the assassination plots against Fidel +astro as far bac$ as *46C. chlesinger wrote! (Aet *4 the GassassinationH plant was an integral part of the in#asion plan. %nd it is hard to suppose that e#en the runaway agency mordantly portrayed in the reports of the Presidents Board of +onsultants would ha#e decided entirely on its own to $ill the chief of a neighboring country G+,% =irectorH =ulles must ha#e glimpsed a green light somewhereE +ould it ha#e been flashed by the Fice President of the 9ntied tatesM (, ha#e been). @ichard ?ixon said in *46D of the in#asion proKect! (the strongest and most persistent ad#ocate for setting up and supporting such a program.)) imilarly! presidential historian /ichael Beschloss wrote in this boo$ ("he +risis Aears)! ('e will probably ne#er $now for certain whether Fice President ?ixon flashed the green light for a +,%1/afia attempt against +astro. But it is hard to belie#e that as President he would ha#e made such a hea#y1handed demand of Ehrlichman merely to retrie#e e#idence of his support for in#ading +uba in *46C7 "he demand ma$es more sense if ?ixon was worried about public embarrassment by information <C showing his in#ol#ement in a murder plot against a foreign leader. "his concern may ha#e led to 'atergate.) "hese are two highly reputable historians both suggesting that ?ixon may ha#e gi#en a (green light) to assassination plots against +astro. :ranted! ?ixon was not Johnson! and +astro was not JFK. But the same principle applies. %nd if we assume that there is a straight line connecting the +,%1/afia plots against +astro to the plot against JFK! then surely there is a similarity in the modus operandi of the two plots. ?ixon would naturally not want his connection to the plot exposed! yet his tacit appro#al may ha#e been necessary for the plot to go forward. &i$ewise! &BJs flash of a green light to Helms may ha#e pro#ided him with all the authority necessary to go forward with the plot against JFK. ,n both cases! we ha#e means! moti#e and opportunity! but we do not ha#e definiti#e proof. %nd such proof may be impossible to find! gi#en the extreme secrecy and sensiti#ity of these operations. 'e can only speculate! and wonder. <* But E. Howard Hunt clearly belie#ed that &BJ was part of the plot. ,n (%merican py)! Hunt wrote this3 (&yndon Johnson was an opportunist who would not ha#e hesitated to get rid of any obstacles in his way. He could easily ha#e been in touch with GBillH Har#ey or G=a#idN Phillips7 Phillips was a man on the way up and became a significant figure that &BJ would ha#e wanted to get to $now7 ,n 'ashington there is a caste system in regard to who will tal$ to whom. 'ould &BJ ha#e spo$en directly to Har#eyM Aes! , thin$ he could ha#e done that! as Har#eys ran$ and position was such that a #ice president could tal$ to him. Har#ey may ha#e had an intense personal disli$e for the Kennedys and e#en had a se#ere clash with Bobby Kennedy around the time of the missile crisis.) Hunt went on to add that (the person who had the most to gain from Kennedys assassination was &BJ. "here was nobody with the le#erage that &BJ had! no competitor at all. He was the #ice president! and if he wanted to get rid of the president! he had the ability to do so by corrupting different people in the +,%. ,t has also been said by many << &BJ biographers! such as @obert +aro in ("he Path to Power)! that the man idoli>ed money! was corrupt and unprincipled! with unlimited ambition 2 not the type of indi#idual who was content to end his career as #ice president7 /any people conKecture that Johnson was set to drop e#en lower in footnote status! obser#ing that he was set to be cut from the *46D presidential tic$et. He and Kennedy did not get along! and theirs was purely a marriage of con#enience7) Hunt concluded in (%merican py) that (Ha#ing Kennedy li;uidated! thus ele#ating himself to the presidency without ha#ing to wor$ for it himself! could ha#e been a #ery tempting and logical mo#e on Johnsons part. ,t wouldnt ha#e been hard for him to ma$e contact with Har#ey! another ruthless man who was not satisfied with his position in the +,% and its go#ernment salary. He definitely had dreams of becoming =+,! and &BJ could do that for him if he were president. ,f &BJ had anything to do with the operation! he would ha#e used Har#ey! because he was a#ailable and corrupt. &BJ had the money and the <B connections to manipulate the scenario in =allas and is on record as ha#ing con#inced JFK to ma$e the appearance in the first place.) 