The Trump administration recently declassified previously unreleased files on the 1963 assassination of former US President John F Kennedy, raising new questions—including potential connections to India.
The documents reveal covert CIA operations during the Cold War, including the existence of secret agency bases in New Delhi and Calcutta, adding a new layer to the ongoing intrigue surrounding its global activities.
These findings emerge from a vast collection of previously classified records, offering insights into the CIA’s wide presence in South Asia.
The files revealed that the agency operated separately in New Delhi and Kolkata in India, Rawalpindi in Pakistan, Tehran in Iran, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Seoul in South Korea and Tokyo in Japan.
On 18 March 2025, the Trump administration declassified around 80,000 pages of documents tied to Kennedy’s assassination, fulfilling a campaign promise. Director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard hailed the move as a step toward “maximum transparency,” reigniting debate over one of America’s most enduring mysteries.
John F Kennedy’s assassination on 22 November 1963 in Dallas remains a pivotal moment in American history, not only for its tragedy but also for the lingering doubts surrounding the official account.
Despite the explosive claims in the newly released files, an initial review by Reuters found no deviation from the main narrative. Harvard history professor Fredrik Logevall, author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century 1917-56, suggested the documents may provide additional historical context but are unlikely to dramatically alter the public’s understanding of the event.
“It’s valuable to get all the documentation out, ideally in unredacted form. But I don’t expect dramatic new revelations that alter in some fundamental way our grasp of the event,” Logevall told Reuters.