From: jmk@cbnews.cb.att.com (joseph.m.knapp)
Subject: Re: conspiracy
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 00:50:28 GMT

6489mcadamsj@vms.csd.mu.edu writes:
>jmk@cbnews.cb.att.com (joseph.m.knapp) writes:
>>It was being imported into the US in great quantities too. Are you saying
>>that the plotters wanted to use a weapon that plausibly came via Cuba for
>>reason of pinning the blame on Castroites or something?
>
>OK, but this entirely contradicts the notion that The Conspiracy wanted the
>assassination blamed on a "lone nut."  This line of logic suggests that they
>wanted investigators to go running off looking for a left wing conspiracy.  If
>I were The Conspiracy, I wouldn't want them looking for any sort of conspiracy.
>
>But maybe that's your point, since your post doesn't make clear whether you are
>a "conspiracy" person or not.

I think JFK's enemies planned to kill him, but I wasn't making any other
point above other than the weapon was widely available in the US. If one
did want the assassination to be blamed on a patsy with little money, the
choice of a M-C as the murder weapon would be a good one.

I also think that the badmouthing of the M-C is overblown. It is accurate,
which is about all that's required. I have a relevant quote from an
old WWII Italian general, Vincenzo Muricchio, singing the praises of
the "91", i.e., the Mannlicher-Carcano:

	"Some idolize the machine gun. But when fighting in the
	 mountains it is not a question of firing a lot but of
	 firing accurately. It counts more to have a good sniper
	 with a good ninety-one who knows the meaning of the
	 motto, 'For each enemy a bullet, for each bullet an enemy.'"	

>Then there is the fact that Oswald bought the M-Carcano, unless you believe
>that all that evidence is faked. 

Perhaps he did. Whether he knew what the hell was going on is another
question.

>Then there is the question of why, if The Conspiracy wanted a
>Mannlicher-Carcano found, they didn't just plant a Mannlicher-Carcano.  Much
>simpler than planting a Mauser and then having to switch it.

I don't buy the Mauser argument. A couple of gun people I've talked with
say that Mauser is a somewhat generic term for that type of rifle.

>>It's ironic that Kennedy introduced a bill in the Senate in the late
>>50s trying to ban the import of the M-C and other foreign military surplus
>>weapons. It was so watered down by the time it passed it was meaningless and
>>hundreds of thousands of the M-Cs were imported. The importing company paid
>>few bucks each for them. Kind of unfair competition for the Springfield
>>Armory and other gun makers in Kennedy's home state. ;-)
>>
>
>It seems you don't necessarily take the claims of "idealistic" politicians at
>face value.  Shame! Shame! <grin>

Actually, I took Kennedy's position at exactly face value:

	Kennedy's bill (introduced May 13, 1958) would have prohibited
	the importation into the US of "firearms manufactured for the
	Armed Forces of any country, or parts thereof for reassembly,
	except those which are curios or antiques..."

	"So I think the bill," said the Senator, "is in the interest of
	a great many jobbers, and at least one hundred twenty-five
	thousand retailers located in 48 states, and of particular
	importance to five arms manufacturers in Massachusetts."

---
Joe Knapp   jmk@cbvox.att.com