JFK Lancer Productions & Publications
JFK Lancer Productions & Publications Newsletter

Joey Granati to Compose

JFK Tribute Video Soundtrack
 
Joey Granati,

JFKMI associate director and singer/songwriter, has been cast by JFK Lancer to compose a soundtrack for use in a tribute film to honor President John F. Kennedy.  This special commemoration will be unveiled at the 2008 JFK Lancer November in Dallas conference 11/21-11/23.

 

Joey Granati is a composer, lyricist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist on piano, bass guitar, and guitar. His music career spans over 30 years, which began at age 5 with performances as a classical pianist. As a member of the Rock 'n Roll group the Granati Brothers, also known as G-Force, Granati has recorded for A&M and Atlantic Records and has entertained millions of fans appearing at major concert venues and night clubs across America. The Granati Brothers were inducted into the Pittsburgh Musicians Hall of Fame, and The Beaver County Hall of Fame. For more on the musical career of Joey Granati, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/joeygranati

Articles In This Issue
AN ESPIONAGE POWDER-KEG: Cold War D�j� vu
The 81 Promises: Conservation
Quick Links...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
November in Dallas 2008
We are making plans to insure the leading researchers are there to commemorate the 45th anniversary of President Kennedy's death. We hope you are making plans to be with us, the speakers will be excellent, and the program at Dealey Plaza is sure to be memmorable.
 
Some of the speakers that have committed to presenting their work include: Jim Marrs, Dick Russell, Abraham Bolden, Edward Martino, Jeff Morley, Ian Griggs, Larry Hancock, Stu Wexler, Tyler Weaver, Rex Bradford, Sherry Fiester, Brian Edwards and Casey Quinlan.
 
If you have never attended a NID conference, we urge you to join us in November. We promise you will never forget it!  See you in Dallas!

Debra Conway and
Sherry Fiester

AN ESPIONAGE POWDER-KEG: Cold War D�j� vu

By Dean O'Brokta
 2007 NID DVD

Recently, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia claimed that a Russian Mig-29 had shot down one of their unmanned spy drones.  This incident of air combat in response to espionage occurred over the territory of Abkhazia, a region that obtained a "de-facto independence" from Georgia during the 1990s.  This recent alleged clash has once again placed Moscow at the center of a controversy regarding actions of espionage.

 

On May 1st, 1960, pilot Francis Gary Powers had his U2 spy plane shot down while on a mission over Soviet soil. While these two incidents have both similarities and differences, the parallels certainly exist. As Powers flew over Soviet territory, a Soviet Mig-19 was following his plane.  However, the tailing Mig did not shoot him down, instead Powers' plane received ground fire from V-75 missile battalions.  Though his plane did not receive a direct hit from a missile, his plane was within the blast radius of an explosion.  After his plane went down, Powers quickly became a prisoner.

 

Within the Soviet power structure, the military believed by right that Powers become a prisoner of war.  The basis for their rationale: Powers' flight was "considered a military intrusion and his plane had been shot down by military aircraft."  Premier Khrushchev disagreed.  He quickly attempted to diffuse the situation by ordering the immediate suspense of interrogation by Soviet Intelligence in an effort to avoid any potential political fall-out. Then on February 11, 1962, in an effort to improve relations between the Soviet Union and United States, Khrushchev agreed to release Powers from captivity.  The Soviet Premier used this opportunity to call for a Moscow Conference with President Kennedy that eventually led to limit testing of nuclear weapons.

 

When Powers' U2 was hit by the Soviet missile, the dynamic of American espionage changed.  Prior to this event, no U2 had been shot down.  Many people have questioned exactly how the Soviets obtained the information needed to track and shoot down the advanced U2.  Gregory Douglas, author of the book Regicide, cites a Soviet Intelligence study which stated Lee Harvey Oswald had supplied the U.S.S.R. with the information required.

 

Within the modern context, the idea of using spy planes might seem archaic in comparison to the precision of spy satellites.  Regardless, smaller nations still need use this as a means of intelligence gathering. Georgia uses planes for intelligence gathering missions over its rebellious territory of Abkhazia to the east.  However, Abkhazia, as well as the territory of South Ossetia, have allied themselves with Russia.  While Russia acknowledges its support for these two territories, they have not owned up to the alleged military action against their southern neighbor, Georgia.

 

Russia has claimed that none of its pilots were in the air the day of the incident because Sunday is a day of rest for military personnel.  Supporting the Russian claim, Abkhazian Deputy Defense Minister Garry Kupalba stated that a L-35 jet shot down the Georgian unmanned drone.  Abkhazia owns several of these aircraft.  However, the Georgian government stands firm in its accusations of Russian involvement.

 

In video footage of the incident, the Georgian aircraft is destroyed by a Mig-29.  In an official statement from the Georgian government, "It's a Russian aircraft.  Georgia does not posses it, nor do Abkhaz separatists.  It's absolutely illegal for a Russian Mig-29 to be there."  Since the incident, Georgia has also made pleas for the United Nations to take address the situation and condemn Russia's actions.  All the while, Russia has increased its support of the aforementioned breakaway territories and condemned Georgia's actions against Abkhazia.

