And, now, we have had the first in what may prove to be a series of long-overdue revelations implicating Lyndon Johnson in the assassination of John Kennedy or, at minimum, an abrupt reversal of Mr. Kennedy's Vietnam and Latin American policies as shocking as this may be. The following quotes from a 12/23/97 Associated Press story by Mike Feinsilber leave no alternative but to conclude: That Mr. Kennedy's intentions in November of 1963 regarding Vietnam may have been a major reason for his murder. . .and that Mr. Johnson's actions immediately following the assassination (i.e. the reversal of that policy) strongly suggest that LBJ was prepared for (i.e. had prior knowledge) President Kennedy's death (see paragraph four in Top Ten Prohibitions for American Journalists article below).

"'All planning will be directed towards preparing RVN (South Vietnamese) forces for the withdrawal of all U. S. special assistance units and personnel by the end of the calender year 1965.' said an October 4, 1963 memo from Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs."

"Less than a month after Kennedy's assassination, Johnson told his commanders to plan for 'increased activity' against North Vietnam, another paper showed. In making such plans, Johnson directed, commanders should take into consideration 'the plausibility of denial,' the possibility of North Vietnamese retaliation and 'other international reaction' --all suggesting Johnson wanted to act surreptitiously against Hanoi." ADDED INFO:  In a 1/30/99 obituary of Thomas C. Mann in The New York Times these quotes - "a switch...American policy in Latin America..." - "appointment by President Johnson to a high State Department post shortly after the death of President Kennedy" - "On Dec. 14, 1963, just three weeks after Kennedy's assassination, Johnson named Mr. Mann" - "Four days later Johnson named Mr. Mann to the additional post of special assistant to the President" - "the political and social components of the Alliance for Progress, a program aimed at helping Latin American countries attain democracy and improve living conditions were removed" - "a case study of how the United States moved from Good Neighbor to the overt use of military power in the hemisphere"