0f course! we $now that &BJ did not ma$e Har#ey the =+, Ghead of the +,%H! but rather put @ichard Helms into this position 2 perhaps another indication that Helms was a $ey figure in the plot. %nd what do we $now about &ucien arti! the French +orsican /afia gunman named by Howard Hunt as the second shooter on the grassy $nollM ,n a sidebar to the @olling tone article entitled ("he &ast +onfession of E. Howard Hunt)! writer @ob heffield wrote! (% +orsican drug traffic$er! arti was $illed by police in *45<. +on#eniently! nothing concrete is $nown about him.) But this is not true. ,n the boo$ ("he :reat Heroin +oup) by Heinri$ Kruger! published in *4LC before artis name was connected with the JFK assassination! Kruger detailed aspects of artis criminal career. ,n the preface to the boo$! by noted JFK researcher Peter =ale cott! it was noted that (%s support for his argument that the traffic once <D dominated by @icord was simply redirected to +uban exiles in touch with the +,% and with antos "rafficante! Kruger points to the extraordinary story of %lberto icilia Falcon. omehow icilia! a twenty1nine +uban exile from /iami! was able to emerge as the ringleader of the so1called (/exican connection) which promptly filled the #acuum created by the destruction of the @icord networ$ in *45<. &ucien arti! a top @icord lieutenant! was shot and $illed by authorities in /exico on <5 %pril *45<! after being located there by 9.. agents.) "his latter fact is ;uite interesting. Eliminating international drug traffic$ers was one of the missions of the 'hite House plumbers unit! of which Hunt was a member! and artis murder occurred Kust before the 'atergate brea$1in in June *45<. ,s this a lin$ between the JFK assassination and 'atergate 2 or is it Kust another coincidenceM pea$ing further of the @icord drug organi>ation in France! Kruger writes this3 ("he @icord organi>ation was di#ided into four teams7@icord himself ran the main team from %suncion! Paraguay! and o#ersaw the entire operation. <8 +hiappe and /ichel ?icoli led another team! =omini;ue 0rsini and &ouis Bonsignour a third! and %ndre +ondemine and &ucien arti a fourth7. ,t was /urder ,ncorporated in French. ?early all had been sentenced to death in France.) ,t is interesting to note the inclusion of the name /ichel ?icoli! who later became one of those who identified &ucien arti as the shooter of JFK! while ?icoli was in the federal witness protection program in the 9. Kruger refers again to arti in his boo$! saying that (,n *466 0ld /an @icord enlarged his already immense narcotics networ$ upon disco#ering how easily he could smuggle heroin into the 9 #ia &atin %merica7 "he old man surrounded himself with hardcore thugs. By *45C the /obs leaders were @icord! sentenced to death in absentia for treason! torture and murderO &ucien arti! wanted for the murder of a Belgian policemanO +hristian =a#id!! sentenced to death in absentia7and French gangster and former %+ agent! /ichel ?icoli.) ?icoli and +hristian =a#id! of course! were later the two French criminals who <6 independently identified &ucien arti as the assassin of JFK! in separate confession to author and in#estigator te#e @i#ele. Kruger further details the capture and death of &ucien arti. He says that! (%uguste @icords *45* imprisonment in Paraguay taught +hristian =a#id and &ucien arti that it was time to mo#e on. "heir choice of location was Bra>il! in particular ,lha Bella! an island off the coast north of antos! con#eniently only two hours from ao Paulo and fi#e from @io de Janeiro. ,t also pro#ided a small harbor and landing strip. "he two holed up in the Bordelao! a small hotel run by Haide %rante> and +laudio @odrigue>! friends of artis Bra>ilian mistress! Helena Ferreira. Beau erge G+hristian =a#idH was by then the undisputed boss of the (Bra>ilian +onnection) ,ts other leaders were arti! /ichel ?icoli) and se#eral others!. Kruger describes the e#ents leading to artis death. (,n /arch arti went to /exico +ity! where he was Koined by his wife &iliane in an attracti#e residential district <5 apartment. arti had no notion that the police had been trailing him e#er since his entry from /exico. omebody had tipped them off7 ,n the e#ening of %pril *5! arti and &iliane left their hideout to go to the mo#ies. Before they got to their car! they were surrounded by the police. arti was unarmed! but the police shot and $illed him! and arrested &iliane.) ,n their boo$! (/arseille /afia)! Pierre :alante and &ouis apin pro#ide further bac$ground on artis criminal career. ,n *46*! &ucien arti was in#ol#ed in the murder of a Belgian police constable named %lbert de &eener. "he officer was ambushed by a group of French criminals! one of whom was arti. =e &eener was shot and $illed! and his body dumped into the trun$ of a car ("he body was lifted upO the boot of the car opened. =uring the operation! a small piece of cardboard fell from the poc$et of the man who had fired the final shot. "he in#estigators found it on the pa#ement! a little later. ,t was a fa$e identity card bearing the name &ucien abatier. "he photo was of a $nown French criminal! aged about thirty! who had a <L record under that name at the Juai des 0r#efres. He was called &ucien arti.) ("he following e#ening! arri#ing