 

What has become the most ironic of situations is how the Russian leadership has so far dealt with this incident in comparison to the one from the Cold War.  It seems as if President Putin will continue to apply pressure to reassert Russian influence in the region.  Conversely, Premiere Khrushchev wished to de-escalate the situation that he found himself in.  Only time will tell how this incident will pan out.  However, Putin has thus far shown the world he is less willing to be forthright than Khrushchev had been.

REFERENCES:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/21/georgia.russia.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/22/georgia.russia/index.html?iref=newssearch

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/23/georgia.russia/index.html?iref=newssearch

http://www.jfklibrary.org/NR/rdonlyres/4DD55A5A-9B71-494E-939B-312EDA3196DF/33856/CUBANMISSILECRISISAHistoricalPerspective.pdf

http://www.foia.cia.gov/browse_docs_full.asp, The U2 Incident of 1 May 1960, approved for release on March 31, 1992, accessed on May 2, 2008.

Khrushchev's Tricks Must Be Watched, approved for release on Spetember 12, 1985, accessed on May 2, 2008.

Douglas, Gregory.  Regicide: The Official Assassination of John F. Kennedy.  (Huntsville, AL: Monte Sano Media). 2002.

 

2007 NID DVD

The 81 Promises: Conservation

By Danielle Wimer

 

John Fitzgerald Kennedy said in his 1961 Inaugural Address to the United States of America, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".  That year became a turning point for our country, not only because Kennedy was the youngest president voted into office, but because he did something revolutionary.  With the exception of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Kennedy was the only president to explicitly vow that changes in the nation would occur under his leadership.  Both men not only made specific promises during their presidency, but successfully kept them as well. 

 

During Roosevelt's presidency, he created something known as the New Deal, which was established to improve the economy and boost the social morale of the United States during the crux of the Great Depression in the 1930's.  The New Deal was designed specifically to revive sagging businesses and agricultural situations, provide relief efforts to aid the unemployed, and execute reform concerning the Tennessee Valley Authority.  To accomplish this, Roosevelt's method passed heavier taxes, stabilized wages and farm prices, rationed limited commodities, and discouraged purchasing items on credit as well as promoted paying off past debts.  In short, Roosevelt's New Deal proved successful during the time it was implemented.

 

On the contrary, Kennedy's approach to improving the United States differed from that of Roosevelt's New Deal.  Kennedy referred to his plan as the New Frontier and with it came The 81 Promises.  Apparently, before Kennedy was even elected as president he began to make these promises, as found out by his campaign staff that had checked each statement and speech Kennedy made while he ran for president.  In order to make sense of these statements, Richard Goodwin was given the assignment to set up a series of task forces and make policy recommendations to Kennedy based upon his promises.  As such, between twelve and fourteen policy groups were created for this purpose and included anywhere from six to twenty four members.

 

One of the task force reports was on conservation.  One issue that revolved around conservation included that the United States must be re-evaluated for available power sources.  In particular those sources included electricity generated from water, as well as coal, atomic, and solar energy.  Additionally, threats such as pollution and waterway navigation were also included in this report.  As such, the notion of pollution control, which was influenced by a "National Pollution Policy", and rebuilding the waterway system became top prioritized recommendations to the president.  Further, issues such as wildlife conservation were included in the report.  Everything from national monuments, national parks, fish, forests, and soil were required to be protected under the United States government.  On July 26, 1963, Kennedy announced to the nation that he had made a treaty with the Soviet Union.  This treaty banned any kind of atmospheric nuclear testing.  As such, Kennedy avoided making major peace statements in light of the fact that it could damage his 1964 campaign.  Instead, he focused much more promotion in the conservation issues.  The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. As a result of this course of action, he received a vast amount of support and enthusiasm during his tour through the western states, particularly in Montana.

 

In essence, it is safe to say that the humble beginnings of Earth Day sprouted in the year 1963 by Kennedy when he addressed conservation issues.  Even though conservation was not put on his political agenda, Kennedy's whirlwind tour to the eleven states he visited fanned the flame of popular concern for the environment from 1969 to 1970.  Senator Gaylord Nelson declared that in the spring of 1970 there would be a grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and encouraged everyone to join in the occasion.  Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970 and continues to be observed in the United States.  Therefore, because of Kennedy's decision to go on a conservation tour as opposed to discuss major peace issues concerning the Soviet Union, the tiny spark of enthusiasm regarding concern about the environment created then ignited into the bonfire that became Earth Day.

 

LANCER was John F. Kennedy's Secret Service Code name. Use of this formerly secret name represents our efforts to make John F. Kennedy's assassination information available to everyone. JFK Lancer Productions & Publications subscribes to the values of patriotism, excellence, integrity and dedication to the revealing of truth surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

If you know someone who supports JFK Lancer Productions & Publications principles and objectives, we encourage you to invite them to become a forum member and join an interesting, dynamic and diverse group of individuals who foster understanding of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Additionally, we ask if you know a student or teacher who is qualified, encourage them to complete the linked application for our scholarship to be awarded at the Awards Banquet at November in Dallas 2008.