My new book, "Into the Nightmare"

[Charles Drago]

Thank you, Joseph. As I continue to read, I find a great deal to admire about not only your research, but also your passion for the man and your acute sense of loss -- both of which we share on very deep levels.

This does not mean, however, that we agree on all aspects of the case.

Charles, you'll find in reading my book that I do provide, in detail, what you call a "conspiracy model" or theory. My book details my belief that the assassination was a military coup, benefiting Johnson, to enrich the military-industrial complex by widening the war in Vietnam and to give freer rein to the military men and right wing oil men who opposed Kennedy.

Fair enough. But not quite clear enough -- at least for me.

Who, in your opinion, had the authority to order/authorize the coup?

They thought he was a traitorous dove for trying to achieve detente with the USSR and Cuba and for resisting widening the Vietnam War. I agree with Peter Dale Scott on the phase one/phase two theory of the assassination; I recommend his works on deep politics. Johnson did not want a war in Cuba or with the USSR, but he was owned and operated for decades by Brown & Root (which merged with Halliburton).

Help me to understand your position: Is it correct to say that you've concluded that Brown & Root coerced LBJ to ... what? ... use the power of the vice-presidency to authorize and order the operation? In your scenario, would the powers-that-be at Brown & Root plus certain military officers and oil barons properly be cast as the assassination's Sponsors, and would LBJ be their primary Facilitator?

I agree with Peter Dale Scott on the phase one/phase two theory of the assassination; I recommend his works on deep politics.

So do I. And I'll pass along your recommendation, insofar as I have read just about every word written by Professor Scott on this case (among others).

Johnson did not want a war in Cuba or with the USSR, but ...

That's a big "but" you've got there.

You stipulate, as do I, that the right wing military wanted war in Southeast Asia. The industrialist profiteers wanted that war. They helped eliminate THE major road block to that war. They controlled the eminently controllable successor to the road block.

However, unlike LBJ, many/most also wanted to take out Cuba and the USSR.

BUT they didn't.

Why?

After all, and as you suggest, "They thought[JFK] was a traitorous dove for trying to achieve detente with the USSR and Cuba ... " Yet eventually detente came to pass.

Who had the power to control the very forces that in my opinion you incorrectly place at the top of the JFK assassination food chain?

I am not sure what your "model" is from your general theoretical description of such plots.

First, I'd suggest that the distinction you would draw between "model" and "theoretical description" is one without a difference.

Second, I encourage you re-read carefully the Evica-Drago model as I describe it above. We name names -- at least in three of its four categories/levels -- and assign roles. And if indeed we have been less than direct and informative in doing so, I cordially invite you to post detailed questions and/or criticisms, to which I'll gladly respond.

[T]he Tippit murder [is] a largely neglected and critical aspect of the events in Dallas.

I and many others have agreed with this assessment for decades.

I write at length about how Tippit moved in the rightwing milieu that also included Ruby and various rightwing extremists and how the Dallas Police Department was deeply involved with forces hostile to Kennedy.

You are indeed to be commended for bringing invaluable new detail to the Tippit research which, decades ago, established his and the DPD's involvement with "rightwing [sic] forces hostile to Kennedy."

We are in full agreement that Tippit and some of his DPD colleagues are accurately and best placed within the lower Facilitator ranks.