Tom goes to Congress

 Tom O Neill and myself have a love hate relationship. We love to hate each other, and that's because he's accused me of trashing his book every chance I get, which isn't true. I just don't buy into the CIA/MKULTRA crap, to which he has stated numerous times that he can't prove. We had a pretty heated debate to which I actually owe him an apology over that concerning Ruth Ann's age. I found her divorce/annulment  papers that show her real birth year. In 1994, she filed for divorce/annulment from her then husband and the records show that her DOB is 5/19/52 which can be seen here. 

Here is Tom's transcript of his  testimony. 

full video here

A few problems arise with these claims as usual. Tom as usual makes unsupported inferences, disputed, claims, and leaps in logic. For example, one of these leaps in logic is why would he testify in front of Congress when its Congress whom approve funding to the CIA?

His strongest examples are: 

1.

" I was never able to put Jolly West in the same room as Manson" 

Then why does he continue to push this narrative? He said he can't prove that West and Manson ever met. YET much of his testimony proceeds as if West's proximity to Manson is highly suggestive of a connection. This isn't a contradiction, but it's more tension between admitting a lack of evidence, and implying significance. 

2.

MK ULTRA's "ultimate objective vs documented objectives. 

Tom repeatedly says MKULTRA's goal was creating "programmed killers."

However, many declassified MKULTRA documents describe broader interests such as interrogation, behavior modification, memory,  hypnosis, and incapacitation. While assassination and covert influence were explored in some contexts, stating that creating programmed killers was the ultimate objective is an interpretation rather than an established fact.

3.

Jimmy Shaver as implied evidence. 

Tom presents Jimmy Shaver's case immediately after discussing West's MKULTRA proposals and experimental work. he never states outright that Shaver was programmed by West, but the sequence strongly implies it. There is no documentary evidence presented in the testimony proving Shaver's crime resulted from MKULTRA experimentation.  No evidence exists of Shaver ever participating in West's experiments or any LSD or hypnosis. 

4. 

Jack Ruby

Tom suggests West's examination of Ruby is significant because of West's examination of Ruby because of West's CIA relationship with Allen Dulles role on the Warren commission. However the testimony does not provide evidence that West caused Ruby's mental deterioration or that Ruby was manipulated throught MKULTRA. 

5. 

The Holy Grail - falls short 

Tom characterizes replacing true memories with false ones as " the holy grail" operation. 

That's literally Tom's characterization, not wording found in the original CIA documents. 

The testimony's biggest contradiction is, 1977 CIA Testimony, MKULTRA provided no useful technology and surving records were turned over to Congress and West's 1956 report. Tom say's West claimed successful manipulation of memory, but that section was replaced with a summary stating the effects "have never been studied. " He claimed the version given to Congress omitted those findings. Even if the omission occurred as described, the report itself represents preliminary research. He provides no evidence of either or. 

These are some papers I asked Paulcast about because he is right on top of it when it comes to the claims made by Tom, Because of  his conversations with Smith.  At approx 1:22:24 to 1:22:45 Tom incorrectly claims the Amphetamine research was going on when Manson was under Smith's supervision while on parole, parole that Tom tends to twist in his favor because Manson wasn't imprisoned for minor offences.  Manson was no longer under Smith.

I pay no attention to the CIA or MKULTRA claims since as far as I'm concerned, they have no relevance to the case.

Paul said " Tom said Dr. Louis J. West's pad was part of the free clinic. it was not. Jolly's pad was on Franklin Street and the clinic was on Clayton. They weren't affiliated past West going to the clinic sometimes. Tom said West and Roger worked together. They did not. West sent people with VD, etc, to the clinic like everyone else did. It's possible West recruited some hippies to go to his pad from the clinic, but it wasn't an organized operation. He (Tom) talks about the amphetamine research project having something to do with Manson. It didn't start being funded until after Manson left his (probation officer Smith) charge. West's research pad was funded by the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation until July 1968. OMRF were not funders of the free clinic as far as I've been told by people from the clinic and from information I've found. Maybe Tom will put out the corresponding documents which would be great, but until then, everything else will remain skeptical."

Paul also said from his conversations with Smith that " The Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic was only open for two and a half months before funds ran out and they had to close the doors to scramble to get more money" 

Paul also said that "The funding both times for West's project are stated in newspapers. When they were stated, he had no reason to lie because nobody was thinking the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) as a shell for the CIA. The clinic could have gotten funds from the CIA after 1968 from the NIMH and not being aware. but they weren't the only one." 

Here are two articles about the funding West received. 

This one is from the San Francisco Chronicle 7/10/1968

This one is from the San Francisco Chronicle. 9/23/1967

Is this what the US Government is reduced to now? No time to do anything important'?