'NATIONAL SECURITY' VS. THE FACTS ABOUT OSWALD PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION: THE MEN AND THE JOB

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600160100-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 18, 1999
• Sequence Number: 100
• Publication Date: February 13, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

'NATION L SECURITY' VS. THE FACTS pOUT OS%'ti(ALD
CPYRGHT PTI
11. 1
e
men
~L U ' ar -arren s 6 a e
merit about withholciinr certain evi
deuce gathered by the President's Corn
mission on. the Assassination of Presi
dent Kennedy may have been an unin
tended disclosure. But his remark, whic
lie ? himself excused as "facetious," ma
have revealed more about the approach
of the seven-member panel than many o
the official pronouncements issued b
he commission since it was created b
re:;iclent Johnson Nov. 29.
Warren's statement did two things:
(1) it strengthened the belief that mat-
ers of "national security" are indeed in-
volved In the Investigation of Kennedy's
Bath, centering on the person of-Lee H
swald; (2) it created further doubts
hat the story of the events in Dallas on
.he week end of Nov. 22 ever will be fully
weaned.
President Johnson instructed the com-
ission to "satisfy itself that the truth
s known.. nnd report Its findings" to
he world. His ability to Induce Warren
o head the panel was a strategic move
that overshadowed the nature of his
Cher six choices-five conservatives and
no liberal Pepublican.
ONFIIDENCE: Moderate and liberal
,roles, usually wary of such a right-
ing disproportion, Immediately express-
d ~.:rnildence in the commission based
in the Warren leadership and the selec-
ion of outstanding staff members (many
f them with liberal reputations) to as-
ist the conservative group. The Nation
aid Jan. 27:
"The confidence wlfich we previously-
expressed hi the Warren Commission has
eon strengthened by the announcement
at J. Leo Rankin has been selected as
ouns ei and that Normarj?"R.edlich, 'of
le New York, Un1vcrsj},y 'Law
School,
CPYRGHT
1 r..
"If we ever can 'completely assure
will serve as Mr. Rankin s personal as peace in this hemisphere, we are going
aistant" to have to get rid of Castro. I would be
The same issue contained a recapitu in favor of doing it now ... "
lation of reports that have appeared in Oswald is said to have been pro-Castro
several publications, including the (though he attempted to contact aan anti-
GUARDIAN, concerning Oswald's pos- . ( Castro group in New Orleans and lied
ible connection with the FBI or Central l about his correction with Fair Play
ntelligence Agency. The article said,, { for Cuba). Would Russell be an:-Sous to
the commission "must tell us if the FBI; dispel the charge that the person ac-
r,
any other government intelligence , cased of killing Kennedy had pro-Cuban
gency was in any way connected with-1 sympathies?
he alleged assassin." Soon after Kennedy's Impressive civil
UFSTION OF GUILT: Is the commis rights speech last June, Russell said:
'. ion prepared to make public such in-, "I hope that the American people will :;.
ormation? In view of Warren's state- not be swept further down the road to ,'.
ent, It would appear. that the panel socialisrri',by. , the present unprecedented
ould consider this against the national. wave of propaganda [for civil rights] : To
terest. It also seemed to feel that its me, the President's legislative proposals
ob was not to find the assassin. are clearly destructive of the American
"The commission is not engaged In de- System and the constitutional right
f
s o
rmining the guilt of anybody," said-American citizens.,,
nkin in rejecting & plea by Mrs. Mar--::; Cmatinu8a
erite Oswald that lawyer Mark 'Lane
e allowed to defend her late son during
anel hearings. But there 'is little doubt
I, 11M. issloile
FOIAb3b
report-as is expected, In basic agree
guilt will have been stated. T
After nearly three months, it ap-
pears that the commission's primary
function Is the formidable task of dis-
pelling world-wide uneasiness about the
circumstances surrounding the violent
death of America's 35th President, rath-
er than a disinterested exploration and
exposure of the myriad circumstances
that abound in the "crime of the cen-
tury."
Earl Warren Is but one of seven men
ene of eight, actually, If President
Johnson Is Included. These are the other
six members of the Presidential panel:
? Sen. Richard Russell (D-Ga.), an
arch-segregationist. Considered the most
I- Powerful powerful man in Congress, he has the
distinction of being personally respon-
sible for delaying more civil rights legis-
lation than any other senator. He Is a
close friend of Johnson. Soon after the'
Cuban missile crisis of 1962_ Russell told
i
d
? e
r
starting positio11 I
Sanitized - Approve or R e l e a s e
GIAMMMUff-M )100-1