Hoover-Johnson Transcript 11/23/63

[Steve M. Galbraith]

When questioned about it, LHO became upset and denied ever even being in Mexico City. This was similar to his denying owning a rifle, or bringing a long package to work, etc. It is intriguing…

Yeah, why deny this? The rifle, the package, photos...denying that makes sense. But this? So angrily? Just anger with the FBI or something more?

When he came back from MC he told Marina that he was through with Cuba, that the bureaucrats there were just like everywhere else. So the entire "Revolution" and Castro are to blame for some bureaucratic office screwup? And for that he dismisses them? Very odd.

[Richard Smith]

how come LBJ is asking about "the visit to the Soviet embassy in Mexico in September".

That's the question ........??  Why was LBJ asking that question....   

Was LBJ still trying to make it appear as if Lee Oswald was an agent of the Soviets?   ( The original plot intended to make it appear as though Lee Oswald was working with the Cubans  ( and therefore that could be used as a pretext for attacking Cuba)   But they had to back away from that plot because of the fear of starting a nuclear war with Russia.

Whew.  There are so many logical contradictions here that it defies belief. 

[Charles Collins]

how come LBJ is asking about "the visit to the Soviet embassy in Mexico in September".

That's the question ........??  Why was LBJ asking that question....   

Was LBJ still trying to make it appear as if Lee Oswald was an agent of the Soviets?   ( The original plot intended to make it appear as though Lee Oswald was working with the Cubans  ( and therefore that could be used as a pretext for attacking Cuba)   But they had to back away from that plot because of the fear of starting a nuclear war with Russia.

That's the question ........??  Why was LBJ asking that question....

LBJ had been informed about it earlier in the day by the CIA. He was speaking to the head of the FBI. Why the heck wouldn’t he ask if there was any further developments regarding this very important aspect of the assassination investigation? Even if there hadn’t been any further developments, LBJ was experienced enough to know that the various Federal agencies and bureaus do not always share all of the available information with each other. If the FBI had information that the CIA wasn’t privy to (I am not saying that they did), LBJ was talking to JEH, (who most likely would have all of the information that the FBI possessed). So, I think that the better (than your’s) question would be: Why wouldn’t he want to ask the question?

[Walt Cakebread]

That's the question ........??  Why was LBJ asking that question....

LBJ had been informed about it earlier in the day by the CIA. He was speaking to the head of the FBI. Why the heck wouldn’t he ask if there was any further developments regarding this very important aspect of the assassination investigation? Even if there hadn’t been any further developments, LBJ was experienced enough to know that the various Federal agencies and bureaus do not always share all of the available information with each other. If the FBI had information that the CIA wasn’t privy to (I am not saying that they did), LBJ was talking to JEH, (who most likely would have all of the information that the FBI possessed). So, I think that the better (than your’s) question would be: Why wouldn’t he want to ask the question?

LBJ had been informed about it earlier in the day by the CIA.

Please present verification that LBJ had been briefed by the CIA about Mexico City "earlier in the day ".

[Charles Collins]

LBJ had been informed about it earlier in the day by the CIA.

Please present verification that LBJ had been briefed by the CIA about Mexico City "earlier in the day ".

On the question of when LBJ learned about Oswald's visit to MC.

From Max Holland's book "The Assassination Tapes": "During the [Saturday] morning briefing with McCone, Johnson learned some information from the Central Intelligence Agency that is not yet public knowledge - namely that six weeks prior to the assassination the CIA station in Mexico City observed Oswald visiting the Soviet embassy in the Mexican capital."

So LBJ learned about the Oswald visit *before* having the later call that Saturday (11/23) with Hoover on the latest news/information.

What's a bit interesting is that apparently Hoover/McCone did not know at that time that Oswald had also gone to the Cuban consulate. LBJ was only told about the Soviet Embassy visit. So that bit of information hadn't gotten to them yet.

Correction: LBJ had that crazy letter that Oswald sent to the Soviet Embassy in Washington. He mentions the Cuban consulate visit there. So Hoover knew about it but doesn't mention if in the call with LBJ? Or was that edited out?

[Walt Cakebread]

six weeks prior to the assassination the CIA station in Mexico City observed Oswald visiting the Soviet embassy in the Mexican capital."

They took a photo of the man calling himself Oswald..... Right?   

[Richard Smith]

six weeks prior to the assassination the CIA station in Mexico City observed Oswald visiting the Soviet embassy in the Mexican capital."

They took a photo of the man calling himself Oswald..... Right?

If the CIA were involved in framing Oswald for this crime and contrived a fake Oswald Mexico City visit for some inexplicable reason (i.e. it was not necessary to frame Oswald for the JFK assassination to have him travel to Mexico City months beforehand), then why would they then release a picture of someone who obviously isn't Oswald after the fact?  HA HA HA.  Why not have a crystal-clear picture of Ozzie posing at the entrance if the trip was faked by the CIA?  Whew.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

six weeks prior to the assassination the CIA station in Mexico City observed Oswald visiting the Soviet embassy in the Mexican capital."

They took a photo of the man calling himself Oswald..... Right?

There is no evidence the man in the photo called himself Oswald. How would the CIA know what the man called himself to the Soviets? Only the people in the Embassy he met would know what he called himself.

And what did they say? The three KGB agents/Embassy officers who met the man who said he was Oswald said that man was the Oswald arrested for the assassination. One of them - Oleg Nechiporenko - said the man in the photo was a US Air Force officer who offered to sell secrets to the Soviets. He did not identify himself as Oswald.

The Soviets knew what the real Oswald looked like. He had lived there for several years; they had his photo. So this person - who looks nothing like Oswald - shows up and asks for a visa? He has to give a photo. So he gives a photo of himself, the Soviets check on the real Oswald and immediately discover it's an impostor. And why would the Soviets go along with this charade? If they knew the person wasn't Oswald wouldn't they announce that to the world? They blamed the CIA for the assassination. They could say this impersonation was part of the conspiracy.

It's completely in the interests of the Soviet to expose this supposed impersonation. But they didn't. Same for the Cubans.