1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Already and this is this is the Daily OS. This 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: is the Daily ohs oh, now it makes sense. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: Good morning, and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Friday, 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: the twenty first of March. I'm Zara, I'm billy. This 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 2: week the US government released a huge bunch of documents 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: relating to the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 2: or JFK. He was assassinated decades ago, and yet questions 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: today remain about what actually happened on that day in 9 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: November nineteen sixty three. 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 3: Now there are thousands and thousands. 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 2: Of pages that have been released, including things like confidential memos, 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 2: Department of Defense documents and more. The documents have also 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: called into question the unexpected role an Australian played in 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: the nineteen sixty three event. 15 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 4: Okay, Zara, So I think before we jump into this 16 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 4: story and explain why it's in the news cycle at 17 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 4: the moment, we should go back to the key details 18 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 4: around the assassination of JFK. And for those who you know, 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 4: I'm sure we've kind of all heard about it, But 20 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 4: for those who don't know the exact details, we should 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 4: go through those. 22 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 2: You mean, those that aren't as obsessed as I am. 23 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: I think my mum told me to stop buying books 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: on this because it was becoming weird. 25 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 4: I think it's one of the first things I learned 26 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 4: about you that you are absolutely obsessed not just with 27 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 4: JFK but also the entire Kennedy family. 28 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. 29 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: Anyway, I hope that his grandson is not listening to 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: this because that would be embarrassing. But yees, this is 31 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: suddenly a story that I am interested in. But I 32 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 2: also think there's a lot of global interest in it, 33 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 2: and we'll get to that a bit later. You said 34 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: to just talk through the basic facts of what happened, 35 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: and I can go off what we understand. The thing 36 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: is that so many of these facts are contested, but 37 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 2: we'll go through what we know. 38 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 3: So firstly, John F. 39 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: Kennedy or JFK as we will refer to him for 40 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: the rest of the podcast. He was elected as the 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: President of the United States at the nineteen sixty election. 42 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: He was a Democrat, and he was also the youngest 43 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 2: ever elected president, coming to the highest office in the 44 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: country at the age of forty three. Just to give 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 2: you some context, Barack Obama was forty seven when he 46 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: was elected as president. 47 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 4: And No one has been younger than him when coming 48 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:23,279 Speaker 4: into office. 49 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 3: No, not since that time. 50 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: So it was really this youthfulness that he brought and 51 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 2: really defined a lot of his presidency in terms of, 52 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: I guess his policy agenda. He served at the height 53 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 2: of the Cold War, and much of his foreign policy 54 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: direction was informed by that context. So a lot happened 55 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: with Cuba during that time, there was a lot about 56 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: communism and the USSR, so that was really the platform 57 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 2: that he was elected as president on. Then domestically, during 58 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: his time as president, JFK was a very strong advocate 59 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: for the civil rights movement, and his administration also had 60 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 2: this really strong focus on organized crime. So that's just 61 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: a really high level run through about who JFK was 62 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 2: now to the assassination. So on November twenty second, nineteen 63 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: sixty three, JFK was driving through Dallas, Texas in an 64 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: open top motorcade. 65 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 3: So if you're. 66 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 2: Thinking in your mind, it's a car that has no roof, 67 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: and you know, today we can never imagine a president 68 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 2: driving through the streets with something like that, but at 69 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: the time that was a fairly normal thing to do. 70 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 3: He was driving in. 71 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 2: The car with his wife, Jackie and with the then 72 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 2: Texan Governor John Connolly and his wife Nellie, and so 73 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: while driving down the street in the middle of the 74 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: day in Dallas. JFK was shot from the nearby Texas 75 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: Schoolbook Depository. That was at twelve thirty pm on that Friday. 76 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: By one pm, half an hour later, JFK was pronounced 77 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 2: dead and. 78 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: The assassination was live stream. Would you call it live stream? 79 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 2: I don't know if we'd call it. It was captured, 80 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 2: was captured. There's a video, and. 81 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: There's still footage that you can watch it. 82 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a truder film. 83 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: It's the footage is wild. 84 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: It's really so remarkable. 