in Paris! &ucien arti read the papers and learned that he had been identified7 He was now a hunted man. "here was only one thing for him to do3 go to outh %mericaE) His trail from there led him to /exico! and from there on to =allas! according to the findings of author te#e @i#ele. ,n *4L8! @i#ele became interested in the Kennedy assassination and in particular the French connection. @i#ele was a successful author who later became a prominent screenwriter in Hollywood. @i#eles research led him to a man named +hristian =a#id! who had been a prominent member of the French connection! and a leader of the +orsican /afia. He was then ser#ing time in &ea#enworth Penitentiary. @i#ele helped =a#id find an attorney! and in return was told a remar$able story by =a#id. <4 %s recounted in the boo$ (+onspiracy) by %nthony ummers! (,n /ay or June *46B! according to =a#id! he was as$ed by %ntoine :uerini! the +orsican /afia boss in /arseille! to accept a contract to $ill (a highly placed %merican politician). :uerini made it ob#ious whom he meant! calling the politician (le plus grosse legume) 2 the biggest #egetable. "he President was to be $illed on 9 territory. =a#id turned down the contract! on the ground that it was too dangerous.) ("he contract! said =a#id! was accepted by &ucien arti! a +orsican drug traffic$er and $iller! and two other members of the /arseille mob! whom he refused to name. "hey were! he said! (specialists de tir) 2 (sharpshooters). He learned what happened some time after the assassination! at a *468 meeting in Buenos %ires. Present were arti! /ichel ?icoli!! G+hristianH =a#id and two others. "his is how the assassination was carried out! as =a#id tells it. @i#ele went on to describe the scenario! which he learned independently from both +hristian =a#id and /ichel BC ?icoli! to British Kournalist %nthony ummers. ,n (+onspiracy)! ummers wrote that! (arti and the two other assassins flew from /arseilles to /exico +ity in the fall of *46B. "hey stayed there se#eral wee$s! and were then dri#en to the 9nited tates border! which they crossed at Browns#ille! "exas. "hey were met at the border by a representati#e of the +hicago /afia! who con#ersed with them in ,talian. G+ould this ha#e been Johnny @oselliMH He dro#e them to a house in =allas.) ummers goes on to add! (0n ?o#ember <<! =a#id told @i#ele! three gunmen were in position. "wo were in buildings to the rear of the President when he was hit 2 one of them (almost on the hori>ontal.) "he third $iller! arti! dressed in some sort of uniform as a disguise! was (on the little hill to the front! the one with the fence.)7 Four shots were fired that day! according to arti and another of the assassins. "he first shot! from the rear! struc$ President Kennedy in the bac$. "he second shot missed! and hit (the other man in the car) G:o#ernor John +onnallyH. "he third shot! from arti on the hill! struc$ the President in the head! B* $illing him. arti used (an explosi#e bullet)! the only member of the group to use that type of ammunition. "he fourth shot missed the car entirely.) "his scenario is remar$able in that its details fit so well with e#idence de#eloped by the House elect +ommittee on %ssassinations and other sources. But there is more. (%fter the assassination! according to =a#ids allegations! the murderers lay low in =allas for about two wee$s. "hen 2 says =a#id 2 they were then flown out of the country by pri#ate aircraft! to /ontreal.) "his is the story of the assassination! as relayed from +hristian =a#id to te#e @i#ele to %nthony ummers. 'hen @i#ele as$ed =a#id who could confirm his story! he named /ichel ?icoli! a fellow +orsican gangster who was now in the 9 federal witness protection program as a result of his *45< testimony against the mob. % =E% official who $new him #ouched for his credibility in strong terms. E#entually! ?icoli was located! and he told @i#ele the same story that =a#id had told! although the two men had not seen each other for years. "o ma$e a long story B< short! nothing was done by the FB, to follow up on this remar$able de#elopment. ,n his account of the conspiracy! E. Howard Hunt named eight central figures. "hese were &yndon Johnson! +ord /eyer! =a#id %tlee Phillips! 'illiam K. Har#ey! %ntonio Feciana! Fran$ turgis! =a#id /orales! and &ucien arti. 0f these! perhaps the most surprising name is that of +ord /eyer. /eyer was a high official of the +,%! who had good reason to hate John F. Kennedy! yet his name has rarely come up in assassination circles. +ord /eyer was born in *4<C and graduated from Aale in *4D<. He Koined the 9 /arines and ser#ed in the outh Pacific! losing an eye in combat. ,n *4D8! he married /ary Pinchot! who would later ha#e an affair with President Kennedy. ,n *4D5! he was elected president of the 9nited 'orld Federalist! and was a strong left1wing ad#ocate of world go#ernment and the 9nited ?ations. BB Howe#er! by *4D4! /eyer had Koined the +,% at the urging of %llen =ulles! and wor$ed closely with James %ngleton among others. /eyers #iews gradually mo#ed from left to right! and he became a strong anti1+ommunist! as well as a hea#y drin$er. ,n *48L! he was di#orced from /ary /eyer! who was a free1spirited artist. ,n *46*! /ary began an affair with President Kennedy which lasted until his death -she had $nown him as far bac$ as prep school in the *4BCs.. ,n *46D! after Kennedys death! /ary was murdered mysteriously during an e#ening stroll on the ban$s of the towpath in :eorgetown. 