Gus Russo's View on JFKA

[Benjamin Cole]

Gus Russo's view, primarily detailed in his book Live by the Sword, is that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman but was heavily influenced by pro-Castro agents and the climate created by the Kennedys' secret war against Cuba. Russo argues that Cuban intelligence was aware of Oswald's intentions and encouraged him, leading to the assassination.

Key Points of Russo's Theory

Oswald's Motivation: Russo contends that Oswald, a pro-Castro fanatic, acted out of a desire to impress the Cuban regime and secure asylum in Havana. Oswald was enraged by news of Attorney General Robert Kennedy's personal supervision of plots to assassinate Fidel Castro.

Cuban Awareness: According to Russo's research, which included interviews with retired Cuban spies, Cuban intelligence had been aware of Oswald since his time in Minsk (1959-1961), where he interacted with Cuban agents training nearby. They were aware of his visit to the Cuban embassy in Mexico City in September 1963, where he loudly threatened to kill President Kennedy in exchange for a visa.

Encouragement, Not Direction: Russo stops short of saying Oswald was a formally recruited or trained Cuban agent. Instead, he describes Oswald as a "self-generating agent" whose actions were encouraged and potentially facilitated by pro-Castro contacts who saw an opportunity to retaliate against the U.S. for its attempts to overthrow their leader.
The Cover-Up: The subsequent cover-up, Russo argues, was orchestrated by top U.S. officials, including President Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert Kennedy, to hide the U.S.'s own "secret war against Castro" and prevent a potential nuclear war with Cuba and the Soviet Union if the connection became public.

Russo's theory ties the assassination directly to the heightened Cold War tensions and the clandestine operations against the Castro regime, explaining both Oswald's motive and the government's secrecy in the aftermath.

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As I contend there had to be a second gunsel on 11/22...I wonder if G2'ers were in fact involved on 11/22.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Let's start with Russo's views about Oswald's motive and work from there. He wrote this in his book "Live by the Sword" about that motive (I'm going to assume he still believes this):



As is obvious, we don't know and, barring some sudden find (an Oswald notebook? letter?), never will what motivated Oswald. Russo says that with certainty he does not believe Castro ordered the assassination, that Oswald did not act on Castro's direction. He does think - or did, maybe he's changed his mind - that events in Mexico City may give us a clue as to why. That is, who Oswald met there and whether they were Cuban agents who encouraged him or inflamed him to strike back at JFK. Frankly, I don't know how you can connect Mexico City in late September to Dallas two months later; too many unknowns, too many things had to happen that no one, particularly Oswald, in MC could have foreseen.

As to any coverup: Russo writes, again in "Live by the Sword", that the coverup was undertaken by Kennedy people in the government and media along with professional intelligence agents who withheld information about the covert war on Castro and the assassination plots. It was this group that covered things up. But *not* about the assassination itself, who did it and how it was done. But about the covert war on Havana, the assassination plots, the mob involvement. They withheld this information, these operations, from the WC; the WC didn't cover it up since they didn't know about all of this.

LBJ, he says, learned about this covert war, especially the plots (exactly when is a question), and out of national security concerns swept it under the rug. But he didn't initiate the coverup. Or order the WC not to look. It was already taking place by Kennedy people and intelligence agents for their own reasons. In his last interview as president, LBJ told Cronkite that he thought Castro was behind the assassination; he said he didn't have any direct evidence but that was his view.

This all makes sense to me but I'm still not sold how any agents in Mexico City (at the so-called "Twist Party" or elsewhere) could be connected to Oswald's act two months later. Plus, the fact that Oswald acted so impetuously, taking his rifle that last day, not preparing for his act, not having any post-assassination plan. After the shooting Oswald is winging it, wandering around Dallas with no purpose. It all seemed so last second.

 

[Ben McKenna]

 

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Oswald was a life long supporter of the Cuban Revolution, of Castro, and the the Cuban people who took back their country, in his (correct) view, from the gangsters and crooks who were exploiting it, using the island as their playground for making fortunes off drugs and prostitution while the people suffered. He said this repeatedly. He supported the Revolution from day one and told people he wanted to go there to help Castro and the Cuban people. That's what he was doing in Mexico City; trying to get into Cuba. He told Marina shortly before he left: "Fidel Castro needs defenders. I'm going to join his army of volunteers. I'm going to be a revolutionary."

The idea that he would join up with the same gangsters like Marcello who had raped Cuba and exploited the people and kill JFK on their behalf makes no sense. Not to mention there's little evidence for it.

[Ben McKenna]

 The idea that he would join up with the same gangsters like Marcello who had raped Cuba and exploited the people and kill JFK on their behalf makes no sense. Not to mention there's little evidence for it.

Exactly, there is no concrete evidence but there is a ton of circumstantial evidence. All of the people and places are gone. It's like trying to paint a picture from 60 year old memories and shreds of erroneous data. Your guess is as good as mine and so on.

[Tommy Shanks]

I believe Russo is 100% correct that Oswald acted alone, whether or not he was inspired to do so by his Cuban allegiances or not. I see zero evidence for Oswald having been manipulated by the Mafia, as one member of this forum has lately been trumpeting. Gus provided invaluable research and behind-the-scenes work on the 1993 "Frontline" documentary, which, among other things, absolutely proves the one-and-only real, human Oswald was indeed in Mexico City prior to the assassination.

[Ben McKenna]

One of the men in the photo in my article was a very powerful Sicilian mob boss who's family controlled vice on the Mississippi Gulf Coast from the 1920's to the 1970's. He was a lieutenant in the organization until his uncle died in the early 70's. He took over the organization and brought about reform. He was vehemently opposed to the cocaine trade and deplored cheating. He purged Dixie mafia elements who were involved with drugs and human trafficking. To put it in perspective, Mickey Gillich (Kingpin of the Dixie Mafia) had to pay him protection money (pizzo) because the Italian mob controlled  Mississippi Coast gambling activities, alcohol sales, cigarette sales, and even pinball machines. He attended Catholic mass every Sunday. 

[Tommy Shanks]

One of the men in the photo in my article was a very powerful Sicilian mob boss who's family controlled vice on the Mississippi Gulf Coast from the 1920's to the 1970's. He was a lieutenant in the organization until his uncle died in the early 70's. He took over the organization and brought about reform. He was vehemently opposed to the cocaine trade and deplored cheating. He purged Dixie mafia elements who were involved with drugs and human trafficking. To put it in perspective, Mickey Gillich (Kingpin of the Dixie Mafia) had to pay him protection money (pizzo) because the Italian mob controlled  Mississippi Coast gambling activities, alcohol sales, cigarette sales, and even pinball machines. He attended Catholic mass every Sunday.

What does any of that have to do with Lee Oswald?