85 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: It wasn't released for some time after, or at least 86 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: the full video wasn't released for some time after the assassination. 87 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 2: But then when the world could see it for the 88 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 2: first time, it was, as you just said, so unbelievable 89 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 2: to watch an American president assassinated in in clear view. 90 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 2: It was unprecedented. 91 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 4: The thing that I remember about it that has stuck 92 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,679 Speaker 4: with me ever since I saw it is his wife, 93 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 4: Jackie turning around to kind of see if she can 94 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 4: catch his head. 95 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 3: Like it was just it's so visceral and yeah, you're right. 96 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 2: You see Jackie kind of clamber back and then you 97 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 2: see the governor shield his wife and dark like you 98 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 2: see it all in real time. 99 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, yeah, you're right. 100 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 2: That was something that was so unique about this and 101 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: I think having that footage goes to why there is 102 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 2: so much of an obsession as to what has happened 103 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: here and what has happened since. So back to November 104 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 2: of nineteen sixty three, a short time after JFK was shot, 105 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 2: a man called Lee Harvey Oswald, he was a US 106 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: Marine veteran. He was arrested nearby and he was arrested 107 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: for the alleged assassination of the president and also for 108 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: the murder of a policeman a short time after Kennedy 109 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: was shot. 110 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 4: So, just to be clear, the person who killed JFK 111 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,799 Speaker 4: then went on to kill a policeman right after. 112 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's what we understand about what happened. This person, 113 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 2: as I said, his name was Lee Harvey Oswald. He 114 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: was arrested on that same Friday, and then on the 115 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 2: Sunday of that same week, so amir, two days later, 116 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 2: Lee Harvey Oswald was scheduled to be transferred from police 117 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: headquarters to the county jail. We referred to earlier the 118 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: fact that this was kind of the precipice of video 119 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 2: and people watching things for the first time, you know, 120 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 2: random tied. But but Kennedy and Nixon's presidential debate was 121 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 2: the first televised debate ever, and so people were watching 122 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 2: all of this unfolded in real time. And so as 123 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 2: viewers around the world were watching Lee Harvey Oswald being 124 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: transferred in police custody to this county jail, they suddenly 125 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 2: saw somebody at point blank range shoot Lee Harvey Oswald. 126 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 3: And kill him. 127 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: It's just to think of this happening now, of a 128 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: president being assassinated, and then shortly after, two days after 129 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: the alleged assassin himself being shot. It was just this 130 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: like huge upheaval. And we later found out that the 131 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 2: shooter of Lee Harvey Oswald was identified as Jack Ruby. 132 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 2: Jack Ruby was a night car bonner and he shot 133 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 2: Lee Harvey Oswold before Oswald could ever stand trial for 134 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 2: the assassination of JFK. 135 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, it's unthinkable to think about it happening today, 136 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 4: but it was also unthinkable at the time, and that's 137 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 4: why we are still talking about it more than sixty 138 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 4: years later because it was such a moment in history. 139 00:06:58,200 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's one of those things that you know, you 140 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: ask your parents or your grandparents where they were when 141 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 2: they found out, and then when they were when they 142 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 2: found out that Oswald had been killed. 143 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: Just crazy. 144 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 4: Okay, So to recap, JFK was shot while riding in 145 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 4: an open top car through Dallas. Authorities arrested the shooter 146 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 4: and named him as Lee Harvey Oswald. As Oswald was 147 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 4: being transferred to jail, he himself was shot and he 148 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 4: was killed by a nightclub owner called Jack Ruby. 149 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 2: Correct and even saying it today, you know, there are 150 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 2: so many twists and turns of this story, and it's 151 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 2: certainly one that has given rise to a whole host. 152 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 3: Of conspiracy theories. 153 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 2: I'm sure our listeners aren't coming to this for the 154 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: first time, but really there is so much doubt around 155 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 2: the facts of what happened and how they played out. 156 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 4: When I think of conspiracy theories, I think of JFK, 157 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 4: the assassination of JFK, the moon landing, and nine to eleven, 158 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 4: And this is this is one. 159 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 3: Of the big, very big of stories there. 160 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 4: Well, those are the three big stories, and this is 161 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 4: absolutely up there because I feel like what I know 162 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 4: about the JFK is I almost know about the conspiracy 163 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 4: theories before I know the actual details. 