[birds chirping]
[music]
From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies, (text about Illuminati's conspiracy + "It starts here!" sticker)
history is riddled with unexplained events. [doorbell rings]
You can turn back now, (Stuff they don't want you to know - howstuffworks.com)
or learn the stuff they don't want you to know.
Here are the facts.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated
in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963.
In the ensuing chaos, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in,
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, and the nation mourned.
Congress formed the Warren Commission
to discern the facts of the case. (Warren Report)
Although they concluded that Oswald was a lone gunman,
holes indicate that a majority of Americans today
either question or reject these findings.
In the decades since, historians, researchers,
conspiracy buffs and skeptics alike
have tried to tackle this story.
This story remains one of the most enduring
and controversial moments in American history.
Given the unreasonably combative, emotional tone
so common among both theorists and skeptics,
it's often been difficult for people with differing views
to listen to each other's arguments.
One author believes that both sides may be correct,
that there was a conspiracy at play,
but not, perhaps, the one you'd expect.
Here's where it gets crazy.
Conspiracy theories about the JFK assassination
finger everyone from the CIA to the Mafia,
and even members of Congress have appeared to sign on.
But, according to author Seymour Morris, Jr.,
most of these theories miss the true conspiracy at hand.
In his book, American History Revised,
Morris examines some lesser-known facts
about the assassination and the ensuing investigations.
First, Morris notes that the Warren Report (Warren's letter to the President, submitting the commission's final report)
missed some important points:
being both unable to establish a political motive
or adequately explain how Oswald managed the job.
Public distrust of the Warren Report led
to a new Congressional investigation in the mid-70s,
when Congress formed the House of Representatives'
Select Committee on Assassinations, or HSCA.
Between the Warren Commission's work and the HSCA investigation,
four other governmental groups exhaustively investigated the incident.
But the HSCA found a new piece of evidence:
a police dictabelt recording.
On this recording, it sounded like 4 shots were fired, rather than 3.
While it's within the realm of plausibility that Oswald could fire 3 shots,
4 shots were taken to be proof of a second gunman.
Although virtually every witness claimed to have heard 3 shots during the murder,
the HSCA still changed the report,
claiming that there probably was some sort of conspiracy,
although they could not name any specific conspirators.
The story of this mysterious recording doesn't stop here.
In 1979, a percussionist named Steve Barber listened to it, (Search: Steve Barber, JFK, Zepruder)
and recognized that there might be a cross-over of sounds.
In other words,
that what sounded like 4 shots was actually noise from two different sources.
By the time this information came to light,
the public had already decided that the 4 shots were legitimate.
So, if as Morse argues,
the conspiracy theories based on this recording are flawed
in what - if any - conspiracy was at play,
Morse named one that you might not expect:
after the assassination, he claimed,
the CIA and FBI participated in an intelligence cover-up
at the highest levels,
refusing to inform the Warren Commission
about the Kennedy brothers' secret operations to remove Castro.
Although virtually every witness claimed
to have heard 3 shots during the murder,
the HSCA still changed their report.
Claiming that there probably was some sort of conspiracy
although they could not name any specific conspirators
The story of this mysterious recording doesn't stop here,
in 1979 a percussionist named Steve Barber
listened to it
and recognised that there might be a crossover of sounds
in other words, that what sounded like 4 shots
was actually noise from two different sources.
By the time this information came to light
the public had already decided that the 4 shots were legitimate
so, if as Morris argues,
the conspiracy theories based on this recording are flawed,
then what, if any, real conspiracy was at play?
Morris names one that you might not expect.
After the assassination, he claims, the CIA and FBI
participated in an intelligence cover up at the highest levels
Refusing to inform the Warren Commission
about the Kennedy brothers secret operations
to remove Castro
Years later, the Select Committee on Intelligence
revealed these plots and concluded that the
CIA and FBI had lied by omission to another arm of the government
and that it was the Kennedy's obsession with Castro
that accidentally motivated Oswald
but is that the whole story?
Sceptics claim the majority of JFK conspiracy theories
are based on misunderstanding
but theorists claim that facts are being buried
One thing's for sure
according to Morris and Congress
there really was stuff the CIA and FBI
didn't want you to know about JFK
JFK: Let the words go forth
from this time and place
to friend and foe alike
that the torch has been passed
to a new generation of Americans
born in this century
tempered by war
disciplined by a hard and bitter peace
proud of our ancient heritage
and unwilling to witness
or commit
the small undoing
of those human rights
to which this nation has always been committed
and to which we are committed today
at home
and around the world