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A cache of once-classified documents expected to shed airy connected the assassination of President John F. Kennedy volition soon beryllium made public.
President Joe Biden connected Thursday ordered the release of caller JFK files, sourced from thousands of documents tied to Kennedy's death.
"The profound nationalist calamity of President Kennedy's assassination continues to resonate successful American past and successful the memories of truthful galore Americans who were live connected that unspeakable day," the White House said successful a memo authorizing the documents' release.
The White House further promised transparency astir Kennedy's death "except erstwhile the strongest imaginable reasons counsel otherwise." Biden released astir 1,500 classified JFK files a twelvemonth agone today.
USA TODAY requested remark from the White House connected the impending merchandise of the files.
For decades, conspiracy theories person swirled astir Kennedy's untimely death; the forthcoming files could supply immoderate clarity. Here's what we know.
What volition the caller JFK files detail?
- The absorption of Thursday's papers driblet is the CIA's 80-volume "personality file" for Lee Harvey Oswald, the antheral who assassinated Kennedy, Politico reported.
- The record includes accusation the CIA gathered connected Oswald earlier and aft the Kennedy attack.
- Information connected Oswald's travel to Mexico City and a CIA veteran's evident struggle of involvement volition besides apt beryllium released, according to POLITICO.
What won't beryllium revealed?
Some documents regarding Kennedy's decease volition stay sealed, though efforts to summation transparency are ongoing, according to Politico.
At Biden's request, "transparency plans" volition also be released Thursday by agencies withholding related documents that explicate mostly the kinds of files that person not been released and why, Politico reported.
Among the files that are released, don't expect immoderate large bombshells. White House officials reportedly indicated that nary conspiracy theories, similar a antithetic gunman oregon the uncover of a broader conspiracy to termination Kennedy, volition beryllium revealed Thursday.
What did the past files reveal?
Not much, researchers said astatine the time.
One record included accusation astir a "crank call" made to Australia's U.S. Navy attaché a twelvemonth earlier Kennedy's decease astir an alleged crippled against the president by the Soviet Union, according to Politico. Another record was titled "Plots to Assassinate Castro," referring to then-Cuban president Fidel Castro.
But experts weren't impressed. Jefferson Morley, a seasoned writer and author of 3 books connected the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1960s, called the merchandise a "sham" astatine the time.
Why aren't each the files released?
For immoderate JFK historians, the 2021 driblet was underwhelming, prompting disapproval of the Biden administration.
"According to the law, each JFK records were expected to beryllium made disposable wrong 25 years, nary exception," Morley told USA TODAY past year.
But this instrumentality — the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, oregon the "JFK Act" — also allows for postponement astatine the discretion of the president.
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