164 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're right, like this is something that has remained 165 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: true for decades, even though there was this independent investigation 166 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 2: finding shortly afterwards that found no evidence of a domestic 167 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: or foreign conspiracy. Despite that, conspiracy theories have always run wild. 168 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: And I'm not going to go through all of them. 169 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 2: We would do a whole podcast on that, but I 170 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 2: do just want to add some insight I guess into 171 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 2: what the. 172 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 3: Nature of these theories are. 173 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: So a lot of them revolve around the direction of 174 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: the bullet that killed JFK. There's a lot that goes 175 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 2: into people not thinking that Leejaviosold was the only shooter 176 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 2: who was there that day, and who else could have 177 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 2: been involved and why could they have been involved. Some 178 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 2: of these theories point to Cuba and the role the 179 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: Cuban government could have potentially played. There are some conspiracy 180 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: theorists who believe that the Cuban government, who had a 181 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 2: very antagonistic relationship with the US government during the Kennedy administration. 182 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 2: These conspiracy theorists think that they found out about an 183 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 2: alleged assassination plot of the Cuban leader and therefore carried 184 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: out their own assassination plot of the US leader. There's 185 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 2: never been any evidence to suggest that is true, but 186 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 2: that is certainly one that keeps coming up. On the 187 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 2: complete other side of the spectrum, there are people who 188 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: believe that the CIA had something to do with it, 189 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: that it was this kind of inside job. 190 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 4: The CIA being the Central Intelligence agency who's basically responsible 191 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 4: for surveillance and intelligence, the spy. 192 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 3: Agency in the US. 193 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 2: So this line of thinking is that it was something 194 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: potentially to do with organized crime, or it was something 195 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: to do with Russia, or who knows. There's so many 196 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 2: different ideas, but that this was basically an inside job 197 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 2: that had been covered up. And so while we can't 198 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: go through all of these theories, what I do just 199 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 2: want to say is there has always been this, I guess, 200 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: seed of doubt that has been sewn into the story 201 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: of the JFK assassination. And there have always been people, 202 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: people with very high profiles, who have suggested that what 203 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 2: they understand about the assassination might not be what actually happened. 204 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 4: And so the reason we're talking about it this week 205 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 4: is because well, if we go back to January, when 206 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 4: US President Donald Trump became president for the second time, 207 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 4: he signed in executive order to release the documents that 208 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 4: speak about the assassination and kind of all of the 209 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 4: documents that have been secret for sixty years now, and 210 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 4: then finally this week those documents were released. 211 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it does make it out to be 212 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 2: a bit more of a blockbuster release than it actually was. 213 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: I'll just explain it's like pretty complex, but I just 214 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,719 Speaker 2: want to go through I guess the history of these documents, 215 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 2: because this isn't the first time that we have had 216 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 2: documents relating to the assassination of JFK. So what happened 217 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 2: was and just bear with me on this. In nineteen 218 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 2: ninety two, Congress passed a law requiring the National Archives 219 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 2: and Records Administration to basically put together all the different 220 00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 2: government records they had relating to JFK's assassination into place. 221 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 2: And at the same time that this law came into 222 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 2: effects requiring this, it also mandated that documents relating to 223 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 2: JFK's assassination had to be released within twenty five years, 224 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 2: except any documents that do identifiable harm to national security. 225 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 2: So this law came into effect in nineteen ninety two, 226 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: and it had this kind of twenty five year sunset clause, 227 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,679 Speaker 2: So that twenty five year deadline came up in twenty seventeen, 228 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,359 Speaker 2: when you might remember Donald Trump was also the president's 229 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 2: So at that time, Trump released. 