# Did Castro Have JFK Killed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 23, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391 "2018-02-23T04:18:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thatbpguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/258eb7/32.png) [@thatbpguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatbpguy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/1 "2018-02-23T04:18:40Z")
American Heritage is considered one of the top nonbiased and scholarly publications. I was reading this article and it opened my eyes a bit. > **[Did Castro OK The Kennedy Assassination?](https://www.americanheritage.com/did-castro-ok-kennedy-assassination)** > > Incriminating new evidence has come to light in KGB files and the authors' interviews of former Cuban intelligence officers that indicates Fidel Castro probably knew in advance of Oswald's intent to kill JFK. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/2 "2018-02-23T04:23:13Z")
Moved to Great Debates. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/3 "2018-02-23T04:25:47Z")
> [@thatbpguy](#): > > American Heritage is considered one of the top nonbiased and scholarly publications. I was reading this article and it opened my eyes a bit. > > [Did Castro OK The Kennedy Assassination? (Win 08,Vol:58 Issue:6)](https://www.americanheritage.com/content/did-castro-ok-kennedy-assassination) So what has happened in the 8+ years since the article was written? Did it amount to anything? ---
**Author:** ![thatbpguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/258eb7/32.png) [@thatbpguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatbpguy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/4 "2018-02-23T04:31:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > So what has happened in the 8+ years since the article was written? Did it amount to anything? A few ripples, but no one cared anymore. I just love history and found it very fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/5 "2018-02-23T12:32:34Z")
The authors of the piece, Gus Russo and Stephen Molton, have only written that one article for _American Heritage_ which, coincidentally, happened to be the same subject of the book they had just put out and were promoting-(_Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder_. BTW, Gus Russo also wrote a book titled _Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK_, where he stated that Oswald did it all by himself in retaliation what Kennedy did and said against Cuba. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/6 "2018-02-23T13:01:38Z")
Nothing to see here. Most has been well known for a long time. The author’s are stretching things (e.g., the bit about Oswald sleeping with someone in Mexico City). Lot’s of putting things in adjacent sentences to try and imply a link. Lot’s of documentation showing that the Russians knew Oswald was mentally unfit for any sort of intrigue and they just wanted to get rid of him. The Cubans knew this and just humored him slightly but didn’t want to really do business with him. Given Oswald’s mental issues it was impossible for him to have been controlled by anyone. His firm belief that he was destined for great things coupled with his decaying life lead to what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/7 "2018-02-23T13:02:09Z")
The sole source of evidence appears to be an interview with an anonymous Cuban, who claims to have been a high-level Cuban spy. This interview occurred 42 years after the assassination. Color me skeptical. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/8 "2018-02-23T13:05:22Z")
> [@thatbpguy](#): > > American Heritage is considered one of the top nonbiased and scholarly publications. I was reading this article and it opened my eyes a bit. > > [Did Castro OK The Kennedy Assassination? (Win 08,Vol:58 Issue:6)](https://www.americanheritage.com/content/did-castro-ok-kennedy-assassination) [In this fashion?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YzbVXmh-EQ4/hqdefault.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/9 "2018-02-23T17:11:54Z")
> [@thatbpguy](#): > > A few ripples, but no one cared anymore. I just love history and found it very fascinating. _ **No one cared anymore?** _ The Kennedy assassination is the Holy Grail to historians, investigative journalists, crazy conspiracy theorists, the right wing, the left wing, and an entire generation of baby boomers. Search “Kennedy assassination” on Amazon and you’ll get more than 2,000 titles (granted, some of those are about Robert Kennedy), including 15 titles that are already scheduled for release later this year. Depending on which theory you want to believe, JFK was assassinated by Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, the Mafia, the CIA, the KGB, Cuban communists, the John Birch Society, a rogue group of U.S. military officers, Jimmy Hoffa, George H.W. Bush, or Ted Cruz’s father. (I’m sure other Board members will add the suspects I missed.) Or maybe, just maybe, he was killed by a lone nut with a gun. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/10 "2018-02-23T17:56:35Z")
Assuming Castro did have some role in Kennedy’s murder… what does anyone suggest be _done_ with this information? Lawsuit? Criminal trial with Castro’s corpse in the dock? Bay of Pigs II? ---
