John F. Kennedy assassination

File:800px-JFK limousine2.png

Minutes before the assassination

The John F. Kennedy assassination of president John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963, officially only involving Lee Harvey Oswald, has caused much controversy.

File:Dallasjfk.jpg

The assassination site in 2008. White arrows indicate the sixth floor window and the mark on the road, where president Kennedy was hit the second time, fatally in the head.

History

He was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was fatally shot while traveling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas governor John Connally, and the latter's wife, Nellie, in a Presidential motorcade.

The ten-month investigation of the Warren Commission of 1963–1964 concluded that the President was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone and that Jack Ruby acted alone when he killed Oswald before he could stand trial. These conclusions were initially supported by the American public; however, polls conducted from 1966 to 2004 found that as many as 80 percent of Americans have suspected that there was a plot or cover-up.

Contrary to the Warren Commission, the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) in 1979 concluded that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. The HSCA found both the original FBI investigation and the Warren Commission Report to be seriously flawed.

While agreeing with the Commission that Oswald fired all the shots which caused the wounds to Kennedy and Governor Connally, it stated that there were at least four shots fired and that there was a "high probability" that two gunmen fired at the President.

No gunmen or groups involved in the conspiracy were identified by the committee, but the CIA, Soviet Union, organized crime and several other groups were said to be not involved, based on available evidence. The assassination is still the subject of widespread debate and has spawned numerous alternative theories and scenarios.

Conspiracy theories

One example of a conspiracy theory is that the assassination was organized by a group originally centered around the then Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. This group is argued to continue to have a very large influence on the US government and to have been involved in numerous other assassinations and crimes.

Another example is that Israel had an important role. This theory was notably presented in the book Final Judgment by Michael Collins Piper.

See also

• List of books about the JFK assassination
• List of documentaries about the JFK assassination

Gallery

• DealeyPlazaAerial.jpg

  Aerial view of Dealey Plaza showing route of President Kennedy's motorcade

• Altgens mary ferrell.jpg

  Ike Altgens' photo of presidential limousine taken between the first and second shots that hit President Kennedy. Kennedy's left hand is at his throat and Mrs. Kennedy's left hand is holding his arm.

• Moorman.jpg

  Polaroid photo by Mary Moorman taken a fraction of a second after the fatal shot (detail)

• Clint Hill on the limousine.jpg

  Secret Service agent Clint Hill climbs onto the presidential limousine, seconds after the fatal shot.

• HowardBrennan.jpg

  Howard Brennan sitting across from the Texas School Book Depository. Circle "A" indicates where he saw a man fire a rifle at the motorcade.

External links

• John F. Kennedy/Assassination - WikiSpooks

Politically correct views

• Encyclopedia Britannica: Assassination of John F. Kennedy
• Encyclopedia.com: Assassination of John F. Kennedy
• Encyclopedia.com: Kennedy Assassination