230 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 3: Some of the papers as he was required to. 231 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: He did though, say that he would put a hold 232 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 2: on releasing all of them to allow intelligence agencies more 233 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 2: time to deal with some of the complexities of it. 234 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 2: But at that time, in twenty seventeen, we got kind 235 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 2: of the first tranch of these documents. Then in twenty 236 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 2: twenty three, former President Biden released more documents, and at 237 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 2: that time he said it was final certification under the law. 238 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: That just means he was saying, no more documents are come. 239 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 3: That's it. 240 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 2: We've released everything we can release. There's nothing more to 241 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 2: say or see here. But then fast forward to this year. 242 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 2: In January, and like you said, Trump issued an executive 243 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 2: order where he directed national security agencies to develop plans 244 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 2: to release all of the remaining government records relating to 245 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 2: the assassination of JFK, as well as the assassinations of 246 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 2: civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior, and JFK's brother RFK, 247 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 2: who was assassinated a mere five years after him. At 248 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: the time, a White House fact sheet said that more 249 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 2: than fifty years after these assassinations, the victims' families and 250 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 2: the American people deserve the truth. And so under the 251 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 2: executive order, JFK's files were to be released first, and 252 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 2: MLK and rfk's were to follow next. 253 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 3: And I know I just said so. 254 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 2: Many acronyms, but all you need to know is that 255 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 2: the Trancho documents that were released this week are by 256 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: no means the first time we've had documents on the 257 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 2: assassination of JFK. 258 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 4: Okay, so that brings us up to this week. We 259 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 4: get the documents, it's like six four thousand pages or 260 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 4: something like that. 261 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 2: It was meant to be eighty thousand pages, but we 262 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 2: only got sixty four thousand, oh exactly. 263 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: And so what is in those documents? 264 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, at a high level, I'm sorry to disappoint, 265 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 2: there's nothing earth shattering in them. There's nothing that you know, 266 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 2: provides any evidence to suggest there was a second shooter 267 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 2: or that it was an inside job. Like, there's nothing 268 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 2: here that confirms any of the conspiracy theories that we've 269 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 2: had kind of out there in the universe for the 270 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 2: last couple decades. What we did learn from the documents 271 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 2: was just some more information about Lee Harvey Oswald. For one, 272 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 2: we learned some more about the time he spent in 273 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 2: Mexico where he was attempting to get a visa into 274 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: Cuba before coming back to the US before the assassination. 275 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,719 Speaker 2: That's given, I guess, some room for the people who 276 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: think that Cuba might be involved to be like, told 277 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: you so, but there's no real evidence they're linking anything substantially. 278 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: There were also some claims included in the documents that 279 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 2: CIA operatives knew about Oswald's plans prior to the assassination, 280 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 2: but mostly the documents really just revealed some details about 281 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 2: smaller incidents within the CIA. I was reading some analysis 282 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 2: that said, really, the people who will be most annoyed 283 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 2: by the release of this documents is just former CIA workers, 284 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 2: because it includes details about them and their jobs and 285 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 2: times they messed up at work, and not necessarily this 286 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 2: big sort of groundbreaking stuff. And more broadly, we did 287 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 2: just learn some more about the political landscape and how 288 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 2: US agencies were thinking that JFK's death might impact geopolitics 289 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 2: and their relationships with other countries. But given how much 290 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 2: hype there had been, historical analysts are saying, well, we 291 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 2: didn't really learn anything we didn't know before. 292 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 4: One thing that did pique my interest was earlier this 293 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 4: week when I was doing their headlines in the afternoon 294 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 4: with Emma. Her angle on the story was that there 295 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 4: was this new Australian connection that we didn't really know 296 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 4: anything about. 297 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 3: So random. 298 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: Do you want to explain what happened there? 299 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, we don't have a heap of information. But 300 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: what we did find out was that the CIA investigated 301 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 2: anonymous phone calls made to the US Embassy in Canberra 302 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 2: just before and just after the assassination of JFK. And 303 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 2: so these documents show that the then as O boss 304 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 2: SO was talking about the boss of Australia's spy agency. 305 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: He wrote to the CIA and requested that the investigation 306 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 2: into those phone calls be kept a secret. So these 307 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 2: documents show that a there were these mysterious phone calls 308 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 2: that happened to the US Embassy in Australia, and b 309 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 2: that any investigation into why and how those phone calls 310 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: came to be that that had to remain a secret, 311 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 2: and so we found out that the CIA boss confirmed 312 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 2: that the investigation would not be made public, and it hasn't. 313 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 2: We've never found out why those phone calls happened or 314 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: what the connection to Australia might be. 315 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 4: But so this is the first time that we found 316 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 4: out about those phone calls, correct. But now we don't 317 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 4: know nothing else. 318 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 2: One of those things IA boss kept his promise, it 319 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 2: never got the public. 