0fficially! the murder was ne#er sol#ed! although rumors had it that the +,% might ha#e been in#ol#ed. hortly after her death! James %ngleton of the +,% personally bro$e into her studio and retrie#ed her personal diary! the contents of which ha#e ne#er been re#ealed. +ord /eyer left the +,% in *455! and died in <CC*. ,n my con#ersations with Howard Hunt! it was clear that he was fascinated by both +ord and /ary /eyer! in particular her mysterious death! Kust after the release of the 'arren BD +ommission report. "his was also e#ident in his memoir (%merican py). %mong other things! Hunt wrote! (%nother name that pops up in JFK conspiracy theories is +ord /eyer. He was a high le#el +,% operati#e who wife! Kournalist /ary Pinchot! was ha#ing an affair with John F Kennedy7 By the time of the assassination! +ord had been promoted to chief of the +,%s ,nternational 0rgani>ations =i#ision7 "he theorists suggest +ord would ha#e had a moti#e to $ill Kennedy because his wife was ha#ing an affair with the President7. "hen! on 0ctober *<! *46D! /ary was tragically gunned down while wal$ing on a towpath in :eorgetown. By that time! she and +ord had di#orced! and the media did not reali>e that her former husband was a high ran$ing +,% official. ?either did they find out about her relationship with the President7) Hunt went on to describe the suspicious circumstances behind /ary /eyers death. (/ary had cautioned at least one close friend to grab her diary if anything e#er happened to her. Journalist -later editor. Gand Kennedy friendH Ben Bradlee happened to be married to /arys sister! B8 %ntoinette! who found the letter and diaries shortly after the death. But there is an interesting fact here. 'hen the Bradlees arri#ed at /arys house shortly after the murder! they found James %ngleton already there! rummaging around the house! loo$ing for the diary and letters7 Bradlee has said that the door was loc$ed when he arri#ed. o does that mean %ngleton bro$e inM) ,t was clear to me from my con#ersations with Hunt years later that he was bitter about the fact that %ngleton had bro$en in and gotten away scott free! whereas Hunt himself had ser#ed BB months in prison for a similar brea$1in. Hunts theory of the brea$1in went li$e this3 ('hen %ntoinette e#entually found the diary! she turned it o#er to %ngleton! who later admitted that the boo$ detailed the affair! tal$ing specifically about how /ary and Kennedy would drop &= before ma$ing lo#e. /ary apparently thought that JFKs murder had ta$en place because the industrial1military complex couldnt allow his mind to be expanded by the drug. "he fact that %ngleton was already there in the house when Bradlee got there is mysterious! as B6 so little time had gone by since the murder.) Bear in mind that %ngleton was a #ery high official of the +,%! unli$ely to personally ta$e part in a (blac$ bag Kob) except in the most extreme circumstances. "his would be roughly e;ui#alent to J. Edgar Hoo#er personally brea$ing into a building on behalf of the FB,. Hunt concluded his analysis with these suggesti#e comments3 (Journalist &eo =amore wrote in the ?ew Aor$ Post that a +,% source told him that /arys death was probably a professional hit because (he had access to the highest le#els. he was in#ol#ed in illegal drug acti#ity. 'hat do you thin$ it would do to the beatification of Kennedy if this woman said! (,t wasnt +amelot 2 it was +aligulas courtM) o , thin$ it was probably a professional hit be someone trying to protect the Kennedy legacy.) 0r! perhaps! to co#er up her $nowledge of the Kennedy assassination. @enowned historian John H. =a#is! author of se#eral boo$s on the Kennedys and the assassination and himself a B5 cousin of Jac;uelyn Bou#ier Kenney! wrote an unpublished manuscript in *44L entitled (John F. Kennedy and /ary Pinchot /eyer3 % "ale of "wo /urdered &o#ers). =a#is wrote! ('hen! in early 0ctober! *46D /ary /eyer first read the 'arren @eport on the assassination of President Kennedy she immediately recogni>ed it as a co#er1up. %mong its many omissions /ary noted there was no mention in the @eport of the +,%1/afia plots to assassinate +astro.) he told a friend that the document was full of lies and that (they had co#ered up e#erything.)) =a#is added! ('e may picture this slim blonde woman of DD