**Author:** ![FavreCo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a698b9/32.png) [@FavreCo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FavreCo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/11 "2018-02-24T01:59:24Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > _ **No one cared anymore?** _ > > The Kennedy assassination is the Holy Grail to historians, investigative journalists, crazy conspiracy theorists, the right wing, the left wing, and an entire generation of baby boomers. Search “Kennedy assassination” on Amazon and you’ll get more than 2,000 titles (granted, some of those are about Robert Kennedy), including 15 titles that are already scheduled for release later this year. > > Depending on which theory you want to believe, JFK was assassinated by Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, the Mafia, the CIA, the KGB, Cuban communists, the John Birch Society, a rogue group of U.S. military officers, Jimmy Hoffa, George H.W. Bush, or Ted Cruz’s father. (I’m sure other Board members will add the suspects I missed.) > > Or maybe, just maybe, he was killed by a lone nut with a gun. Actually he was accidentally killed by the only gun in the area capable of inflicting the massive destruction of his skull. An AR-15 in the hands of the SS agent George Hickey. There’s no big mystery or conspiracy in what really happened so it doesn’t get the ink that the weak explanations do. It’s the only explanation that actually fits the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/12 "2018-02-24T02:10:24Z")
> [@FavreCo](#): > > Actually he was accidentally killed by the only gun in the area capable of inflicting the massive destruction of his skull. An AR-15 in the hands of the SS agent George Hickey. There’s no big mystery or conspiracy in what really happened so it doesn’t get the ink that the weak explanations do. It’s the only explanation that actually fits the evidence. Weird how it’s not evident in the film or eyewitness accounts. Or do you include mass hypnosis? Have you ever heard an AR? Those things are fucking loud. No way no one noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/13 "2018-02-24T02:15:41Z")
Threads like this make me want to play _JFK Reloaded_ some more. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/14 "2018-02-24T02:24:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Weird how it’s not evident in the film or eyewitness accounts. Or do you include mass hypnosis? > Have you ever heard an AR? Those things are fucking loud. **No way no one noticed**. No way no one _didn’t_ notice. FTFM ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/15 "2018-02-24T04:08:41Z")
> [@FavreCo](#): > > Actually he was accidentally killed by the only gun in the area capable of inflicting the massive destruction of his skull. An AR-15 in the hands of the SS agent George Hickey. There’s no big mystery or conspiracy in what really happened so it doesn’t get the ink that the weak explanations do. It’s the only explanation that actually fits the evidence. It’s gotten plenty of attention. It just isn’t widely accepted. The theory is not without [holes.](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Shooting_holes_in_theory_that_a_Secret_Service_agent_killed_President_Kennedy.html) ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/16 "2018-02-24T17:59:01Z")
The solution can be found here. If you have the time and inclination watch this video on YouTube which explains mostly everything about the assassination. Full disclosure, the Warren Commission report is pure BS. Or just watch the first 5 minutes and see if it's interesting enough to warrant watching the rest. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/17 "2018-02-24T18:28:18Z")
Dude, three and a half hours? No. Howsabout you summarize the main points, present them for us in a non-YouTube format, and we can go from there. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/18 "2018-02-24T18:38:18Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Dude, three and a half hours? No. > > Howsabout you summarize the main points, present them for us in a non-YouTube format, and we can go from there. It’s titled JFK to 9/11. The desription translates as “A piece of history that every Dutch needs to know. NL, USA and UK largest NAZI states in the world” That pretty much sums it up. _cue the Twilight Zone theme_ ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/19 "2018-02-24T18:51:37Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Dude, three and a half hours? No. > > Howsabout you summarize the main points, present them for us in a non-YouTube format, and we can go from there. I do realize attention spans are not what they might be, which is why I wrote, watch for 5 minutes and see if it’s for you. We _are_ in a great debate zone, so this just adds another opinion, but this time fact-based. I find the title of this thread quite ignorant of the facts, for example: > **[I Was With Fidel Castro When JFK Was Assassinated](https://newrepublic.com/article/120460/fidel-castro-reaction-kennedy-assassination-cuba)** > > "He came back, sat down, and repeated three times the words: “Es una mala noticia.” (“This is bad news.”)" > [@running\_coach](#): > > It’s titled JFK to 9/11. > The desription translates as “A piece of history that every Dutch needs to know. NL, USA and UK largest NAZI states in the world” > That pretty much sums it up. > > _cue the Twilight Zone theme_ This video is not for everyone, but judging it without looking at the first 5 or so minutes is not the way we fight ignorance on Straight Dope. If you watch it and dispute facts with other facts, then fine. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391/20 "2018-02-24T19:38:41Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > …this just adds another opinion… No, it doesn’t. It adds a link. Link != opinion. > [@](#): > > …but this time fact-based. The well having been thoroughly poisoned, I’ll ask again: What is the premise of your link? What are its primary arguments? What are the basic facts which you believe support those arguments (and which you believe are absent elsewhere)? Surely these are not unreasonable requests. > [@](#): > > This video is not for everyone, but judging it without looking at the first 5 or so minutes is not the way we fight ignorance on Straight Dope… This is \*entirely \*incorrect. Quite the opposite, in fact. . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-castro-have-jfk-killed/809391.md?page=2)