New insights into the JFK assassination files

Thursday 20 March 2025 - 11:09

By: Zahouani Ilham

New insights into the JFK assassination files

On Tuesday, the Trump administration released over 2,000 previously classified files concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This event, which occurred over 60 years ago, continues to fuel conspiracy theories despite the official narrative.

The documents provide insights into U.S. intelligence operations during the Cold War and offer further details about Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy was shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963, by Oswald, a former U.S. Marine. Oswald was killed two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.

In response to the assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission, which concluded in 1964 that Oswald acted alone. While conspiracy theories have persisted, the newly released files did not challenge this conclusion, according to experts. "The documents I reviewed were mostly tangential to the assassination itself," said Marc Selverstone, a presidential studies professor at the University of Virginia.

The documents revealed that Oswald visited both the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City prior to the assassination. They also confirmed Oswald's time in the Soviet Union and his interactions with Soviet intelligence. Surveillance reports suggest that U.S. agencies monitored Oswald upon his return to America. Additionally, the documents offered new insights into U.S. intelligence operations, such as "Operation Mongoose," a covert campaign to destabilize Cuba's communist government, and covert efforts to overthrow foreign governments, including the Dominican Republic's President Rafael Trujillo.

Despite the new information, the release of these files does not appear to support any conspiracy theories about the assassination. Various theories, ranging from multiple attackers to foreign involvement, have been investigated over the years but have not been substantiated.

This release follows a series of similar actions by previous administrations. While some argue that this is a move toward greater transparency, others question the timing and motivation behind it. The Kennedy family expressed concern over the lack of prior notification, with some critics suggesting it could be a publicity stunt. Nevertheless, experts agree that the release of these documents is a step forward for transparency, providing new insights into a pivotal moment in U.S. history.