in her small coach house studio in :eorgetown7 leafing through this report on the murder of a man she had seen regularly during the last <C months of her life! then tossing the boo$ aside in disgust7 and phoning up a few of her closest friends to tell them she thought the @eport was worthless! that it was full of glaring omissions and was essentially a (pac$ of lies.)7 ,f it became $nown among those who perpetrated the co#er1up that some woman who had been close to President Kennedy was going around BL blabbing her mouth off about some of the most sensiti#e! and potentially explosi#e! omissions in the @eport! that person was ta$ing an enormous ris$.) =a#is concludes3 (,t was a tribute to the perspicacity of /ary /eyer to recogni>e at first reading what almost no one recogni>ed at the time3 that the 'arren +ommissions in#estigation of the JFK assassination was deeply flawed and that the 'arren +ommission was essentially a fraudulent co#erPup7 'e must ine#itably conclude that /ary /eyers reKection of the 'arren +ommissions conclusions when an entire nations was accepting them indicated that she $new things that #ery few people $new and that for that reason told %nne "ruitt she feared for her safety and told her that if anything happened to her she should consign her diary to the +,%s James Jesus %ngleton. "he burning ;uestion! then! is what did /ary $nowM %nd the only answer we can gi#e is that she $new too much.) B4 ,n the boo$ ("he :eorgetown &adies ocial +lub) by +. =a#id Heymann! &eo =amore was ;uoted as saying this! (/ary /eyer was $illed by a well1trained professional hit man! #ery li$ely somebody connected to the +,%. %fter the assassination of John Kennedy! /ary had become an incon#enient woman! the former mistress of one of the worlds most powerful political leaders and the ex1wife of a +,% honcho. "he feeling in the agency was that heres somebody who $nows too much for her own good. he $nows where all the bodies are buried. he $nows the 'arren +ommission report! released shortly before her death! is nothing but a grandiose co#er1up. he $nows about the /afia! the +ubans and the %gency! and how any one of them could ha#e conspired to eliminate Kennedy.) 'hat she didnt $now! according to =amore! is that a month after the Presidents murder! the %gency placed her under twenty1four hour sur#eillance! tapping her phone! wiring her house! intercepting her mail! and initiating se#eral brea$1ins in search of notes and letters to and from JFK and others of e;ual interest.) DC ,nter#iewed by author =a#id Heymann shortly before his death in <CC*! +ord /eyer was as$ed about the death of his wife /ary. (,t was a bad time)! he said. (%nd what could he say about /ary /eyerM 'ho had committed such a heinous crimeM) His answer to Heymann was re#ealing. ("he same sons of bitches)! he hissed! (that $illed John F. Kennedy.)) %nother $ey figure in the plot! according to Hunt! was =a#id %tlee Phillips. Phillips was a &atin %merican specialist who wor$ed with Hunt on the +,% coup in :uatemala as far bac$ as *48D. He also collaborated with Hunt on the plans for the Bay of Pigs in#asion in *46*. "he two men were close friends and collaborators o#er many years in the +,%. %uthor :aeton Fon>i! who in#estigated Phillips in depth for the House elect +ommittee on %ssassinations! came to some firm conclusions about =a#id Phillips! who had allegedly met with co1conspirator %ntonio Feciana! a +uban exile leader! under the pseudonym (/aurice Bishop3 in the summer of *46B in =allas in the presence of &ee Har#ey 0swald. "he D* ostensible purpose was to put 0swald! who was about to tra#el to /exico! in touch with Fecianas cousin :uillermo @ui>! who wor$ed in the +uban embassy in /exico +ity. ,n his boo$ ("he &ast ,n#estigation! :aeton Fon>i wrote this3 ()/aurice Bishop) was =a#id %tlee Phillips. , state that une;ui#ocally7,n addition to the abundance of e#idence detailed in this boo$ which unerringly points to Phillips being Bishop! belie#e me! , $now that he was. %nd Bob Bla$ey Gstaff director of the committeeH and the House elect +ommittee $new that he was! although its report did not admit that.) Fon>i goes on to add! (=a#id %tlee Phillips played a $ey role in the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. , dont embrace the assumption that Phillips relationship to 0swald may ha#e been extraneous to any conspiratorial role.) ,t should be noted here that Howard Hunt insisted to me and in his boo$ that Phillips met with 0swald not Kust in =allas! but also in /exico +ity! where Phillips was stationed. D< Fon>i continues! ("hat Phillips rose to the top echelon of the %gency as +hief of the 'estern Hemisphere di#ision is! , thin$! significant when we tal$ about (elements) of the +,% being in#ol#ed in the Kennedy assassination. -+an those who control the ideological soul and operational body of the %gency be considered simply (elements) within itM.) ,t should be noted! though! that @ichard Helms admitted that he $ept +,% =irector John /c+one in the dar$ about all assassination acti#ities! so the plot probably did not go to the #ery top of the +,% hierarchy. :aeton Fon>i went on to add! (?or is Phillips tight wor$ing association with the %gencys most lethal operati#es insignificant. His was a cabal of associates whose careers were entwined with the history of +,% assassination plots! that ranged from @ichard Helms to E. Howard Hunt and from "ed hac$ley to the %gencys /ob liaison 'illiam Har#ey. %nd then! or course! there was =a#id Phillips faithful operati#e! the +,%s action legend! =a#id anche> /orales! whose inebriated admission of in#ol#ement in the DB Kennedy assassination 2 ('e too$ care of that son of a bitch! didnt weM 2 closed the circle. Fon>i concludes! (, belie#e that =a#id %tlee Phillips $ey role was affirmed when he lied under oath. "he #ery fact that he had to lie 2 both about his manipulation of 0swald in /exico +ity and his co#ert operations as /aurice Bishop 2 was the definiti#e statement of his guilt.) ,t is #ery significant that Hunt admitted that Phillips had met with 0swald in /exico +ity shortly before the assassination! presumable to frame him as a +uban sympathi>er! as well as in =allas before his /exico trip. ,t has also been reported by author "ad >ulc! in his boo$ (+ompulsi#e py)! that Howard Hunt was in /exico +ity at the #ery time 0swald was #isiting there. "his raises the possibility that both Phillips and Hunt may ha#e met with 0swald there. How else would Hunt $now of the meeting with PhillipsM ,n his inter#iews with me! Hunt did not deny that he was there when 0swald was there! but said that he would ha#e to chec$ his +,% records. DD %nd what of %ntonio FecianaM He was a +uban exile! leader of the militant anti1+astro group %lpha 66! and apparently met with &ee Har#ey 0swald and =a#id Phillips prior to the assassination. ,n E. Howard Hunts handwritten memo prior to his death! gi#en to his son t. John! Hunt wrote this3 *46< 1 &BJ recruits +ord /eyer. *46B 2 +ord /eyer discusses a plot with Phillips! who brings in 'illiam Har#ey and %ntonio Feciana. He GPhillipsH meets with 0swald in /exico +ity that summer. Feciana meets with Fran$ turgis in /iami and enlists =a#id /orales in anticipation of $illing JFK there. But &BJ changed the itinerary to =allas! citing personal reasons.) "here is much more to Hunts memo! but this is the passage that pertains to Feciana. ,t is clear from Hunts account that Feciana was a $ey figure in the plot. British author %nthony ummers! writing in (+onspiracy! said this about Feciana3 (%ntonio Feciana was the #ictim of a murder attempt in late *454 2an ambush while he was on his way home from wor$. Four shots were fired! and a fragment of one bullet lodged in Fecianas head. He D8 reco#ered 2 in what police and doctors consider a frea$ escape. Publicly the #eteran anti1+astro fighter has blamed the attac$ on +astro agents! but pri#ately he has also expressed concern that it may ha#e been lin$ed to his allegations about +,% case officer (/aurice Bishop)! who 2 says Feciana 2met 0swald shortly before the Kennedy assassination and later urged the fabrication of a false story about 0swald and +uban diplomats in /exico +ity.) Feciana! who later too$ part in a failed assassination attempt with =a#id Phillips in *45* against Fidel +astro in +hile! is clearly a #ery suspicious character. He is also the only one of the plotters named by Hunt who is still li#ing. ,n a recent inter#iew! Feciana told =a#id "albot! author of (Brothers)! that he belie#ed that the +,% was in#ol#ed in Kennedys murder. Howe#er! Feciana predictably denied that he had any part in the plot.
%nother $ey figure in the plot was =a#id /orales. ,n his handwritten memo! Howard Hunt wrote! (,n /iami! turgis tells Hunt that hes buying guns for some friends -who could be /afia or +uban acti#ists.. turgis brings D6 /orales to a meeting he has with ?%=% GHoward HuntH where the (Big E#ent) is referred to. %fter /orales lea#es! turgis says (%re you with usM) Hunt replies that he cant ma$e a decision without $nowing what the (Big E#ent) is. 'hen turgis says $illing JFK! ?%=% GHuntH is incredulous. =oesnt ha#e a lot of faith in turgis and says (Aou guys ha#e got e#erything you need 2 why do you need meM turgis replies that ?%=% GHuntH could help co#ering up. ?%=% GHuntH says he wont get in#ol#ed in anything in#ol#ing Bill Har#ey! who is an alcoholic psycho. "hat ends ?