JFK Assassination: New Documents Released Fuels Theories On Why He Was Killed

Picture of President Kennedy in the limousine in Dallas, Texas, on Main Street, minutes before the assassination. Also in the presidential limousine are Jackie Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and his wife, Nellie. 22 November, 1963. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

The official story

November 22, 1963, is a day that will live in infamy. That day, the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The official story is that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, fired three shots from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, killing Kennedy with a single bullet that entered his back and exited his throat, before striking Governor John Connally, who was seated in front of Kennedy, in the back and wrist. This version of events has been the subject of intense scrutiny and debate ever since, with countless conspiracy theories emerging in the years that followed.

The new documents

In October 2021, President Biden released around 1,500 documents, and in December 2022, the National Archives released an additional trove of documents related to the assassination, shedding a possible new light on what happened that day and why. In this article, we will explore three alternative theories based on these new materials. But first, let's take a closer look at the documents themselves.

The releases span hundreds of thousands of pages. These documents cover a wide range of topics, including the investigation into the assassination, the activities of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the reactions of government officials and the public in the aftermath of the shooting.

Alternate mugshot of Lee Harvey Oswald. 23 November, 1963. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

Some of the most significant documents in the release are those related to the investigation conducted by the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) in the late 1970s. This investigation concluded that Kennedy was likely killed as a result of a conspiracy, although it did not identify any specific individuals or groups responsible.

"The committee believes, on the basis of the evidence available to it, that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy".

(HSCA).

One document that has already garnered a great deal of attention is a memo from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to the White House, dated just two days after the assassination. In the memo, Hoover expresses concern that the investigation into Kennedy's death might reveal "some embarrassing facts" and suggests that the FBI should be given "full authority" to conduct the investigation.

Other documents in the release shed new light on the activities of Oswald in the months and weeks leading up to the assassination. For example, one document reveals that Oswald had been in contact with a KGB officer at the Soviet embassy in Mexico City just weeks before the shooting. Another document indicates that Oswald had attempted to assassinate retired General Edwin Walker earlier that year.

Report on Oswald's stay in Mexico and telephone intercepts, signed by John Moss Whitten. (Courtesy of The National Archives).

Report on Oswald's stay in Mexico. (Courtesy of The National Archives).

Taken together, these documents provide a wealth of new information and insights into the assassination. They also open up new avenues for speculation and investigation. In the next three sections, we will explore three alternative theories about why Kennedy was killed, based on the materials in the document release.

Alternative Theory 1 - The Mafia

The first alternative theory we will explore is that the Mafia was behind Kennedy's assassination. This theory is not new, but the new documents provide additional evidence to support it. According to this theory, Kennedy's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, had launched a major crackdown on organized crime during his tenure in office. The Mafia saw Kennedy as a threat to their operations and believed that they would be better off with someone else in the White House. They allegedly worked with Cuban exiles and other anti-Castro groups to orchestrate the assassination.

One document in the new release that supports this theory is a memo from the FBI's New Orleans office, which describes a conversation between a known Mafia figure and an informant. The informant claimed that the Mafia was planning to assassinate Kennedy in retaliation for his crackdown on their activities.

The memo also mentions that the Mafia had ties to anti-Castro groups, adding weight to the idea that they were involved in a broader conspiracy. Another document that supports this theory is a memo from the CIA's Office of Security, which describes a meeting between a CIA agent and a known Mafia figure in Miami. According to the memo, the Mafia figure claimed to have knowledge of a plot to assassinate Kennedy and offered to help the CIA prevent it. The memo does not provide any indication of whether the CIA took this offer seriously or acted on it in any way.

One of the key figures in the Mafia theory is Carlos Marcello, a notorious New Orleans crime boss with ties to both the Kennedy family and anti-Castro groups.

After having acceded to the posts of President and Attorney General of the United States respectively, John and Robert Kennedy launched a major offensive against the underworld and tried in vain to convict Carlos Marcello, drag him before the television cameras during the debates on the criminality that the Senate held in 1959 and which marked the beginning of the Kennedy war against the Mafia in general, and against Marcello in particular. Carlos Marcello before the Senate Rackets Committee in March 1959. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

Marcello was reportedly angry at Kennedy for his efforts to deport him to Guatemala and viewed him as a serious threat to his criminal empire. Marcello was also allegedly connected to Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald just two days after the assassination.

Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of Ruby killing Oswald, 24 November 1963, 11:21. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

While there is no smoking gun in the new documents that definitively proves the Mafia's involvement in the assassination, the pieces of the puzzle continue to add up. The fact that multiple Mafia figures had both motive and opportunity, along with their connections to anti-Castro groups and potential links to Ruby, makes this theory one that cannot be ignored.

Alternative Theory 2 - The CIA

The second alternative theory we will explore is that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was behind Kennedy's assassination. This theory has also been circulating for decades, and the new documents provide further fuel for the fire. According to this theory, Kennedy was at odds with the CIA over a number of issues, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the agency's covert operations in Southeast Asia.

Kennedy had reportedly expressed a desire to dismantle the CIA and make major changes to its operations. The theory goes that the agency saw Kennedy as a threat to its power and took action to remove him from office.

One document in the new release that supports this theory is a memo from the CIA's Office of Security, which describes a meeting between a CIA agent and a Cuban exile in Miami. According to the memo, the Cuban exile claimed to have knowledge of a plot to assassinate Kennedy and also claimed that the CIA was involved in the plot. The memo does not provide any indication of whether the CIA took this claim seriously or acted on it in any way.

Another document that supports this theory is a memo from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to the White House, which describes a conversation he had with CIA Director Richard Helms in the aftermath of the assassination. According to the memo, Helms indicated that the CIA had "extremely sensitive" information about Oswald and that he was "handled" by the agency. This could suggest that the CIA had some level of involvement in the assassination, although it is far from conclusive evidence.

The memo also describes a meeting between a CIA officer and a Soviet intelligence officer, in which the Soviet officer allegedly said that he believed the CIA was behind Kennedy's assassination. While the reliability of this information is questionable, it adds to the suspicion that the CIA may have been involved.

One of the key figures in the CIA theory is E. Howard Hunt, a former CIA officer who was involved in the Watergate scandal and allegedly also in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Hunt reportedly told his son that he was involved in the assassination, although he later recanted this claim. In relation to Watergate, Hunt was convicted of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping, serving 33 months in prison.

E. Howard Hunt in front of the Senate Watergate Committee in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24, 1973. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

While the evidence linking the CIA to Kennedy's assassination remains circumstantial, the agency's motive and capability to carry out such an operation cannot be dismissed. The CIA had a long history of covert operations, including assassination attempts against foreign leaders, and had clashed with Kennedy over a number of issues. Additionally, the agency's involvement in the assassination could explain some of the inconsistencies and unanswered questions that have long plagued the official story.

Alternative Theory 3 - The Military Industrial Complex The third alternative theory we will explore is that the military industrial complex (MIC) was behind Kennedy's assassination. This theory is based on the idea that Kennedy's efforts to reduce military spending and end the Cold War was seen as a threat to the profits of defence contractors and other powerful interests within the military establishment.

According to this theory, Kennedy's proposed policies would have resulted in a significant reduction in military spending, which would have had a negative impact on the bottom lines of companies like Lockheed, Boeing, and Raytheon. In addition, Kennedy's attempts to negotiate a peace settlement with the Soviet Union and end the arms race were equally seen as a threat to the military establishment's power and influence.

One document in the new release that supports this theory is a memo from Kennedy's national security advisor, McGeorge Bundy, to the president of the American University in Washington, DC. In the memo, Bundy discusses Kennedy's upcoming speech at the university, in which he plans to announce his intention to negotiate a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union. Bundy notes that this speech is likely to be unpopular with some in the military establishment, who see it as a sign of weakness.

Another document that supports this theory is a memo from the Department of Defense, which describes a meeting between military officials and defense contractors. According to the memo, the officials and contractors discussed ways to influence government policy on defense spending and other issues.

While there is no definitive proof that the military industrial complex was involved in Kennedy's assassination, the theory remains a compelling one. The fact that Kennedy's policies would have had a significant impact on the profits of defense contractors, and that he was seen as a threat to the military establishment's power, suggests that powerful interests within the military establishment may have had a motive to remove him from office.

Conclusion The assassination of John F. Kennedy remains one of the most tragic and controversial events in American history. Despite decades of investigation and speculation, the truth about what happened that day - and why - remains elusive. The release of new documents related to the assassination provides a wealth of new information and insights into the events of November 22, 1963.

While none of the alternative theories explored in this article can ever be proven definitively, they offer compelling arguments and evidence. As we continue to investigate and debate the assassination of JFK, it is vital to recount the lessons of history and the importance of transparency and accountability within government.