DALLAS — The quest to uncover the truth behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy made significant progress this week, as more than 63,000 pages of pertinent documents were made public. This development follows an order from President Donald Trump and has stirred excitement among historians and enthusiasts who have long sought greater transparency around the November 1963 event. The release diminishes some of the persistent redactions that have sparked numerous conspiracy theories over the decades.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has made accessible around 2,200 files on its website, a small but significant portion of its expansive collection dedicated to the Kennedy assassination. This collection encompasses over 6 million pages covering everything from documents to sound recordings related to the incident. Larry J. Sabato, a leading political analyst and head of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, noted the extensive work ahead in thoroughly examining these records, emphasizing the patience required in unearthing the intricate details the files might reveal.
President Trump had earlier announced the document release at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, expressing the sheer volume of information to be unveiled, numbering around 80,000 pages. Prior to the release, estimations indicated 3,000 to 3,500 files had not yet been fully disclosed, with the FBI recently accounting for an additional 2,400 relevant records.
Jefferson Morley, of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, highlighted this release as a promising step, noting the reduction in the overclassification of mundane details. Nonetheless, he pointed out that two-thirds of the anticipated files, along with several newly discovered FBI documents and numerous IRS records, remained unreleased, leaving work yet to be done.
Throughout the decades, the assassination of Kennedy has fueled a myriad of conspiracy theories. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, as his motorcade passed through downtown. Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old ex-Marine, was apprehended as the prime suspect, having allegedly fired from a nearby building. Shortly thereafter, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald, further complicating the narrative.
The Warren Commission, appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson a year post-assassination, concluded Oswald had acted alone, yet speculation about a broader conspiracy has persisted. Oswald’s time in the Soviet Union and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his actions have only contributed to the theories.
Among the newly released documents is a CIA memo from 1991. It describes how a U.S. professor relayed a Soviet KGB official’s assessment of Oswald, detailing volumes of files on him and affirming that the KGB did not consider him an agent. The documents suggest Oswald’s time in the Soviet Union was closely monitored, despite his being perceived as unreliable and an inaccurate marksman.
In the early 1990s, a federal mandate ensured all records related to the assassination would be stored in the National Archives, with an ultimate deadline for release set for 2017. Yet, President Trump, upon taking office, opted to withhold certain documents due to potential national security concerns. As of now, some files still await their public unveiling under President Joe Biden.
Sabato suggests that numerous documents remain of interest, many previously heavily redacted, potentially holding sensitive U.S. intelligence details or insights into CIA operations linked to Oswald. Early file releases have provided glimpses into Cold War-era intelligence intricacies, including Oswald’s international travels shortly before the assassination.
