US-Australian intelligence partnership reveals in latest JFK assassination documents

Newly released documents have shed light on the secretive conversations between Australian and US intelligence agencies surrounding the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

More than 1,100 files, comprising over 31,000 pages, were posted on the US National Archives website, providing further insight into the secrecy that shrouded the investigation, Caliber.Az reports.

Among the key revelations, a file from Australia's then-ASIO director-general, Sir Charles Spry, revealed a request made to CIA Director Richard Helms in October 1968. Spry asked that a document, referred to as "CD-971," remain classified, citing the potential public uproar over the investigation of anonymous phone calls to the US embassy in Canberra before and after Kennedy's assassination.

“Questions could be raised as to the investigation by the ASIO of the anonymous telephone calls, the validity of its quoted inclusion and the result of its further enquiries,” Spry wrote in his letter. He further cautioned that releasing the information could fuel allegations of CIA interference in Australian domestic affairs, a topic the US government had long avoided acknowledging.

"It has never been officially stated that there is a 'CIA Canberra Station' or that there are CIA officers in Australia," he said.

CIA Far East Division Chief William Nelson supported Spry's concerns, agreeing that declassification could provoke unwarranted scrutiny. In a memo, he stated, “I consider the points made by Sir Charles in his letter to be valid and accordingly recommend against the declassification of CD-971 in the foreseeable future.”

In response, Helms assured Spry that there were no plans to release the document and noted, "Should the question be raised at some future time, the points made by you in your letter provide every reason to keep the document out of the public domain."

The release of these documents follows an order from President Donald Trump, who directed the declassification of remaining assassination-related files during his tenure. Trump, who noted the vast amount of material still unreleased, said, “We have a tremendous amount of paper. You've got a lot of reading.”

Despite the release of over six million pages of records, some documents remain classified, fueling ongoing conspiracy theories about the true circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s death. While many believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, alternative theories persist, bolstered by new revelations of Oswald’s contacts with the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City.

This latest release adds to a growing body of evidence that may one day uncover further secrets of that fateful day in Dallas.

By Aghakazim Guliyev