%=%s GHuntsN part. He resumes his normal life and does not see turgis again until GBernardH Bar$er brings him into the 'atergate brea$1in.) "his passage contains many interesting elements. First! it is clear that /orales had prior $nowledge of the (Big E#ent)! ha#ing been brought into the plot by Feciana. econd! it is e#ident that /orales had direct dealings with Feciana! =a#id Phillips! Fran$ turgis! Howard Hunt! and possibly +ord /eyer as well. /orales had wor$ed with Hunt and Phillips in the +,% coup in :uatemala as far bac$ D5 as *48D! as well as in the Bay of Pigs operation and the plots against +astro in the early *46Cs. /orales was $nown as a stone $iller and a hands1on operati#e who was not afraid to get blood on his hands. He was reported to ha#e been in the Presidential Palace in +hile when President al#ador %llende was assassinated in *45B! and also too$ part in the +,% Phoenix program on assassinations in Fietnam in the *45Cs! ,n Fon>is boo$! he describes as incident that too$ place during a late night drin$ing bout with /orales and a friend named Bob 'alton. (%t the mention of Kennedys name! he recalls! /orales literally almost hit the ceiling. He flew off the bed on that one)! says 'alton7 He Kumped up screaming! ("hat no good son of a bitch motherfuc$erQ He started yelling about what a wimp Kennedy was and tal$ing about how he had wor$ed on the Bay of Pigs and how he had to watch all the men he had recruited and trained get wiped out because of Kennedy.) DL ('alton says /orales tirade about Kennedy! fueled by righteous anger and high1proof boo>e went on for se#eral minutes while he stomped around the room. uddenly he stopped! sat bac$ down on the bed and remained silent for a moment. "hen! as if saying it only to himself! he added3 ('ell! we too$ care of that son of a bitch! didnt weM)) %nd then we come to Fran$ turgis. turgis was a mercenary and soldier of fortune! with ties to both the +,% and the /afia. turgis had fought briefly on the side of Fidel +astro in the mountains during the re#olution! although he later switched sides and became #iolently anti1 +astro. Fidel installed turgis for a short time as the /inister of :aming GgamblingH when he too$ power! but turgis was ;uic$ly remo#ed when +astro closed the /afia casinos and outlawed gambling in +uba. turgis was associated with Howard Hunt for many years! starting with a no#el Hunt wrote in *4D4 called (Bimini @un)! which featured a soldier of fortune type named Han$ turgis. -Hunt later maintained that this was Kust a D4 coincidence.. Hunt and turgis wor$ed closely together during the Bay of Pigs period! and of course was later arrested with Hunt during the 'atergate brtea$1in during *45<. Hunt claimed under oath that he had met turgis for the first time shortly before 'atergate! but this was clearly not true! by his own later admission. ,n her boo$ I@ @ifle! +laudia Furiati points out some pertinent facts about turgis -nee Fran$ Fiorini.. he writes3 R"he counterintelligence 2 Fran$ turgis and 0rlando Bosch were two of the principal agents of 0peration DC! the (parallel) counter1intelligence structure before! during! and after the Bay of Pigs in#asion. =a#id %tlee Phillips represented the +,% in these operations.) ("he +ommandos 1 turgis was on of the initiators of the ,nternational %nti1+ommunist Brigade7 =a#id %tlee Phillips was the mentor of these terrorist groups. turgis and his partner :erry Hemming opened the training camp at &a$e Pontchartrain in ?ew 0rleans in the same era as the creation of %lpha 66 Gheaded by %ntonio FecianaH7 8C Pontchartrain! spared by the police authorities! became the center of the illegal counterre#olutionary operations. Fran$ turgis! 0rlando Bosch! :uy Banister! =a#id Ferrie! +lay haw! and &ee Har#ey 0swald all participated directly in these.) ,n her boo$! +laudia Furiati inter#iewed Fabian Escalante of +uban intelligence! who in turn cited the boo$ (=ouble +ross) by am and +huc$ :iancana. Escalante commented! R,t is interesting to obser#e! following the details gi#en in (=ouble +ross)! that the assassination of Kennedy was carried out by two groups3 one under the control of Jac$ @uby! who later $illed 0swaldO and the other by Fran$ turgis! who later became the chief of the 'atergate (plumbers). ,t is now possible to appreciate why @ichard ?ixon didnt want the famous phone tapes about the Bay of Pigs to become $nown.)
"he (Bay of Pigs thing) raises its ugly head again. But why was ?ixon so concerned about the Bay of Pigs thing! and what it might re#eal. %fter all! the in#asion too$ place 8* under JFK! who too$ full responsibility for the fiasco. 