WASHINGTON — Russia is now releasing previously classified Soviet-era documents regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which Congress has been requesting for decades, as reported by Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who is investigating that tragic day in Dallas.
The 350-page document is anticipated to illuminate the KGB’s clandestine knowledge surrounding the events leading to Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, during an intense period of the Cold War.
Nonetheless, skepticism surrounds the authenticity of these documents and the motivations behind Russia’s decision to release them now.
“The Russian ambassador informed Luna that this is a collection of data given to US officials during Kennedy’s funeral,” stated JFK researcher Jefferson Morley, who is collaborating with the Republican to review the documents. “At that juncture, the Russians were eager to reassure Americans that they were in no way involved with [Lee Harvey] Oswald or the assassination.”
The ambassador’s assertion regarding the prior transfer of these files to the US has yet to be independently verified.
Can the KGB’s JFK files be trusted?
The central question remains: what information do these files contain, and can they be deemed reliable?
“I doubt that the KGB possesses definitive answers regarding Kennedy’s murder,” commented Gerald Posner, author of the acclaimed 1993 book “Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK.”
“If the files are released, it’s exciting, but we must approach them with a healthy level of skepticism considering their KGB origins,” he added.
This Russian revelation occurs amid escalating geopolitical tensions, as relations between Moscow and Washington hover at a post-Cold War nadir, particularly against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Russian government has a track record of leveraging propaganda efforts to exploit divisions within the US.
Luna pointed out that back in the 1990s, Congress sought KGB documents pertaining to the JFK assassination without success. Although a summary of their files was provided to the Clinton administration, comprehensive access was denied.
“In the ’90s, accessing those files came with a cost,” explained Posner, who sought to obtain them at that time but ultimately declined the financial demands. “Oswald’s files were situated in the provincial capital of Minsk and were practically commodified for purchase. That’s how Norman Mailer was able to acquire them.”
“Fast forward 30 years, and they don’t have that complication anymore,” he continued. “I suspect that the Russians are releasing this as a distraction from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Who can say?”
Mailer, the journalist behind “Oswald’s Tale” (he passed away in 2007), had accessed KGB files and interviewed former Soviet officers. The extent of common ground between Mailer’s findings and what Luna will obtain from the Russians remains uncertain.
Morley emphasized his intention to rigorously analyze the newly acquired documents.
“Naturally, you’re dealing with an intelligence agency, and their nature is to be untrustworthy. So, we approach this with caution,” Morley cautioned. “Is this a strategic move for propaganda purposes? It’s certainly a possibility. Thus, I’ll refrain from making premature declarations regarding these documents.”
“It’s evident that the Russians perceive some benefit in making this information available,” he remarked. “We should proceed with immense care.”
Is there a significant revelation to uncover?
The Russians may possess critical insights concerning the circumstances of Kennedy’s assassination, particularly regarding Oswald, whom the KGB had monitored closely during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Six weeks prior to the assassination, Oswald visited Mexico City, where he approached a Soviet mission in hopes of obtaining a visa to travel to Cuba.
“Oswald underwent two psychiatric evaluations in his lifetime,” Posner noted. “The second was conducted by Soviet officials shortly after he defected. They eventually advised him to leave the country, and their conclusion attributed his instability to the assessments they performed, though they never shared the full report.”
“It would be remarkable if they could produce some of the audio recordings or visual surveillance materials related to Oswald,” he suggested. “We lack comprehensive historical information regarding his time in Russia.”
Both Posner and Morley remain reserved about the potential for groundbreaking revelations in the documents, taking a cautious stance.
“This could be potentially crucial, but it might also serve as propaganda. We must delve deeply and truly grasp the materials at hand,” Morley explained.
Possibly more significant than the Russian files are the unidentified Cuban intelligence records regarding Oswald that have long remained secret, as Posner pointed out.
“There are indications suggesting that the Cubans might have done something to motivate him to demonstrate his loyalty to the revolution, which may explain his actions against Kennedy,” he elaborated. “Those files would be part of Cuban intelligence and have never been disclosed.”