320 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 4: So it's one of those things where it's kind of 321 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 4: raised more questions than it's answered. 322 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 2: I think that can be said truly for all of 323 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 2: these documents, so many of the people that were involved, 324 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 2: you know, in them, have since passed away or are 325 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 2: out of the workforce, or all of these sorts of 326 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: things where not many people are in a position to 327 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 2: give the answers that people might be wanting. 328 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 4: So interesting, I wonder if you can do a freedom 329 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 4: of information request. 330 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: Well, really, I guess you'll have to do it. We'll 331 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 3: get back to you're the only one looking into it. 332 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 4: I wonder, And by just talking through how the Kennedy 333 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 4: family is still very involved in American politics, even Caroline 334 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 4: Kennedy was just the ambassador to Australia, So. 335 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 2: You were going to say, even she has sat in 336 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 2: this seat and been interviewed on this podcast, which she has. 337 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 4: She has, but she's not the only person in the 338 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 4: Kennedy family who is still very involved in politics. So 339 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 4: do you want to take us through the members of 340 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 4: the family that are still in public life. 341 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there are many, but I guess just 342 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 2: the two that I think are relevant to this store. 343 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 2: The first being RFK Junior. So we've spoken about him 344 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 2: on this podcast before. He's currently the Health Secretary. He 345 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 2: was appointed by Donald Trump. He endorsed Donald Trump at 346 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 2: the last election. He ran himself but then dropped out. 347 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: He's the nephew of JFK and he has long pedaled 348 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 2: conspiracy theories relating to the death of his uncle. So 349 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 2: he's one of those people that believes that the CIA 350 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 2: had something to do with his uncle's death. And shortly 351 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 2: after getting rfk's endorsement during the presidential race, Trump announced 352 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 2: that he'd make these files public. 353 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 3: So there was like. 354 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 2: Some tenuous kind of connection between the two things where 355 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 2: he was saying, we've had RFK Junior publicly talk about 356 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 2: the fact that he thinks there's more out there, and 357 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,959 Speaker 2: Trump saying I'll do everything I can to get that 358 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,959 Speaker 2: information out there. But it has to be said that 359 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 2: not all Kennedys are on board with the release of 360 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 2: these documents. JFK's grandson, so the son of Caroline Kennedy, 361 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 2: the former ambassador to Australia, He's been very vocal in 362 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 2: his opposition. He wrote on X the truth is a 363 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 2: lot sadder than the myth. He's referring there to conspiracy theories, 364 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 2: a tragedy that didn't need to happen, not part of 365 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 2: an inevitable grand scheme. He then went on to write 366 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 2: this week, President Trump is obsessed with my grandfather, but 367 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 2: not in his life or what he achieved in it. No, 368 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 2: just like Robert Kennedy Junior, Donald Trump is only interested 369 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 2: in JFK's carcass. So very strong words there of some 370 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 2: members of the Kennedy family saying we're not learning anything new, 371 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 2: there's no conspiracy theory here. 372 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 3: Just let it be and let's move on. 373 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 4: It's quite sad seeing this family dispute being played out 374 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 4: on the biggest stage possible. 375 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 2: It is, and I mean again, we could do a 376 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: whole podcast on the Kennedy family. But that is a 377 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 2: family that has experienced so much grief, so much loss, 378 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 2: all of it has played out in the public eye. 379 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 2: And now, as you said, now there's this kind of 380 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 2: family feued over their grandfather's legacy also playing out as 381 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 2: a political story. So I imagine, yeah, that this must 382 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 2: be a really difficult thing. 383 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 4: Well, Zara, thank you for taking us through it. Thank you, 384 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 4: and thank you so much for listening to this episode 385 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 4: of The Daily os. We'll be back again this afternoon 386 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 4: with your evening headlines. Until then, have a great day. 387 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 388 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: Bungelung Caalcuttin woman from Gadigol Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 389 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 390 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 391 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 392 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present.