Nelson's LBJ Mastermind book

[Greg Burnham]

I also agree with Jim Fetzer's analysis, (with the qualifier that "mastermind" is too strong a word for LBJ). However, that qualifier does not diminish the significance of LBJ's role nor does it serve to palliate his perfidy one ounce. Moreover, his role was entirely pivotal in the overall success, not only of the cover-up, but in the assured perpetual impunity of all others who were involved.

As for the Bay of Pigs... The immediate failure was caused by the cancellation of the pre-dawn air strikes that Kennedy had ordered. He had made the "go order" for the Bay of Pigs landing contingent on the successful destruction of Castro's remaining "air force". This is a point that is often missed. For decades following the fiasco, JFK was unjustly blamed for the Bay of Pigs' failure due to his having "cancelled promised" air support. That is a CIA misdirection and a myth. The ONLY airstrikes that were planned and ordered were the pre-dawn airstrikes from Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Kennedy's last standing order was to abort the invasion unless Castro's remaining aircraft were destroyed ON THE GROUND prior to Brigade 2506 landing on the beach. McGeorge Bundy inexplicably called General Cabell of the CIA and told him to delay those airstrikes until AFTER the brigade had secured the beach and had constructed a makeshift airstrip! That call was the immediate cause of failure because Castro's T-33's went airborne and shot down the anti-Castro rebel's much slower bombers when they finally did arrive. The myth that Kennedy had then refused "promised" air support AFTER the brigade landed, is bovine excrement. There NEVER was any plan for the United States to employ the use of active US military equipment or personnel, nor was there EVER a contingency plan to that effect.

Just for the record...