'hy then would this cause such embarrassment to ?ixon and to the +,%M Perhaps because of the e#ents leading up to the Bay of Pigs! the planning of which too$ place under ?ixon and Eisenhower. %nd perhaps due to the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs! which caused hatred toward Kennedy on the part of the +,%! the +uban exiles! and the /afia. Perhaps these three groups Koined forces to plot the murder of JFK. %nd perhaps ?ixon reali>ed that the whole chain of e#ents could be traced bac$ to him starting in *46C with the plots against +astro. %nd who suggested such a plotM 0ne of the first was none other than E. Howard Hunt. %s the planning for the Bay of Pigs progressed! Hunt became increasingly dissatisfied with the program being proposed. He felt that (his) +ubans were being pushed out in fa#or of more moderate to leftist +uban exiles 2 in effect Fidelismo without Fidel. hortly before the actual in#asion! Hunt in effect resigned his position in the operation. ,n his boo$ (0swald and the +,%)! historian John ?ewman writes that! (%fter a detour of se#eral days 8< in pain! Hunt deli#ered his recommendations to the +uban tas$ force Gheaded by ?ixonH in %pril. He listed four3 (*. %ssassinate +astro before or coincident with the in#asion -a tas$ for +uban patriots. <. =estroy the +uban radio and tele#ision transmitters7 B. =estroy the islands microwa#e relay system7 D. =iscard any thought of a popular uprising against +astro until the issue has already been militarily decided. (Hunt belie#ed that! without +astro! the +uban army would (collapse in leaderless confusion.) G"racyH Barnes and G=ic$H Bissell read Hunts report and told him it (would weigh in the final planning.)) ubse;uently! in July *46C! Hunt was in#ited to lunch with ?ixons ?ational ecurity %d#iser and +hief of 8B taff! @obert E. +ushman. ?ewman describes what transpired! ;uoting Hunt himself. (Hunt described what transpired3 (, re#iewed for +ushman my impressions of +uba under +astro and my principal operational recommendations7 +ushmans reaction was to tell me that the Fice President G?ixonH was the proKects action officer within the 'hite House! and that ?ixon wanted nothing to go wrong.)) 0f course! ?ixon and +ushman were gone! and Kennedy was President! by the time the operation too$ place in %pril *46*. 'hy! then! ?ixons great concern! a decade later! about the (Bay of Pigs thing)! and the fact that E. Howard Hunt ($new too much.) ?ixon told Ehrlichman that (if you open that scab GHuntH! theres one hell of a lot of things.) 'hat they were has ne#er been re#ealed. +learly! though! Hunt $new and was familiar with many of the $ey plotters! as well as the plot himself. Hunt claimed in his memo that he turned down the plot! although he certainly did not alert the police! the FB,! the +,%! or the ecret er#ice of this $nowledge. 0n an 8D audio tape gi#en by Hunt to t. John in his latter years! Hunt described himself as a (benchwarmer) in the plot to $ill JFK. 'hile this does not describe an acti#e participant! it does describe a full member of the team who was ready to ta$e the field and enter the game as a player at any moment if need be. 0f course! Hunt could also ha#e been minimi>ing his role in the plot! as might be expected. ,n his handwritten memo to t. John! Hunt added this3 (&i$e the rest of the country! ?%=% GHuntH is stunned by JFKs death and reali>es how luc$y he is not to ha#e had a direct role. ,n =anbury federal prison Gafter 'atergateH! Epsilon GturgisH and ?%=% GHuntH reflect on the (Big E#ent). 0swald is dead so the feds ha#e nobody to prosecute. Epsilon GturgisH speculates that Jac$ @uby was selected to $ill 0swald by the mob. Epsilon GturgisH re#eals that one of the =allas shooters was a foreigner.) Hunt later informed t. John and me that the foreigner was a French +orsican gunman named 88 arti. "his could only ha#e been &ucien arti! as Hunt suggests in his boo$ (%merican py). +learly! Hunt was up to his eyeballs in assassination plots. 0ne additional note is pro#ided by Bayard toc$ton in (Flawed Patriot). He notes that! (,n /arch *46*! well before GBillH Har#ey was in#ol#ed in +aribbean matters! GJohnnyH @oselli went to the =ominican @epublic! accompanied by Howard Hunt of the +,%. @afael "ruKillo! the @epublics dictator! was ambushed and $illed on /ay BC! *46*! but the +,% was cleared of in#ol#ement in the assassination.) +leared by the +,%! that is! Kust as it was (cleared) of the assassination of &umumba in the +ongo in *46C! e#en though the %gency had sent $illers to eliminate him. ,t is most interesting to note that in *46*! two years before the Kennedy assassination! Howard Hunt and Johnny @oselli were Koining forces in an assassination plot in the +aribbean. @oselli! of course! was the /afias liaison to the +,%! and the representati#e of the 86 +hicago /afia in &as Fegas! &os %ngeles and points east. He was also a close friend and drin$ing buddy of Bill Har#ey and of =a#id /orales as well. 'hen we put all these facts together! from #arious sources! it becomes clear that Howard Hunts assassination scenario is at least #ery possible! if not highly probably. ,f Hunt had wanted to create a fictional scenario! he probably would ha#e implicated Fidel +astro in the plot! instead of his own close friends and colleagues. "his adds to the credibility of Hunts story. 85
In Defense of Wilhelm Reich: Opposing The 80-Years' War of Defamatory Slander Against One of The 20th Century's Most Brilliant Physicians and Natural Scientists, by James DeMeo