reply to post by Logarock
He must have given them reason to believe that there would be air support even if that reason were only that he didnt try harder to stop the
operation.
According to the book, the air support was to be withheld unless absolutely necessary as a last result. Kennedy didn't want America overtly involved
but appeased the Juggernaut behind it into thinking he would authorize it when the time came. He only went ahead with the whole thing
if they
agreed that he and he only could authorize that.
What was on his mind is purely conjecture. But it remains that he in fact did not authorize it despite the pressure from the military, the CIA and
state department. So that is why I say
if that is what he planned it was brilliant. I have no way of knowing, by the way. Just conjecture.
In a wider sense, he stood down during the Cuban missile crisis and planned on reducing the number of advisers in Vietnam as well. I believe these are
some of the reasons why he was assassinated. You add Diems to that three weeks before and you can see a pattern. No?
Fast forward to MLK and RFK, also assassinated by firearms.